"Mandala" means "circle" in Sanskrit.
A word having diverse meanings in different situations, as with many Sanskrit phrases.
It may refer to an area in the context of geography, such as the Braj region, which is known as the Braj Mandala.
Mandala refers to both the group of followers and the form of the dance itself in the ras lila, the circular dance between the deity Krishna and his devotees (bhakta).
By extension, a mandala may refer to any collection of people, however it is usually associated with individuals who have gathered for a serious religious purpose.
Mandala refers to a symbolic graphic used as an aid to meditation, a ritual accessory, or a symbolic road map of the spiritual search in the hidden ritually based religious practice known as tantra.
The word mandala is primarily associated with Buddhist tantra in this particular literature, although Hindu tantrikas use the terms yantra and chakra more often.
Discover more about Hindu Art, Architecture, and Iconography here.
You may also want to read more about Hinduism here.
Be sure to check out my writings on religion here.