Manala (Sanskrit maṇḍala मंड "essence" + ल "having" or "containing". It is also often translated as "circle-circumference" or "completion", both derived from the Tibetan term dkyil khor) is a term used to refer to various objects. It is of Hindu origin, but is also used in other Indian religions, such as Buddhism. In the Tibetan branch of Vajrayana Buddhism, they have been developed into sandpainting. In practice, mandala has become a generic term for any plan, chart or geometric pattern that represents the cosmos metaphysically or symbolically, a microcosm of the Universe from the human perspective.