Torma

thumb|Torma or butter sculptures, Dhankar Gompa, [[Spiti]] thumb|Torma, Ralung Monastery, Tibet, 1993 thumb|right|Torma cakes offered on the sand mandala thumb|right|Tormas on a shrine thumb|right|Making tormas thumb|right|Monk making tormas in Sera Monastery in 1939

Torma (Skt: Balingta, ; Tor-ma) are sculptures made mostly of flour and butter used in tantric rituals or as offerings in Tibetan Buddhism. They may be dyed in different colors, often with white or red for the main body of the torma. They are made in specific shapes based on their purpose, usually conical in form. A very large, central shrine torma may be constructed for festivals, though typically they are small and placed directly on a shrine, on a plate, mounted on leather or held on a special base such as a skull.