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Monasteries and temples in Mongolia
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Khamar Monastery
Khamar Monastery was established in the 1820's by famous 19th
century Mongolian educator and literary figure Danzanravjaa. The
Monastery was an important centre of the Buddhist "red sect",
and seat of the Gobiin Dogshin Noyon Khutagt ("Terrible Noble
Saint of the Gobi").
An outspoken critic of the society in which he lived, Danzanravjaa
fought against the rigid class and gender distinctions of his
day. He devoted great efforts to the cause of public education,
which he promoted at Khamar Monastery through the establishment
of an inclusive public school, theatre, museum and library.
The "Namtar duulakh datsan" (story-singing college),
established at Khamar Monastery in the 1830s, is recognized as
being Mongolia's first professional theatre. The nearby "Khuukhdiin
datsan" (children's college) offered basic and vocation,
artistic training for local children, who often went on to become
singers and dancers, painters, sculptors, and other artists at
the Monastery or in its theatre company, In addition Khamar Monastery
included a public library, museum, poetry recital hall, and other
facilities, making it an important regional cultural centre, in
the words of renowned Mongolian scholar Ts.Damdinsuren: "Khamar
Monastery was a perfectly harmonious location, having a river
whit many fine trees along its south part and rocky mountains
with dozens of caves along its north; and the place was filled
with the noise of hundreds of people playing the famous Saran
Khokhoo drama...'
The local public was involved in many religious activities held
at the Monastery, including the Tsam dance festival and the Amaagiin
Gandoi Ergekh ceremony. Under Danzanravjaa's influence women were
especially encouraged to participate in these events; Khamar Monastery
was unique in 19th century Mongolia as a place where women were
accorded greater respect and privileges than men. Reflecting these
liberal attitudes Danzanravjaa composed the song Ulemjiin Chanar
(Quality of Greatness) - which remains popular today - in praise
of a woman's qualities. To the north of the monastery were a series
of caves where monks would practice yogic exercises and meditate
in isolation for 108 days at a time, hardening their bodies whilst
expanding their physical and spiritual powers. At the rear of
the present-day monastery is a well initially dug by Danzanravjaa,
whose water is believed to be sacred? Danzanravjaa claimed in
his Adistet yosnii sudar (Blessed water sutra) that this water
was helpful in curing aliments to the stomach, intestines, bile
and liver, and provided special instructions for its drinking
and use. Fossilized dinosaur bones, petrified wood, and other
rare palaeontological remains are widespread in the area surrounding
the monastery. Palaeontologists working in the region have dug
up most notably a skeleton of the herbivorous dinosaur iguanodon,
which lived in the Cretaceous period between 80 and 200 million
years ago, At its peak Khamar Monastery consisted of four main
sections - East Khuree, west Khuree, Tsokhon. and Dunkher - comprising
four colleges (datsan) and the children's school, more than eighty
temples, and a resident population of over five hundred lamas.
The monastery was completely destroyed by the military in 1938
during Mongolia's religious purge. Khamar Monastery was re-established
in 1990s on the initiative of Zuun-Bayan resident S. Zorigtbaatar
and others, with the support of the local religious community.
Currently two small ceremonial temples and several religious monuments
have been reconstructed, with more than ten lamas now in residence
at the monastery. Plans are underway to reconstruct more elements
of this historic site in the near future. We hope you may enjoy
your visit and support our endeavours to revive this valuable
part of Mongolia's heritage.
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