Dear List Members,

In an article by Petra Kieffer-Pülz (The meaning of māl̥a(ka)/māla(ka) in Pāli) I came across a few text passages describing the mālaka decorated by,or the floor of which was covered, with fresh white sand (paṇḍarapul̥ina). I am interested to know if descriptions of this practice are also found in other than Buddhist texts and if there are ritual or religious concerns involved.

With the best wishes, Herman