Building the Aro Lineage monumental phurba

Detailed planning

Precise and detailed plans were drawn up before the project could begin. The steel parts for the blades and octagons were cut from ¼ inch steel sheets (normally used in derrick building). Various parts for the vajra i.e. the prongs and discs, were made from a 2 inch thick steel sheet. The blades are three steel triangles, folded by a machine at their central axis to an angle of 140°. Six triangles form the central reinforcement for the blades. There were seventy two separate sheet steel parts which comprised the octagonal sections of the handle, which was topped with nine prongs: one straight central prong and 8 curved prongs cut out from rings