The Bambara are found in Central and Southern Mali. They belong to the Mande group, like the Soninke and Malinke. They believe in a creative god named Ngala, with 266 sacred attributes - one for each lunar month that is needed for the gestation, Ngala is said to maintain the order of the universe. It coexists with another androgynous god, Faro, who gave men their qualitites and made the earth fruits grow. Bambara masks are displaid during initiation rites and other events such as weddings, births, circumcisions, funerals, and purifications of things and people.