Gandan Monastery (Gandantegchenlin)
To experience the atmosphere of old Urga, take a trip to the Buddhist Gandan
Monastery. Its full name is Gandantegchenlin, which means Big Chariot of Full Joy. Several monasteries in Mongolia once had this name, but Urgan’s, where theology was taught, was the most famous in the Buddhist world..This vast religious complex is located near the center of Ulaanbaatar. The area where Gandantegchenlin is located is the only one in the capital that has preserved not only the color, but also the layout of the old city, which is classic – it is a fenced circle. Once the monastery was surrounded by narrow blocks of khashans – courtyards with yurts. Today, the yurts, where the natives live with their livestock, are flanked by high-rise modern buildings.
Video: Gandan Monastery
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What to see
Not far from the gol sum is the Gandan cathedral temple, tsogchin, whose architecture intertwines Chinese and Mongolian traditions. Among the surrounding monastic buildings, the tsogchin stands out for its roof. Occupying most of the space of the temple, it is cut off at the very top, and on a square platform, bordered by railings, a gonkhon – a tower with a curved roof, covered with gilded copper sheets – is built. It is crowned with a gilded spire (ganjir). On feast days from the roof of the temple lamas, trumpeting into ritual shells, call the congregation.
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The interior of the tsogchin looks very ornate and typical for Lamaist religious buildings, in which the traditional symbol of the circle for Mongols can be seen. As in other Lamaist temples, the columns here are made of red-colored wood, decorated, the interior is decorated with brocade and silk fabrics. In the gloom of the tsogchin, a shimmering altar in the middle of which an impressive statue of the Buddha-Guru is located mesmerizes the eye. It is surrounded by sculptured and painted images of deities – copper, gilded, bronze, silver. Smoking chimneys can be seen at each of them.
.To the right of the entrance, behind the columns, stretches a row of bure – pipes, the sounds of which accompany the service and are similar to the roar of elephants. Their trunks are about three meters long.
Visitors
Tourists buy tickets upon entering Gandantegchenlin Monastery, photography and videography are charged separately. In total it will cost from 8000 MNT (Mongolian Tugrik), which is about 200 rubles.
.Try to get here during the religious ceremonies (they usually start around 9 am). On the tour it is better to go accompanied by a guide, otherwise many interesting objects and details can be missed.
.It is worth saying that your impression of the monastery can be marred by pocket thieves, who “work” here with high professionalism. So be careful and do not take large sums of money with you.
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As a souvenir, buy, for example, a “singing vase”. The shape of the sold ritual vessels is similar, but they sound differently.
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