Buddhism Travel in Mongolia

Thursday, 05 January 2006 05:18 Mongoliana

The starting point of the trip is Gandantegchinlen Monastery.

New trip of Mongolian Buddhist historical and cultural heritages

Itinerary:

Gandantegchinlen Monastery in Ulaanbaatar;
Manzushir Monastery near Zuunmod town, 45 km southeast of Ulaanbaatar, one hour driving by jeep;
"Khoyor Zagal" Tour Camp in Lun soum, 170 km, two-hour driving in the west by improved asphalt roads;
Erdenesant soum, 86 km, half an hour driving southwest;
Rashaant at the border of the Tuv and Uvurkhangai aimags, 40 km from Erdenesant;
"Nature Tour" camp, 26 km;
Shireet Tsagaan Nuur Lake, "Bayangobi" tour camp, driving on dust road;
Burd, 30 km;
Uvgun Suvarga Stupa, 93 km south;
Sangiin Dalai, Ulziit soum northwest;
Shankh Monastery, 70 km driving by dust roads;
Erdene Zuu Monastery, 30 km from the Shankh Monastery in the north;
Tuvkhun Monastery, 63 km southwest;
Erdene Khamba Monastery;

(Total distance - 1231 km)

Gandantegchinlen Monastery

At the end of the 19th century Ikh Khuree, the center of Mongolian religion was divided into two parts named Gandan and Zuun Khuree (eastern circle). The Gandan was a center of philosophical study of choirand there were studying hundreds of lamas while the Zuun Khuree was dealing with rituals of religious gathering and reading. Mongolian 5th Religious King Tsultemjigmiddanbiijantsan first founded the Gandantegchinlen Monastery in a place named Dalkh hill and blessed over a thousand shabis. The King decreed not to move the monastery to other places. Since then the Monastery was expanded and in the period of the 8th Religious King many religious scholars with the degree of Gavj, Agramba deeply specialized in philosophy of choir were born. Some of the remains of unique scientific, cultural and religious creative works such as sutra, monasteries based on ancient Indian, Tibetian and Oriental nations done by these scholars are still preserved up to date. Due to the blind policies of the Government the Monastery was totally closed in 1938, but the Monastery was again opened in 1944 with the name of Worshipping Temple. As a result of high attention paid to the study of lamas by Gavj Gombojav, elected as a head of the Monastery in 1960, the scientific study sector of the Monastery, glorified as a "Book House" was expanded and many scientific-religious books were published.

Shireet Tsagaan Nuur Lake

The lake is situated among a willow grove in the southern hills of Ikh Mongol Mountain. In its northwestern hill, at the meeting of princes of seven provinces of Khalkh, supervised by Tusheet Khan Gombodorj and Setsen Khan Sholoi, Undur Gegeen Zanabazar was first crowned as Bogd Javzandamba Khutagt and Naadam fiesta were organized. There are three round black dark junipers. Near it, there is a big square rock meaning that the Undur Gegeen used it as a tray to burn the juniper for people's mind purification. Later in the hill where the Undur Gegeen was crowned a temple named Baruun Khuree was built. So the basin of Ikh Mongol Mountain is a sacred place of Undur Gegeen. This is a naturally beautiful place combined from Gobi and Khangai where many specific state and Buddhist religious events of Mongolia were held.

Shankh Monastery

It is located in the place named Saikhan Bulgiin Denj in the territory of Shankh bag, Kharkhorin soum of Uvurkhangai aimag. It was operative till 1937 with over two thousand lamas. The Shankh Monastery or Baruun Khuree was the main monastery of Tusheet Khan aimag originated from Golden Core of Great Chinggis Khaan. It also contains the Symbol palace which preserved Black and White Symbols of the Chinggis Khaan. However, the monastery was erased from the earth soil, it was restored in 1990 on the remains of three main temples. The main theatre of the monastery is that the religious reading of the monastery was not suspended even in the period when religious freedom was halted.

Tuvkhun Monastery

The creation work temple established by Undur Gegeen Zanabazar in 1654 dedicated to religious study and art works became the foundation of today's Tuvkhun Monastery. It is located on a rocky mountain hill surrounded by forests elevated in 2300 meters above sea level in the territory of Bat-Ulziit soum of Uvurkhangai aimag. It is 450 km from Ulaanbaatar, 50 km from Khujirt resort and 50 km from BatUlziit soum. In 1651, the first religious king Zanabazar built a small stony building and he created Soyombo letters in the building. The monastery is placed in a unique natural rocky landscape where there is a small cave named "Mother's abdomen". There are also many historical monuments related to the king such as finger and foot prints, branch for rest, horse tie etc,. The Mongols still protect this unique landscape as naming it as a "Country of Makhagal". These monuments are said to have been created in the period of Khalkh and Uuld war and the Door of Great Pleasure is a tunnel dug through the mountain. During the war the Undur Gegeen escaped riding on horse from the war through this tunnel and intentionally closed the hole with a big stone. The monastery was taken under the state protection in 1992.