A New Jersey tot has made his inadvertent mark on an intricate sand display created by Buddhist monks.

The monks have been building a sand mandala in Jersey City's municipal building since Monday. It's a flat, multicolored display that is created and then destroyed in a ceremony meant to symbolize the fleeting nature of life.

Buddhist monks work on fixing a sand mandala, which was disturbed by a small child at Jersey City City Hall, Friday, April 25, 2014, in Jersey City, N.J. The monks have been building the sand mandala since Monday. (AP Photo/Julio Cortez)
Buddhist monks work on fixing a sand mandala, which was disturbed by a small child at Jersey City City Hall, Friday, April 25, 2014, in Jersey City, N.J. The monks have been building the sand mandala since Monday. (AP Photo/Julio Cortez)
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The Jersey Journal reports the young boy climbed over a rope barrier Friday and got onto the 4-foot-square display. The sides and middle were smudged as a result.

Some of the monks spent a few hours repairing the sand in time for its ritual destruction Friday afternoon. They led a group to the Hudson River and threw the sand into the water.

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