Visiting the 3rd of Mongolia’s big three monasteries - Amarbayasgalant.

View of Amarbayasgalant monastery from the grand stupa

 

 

 

Off the beaten path. Unlike Gandan in Ulaanbaatar or Erdene Zuu in Kharkhorin, Amarbayasgalant is not located on a paved road. It is located 36 kilometers miles off the main road going between Erdenet and Darkhan.

Temple at Amarbayasgalant





 

It takes a capable driver and a sturdy vehicle to
 

negotiate the challenging countryside roads,

especially after a rainstorm. We encountered

(and helped) two stuck vehicles en route. See a

previous blog on countryside sights connected

with this trip.

Mongolians are prepared and willing to help each

other out in these circumstances. Everyone needs

help sooner or later.  



Approaching the monastery

A brief history. Amarbayasgalant was built between 1726 and 1736 to honor Mongolia’s foremost Buddhist leader, artist, sculptor and shaper of Mongolian culture, Zanabazar. It served as the center of Buddhism in northern Mongolia for three centuries.

It suffered during the 1937 -38 communist purge

of Buddhist monks and monasteries in Mongolia.

Stalin let stand the top three monasteries in

Mongolia so as to not have a full scale revolt on

his hands.
 

Nevertheless, only 23 of Amarbayasgalant’s 40

temples survived the purge while all of the

Buddhist monks who lived there were murdered.

The monastery fell into disrepair for over 50 years

until the communist government fell in 1990.

Mongolia immediately set about restoring this

cultural heritage with most of the improvements

 coming in the last five years. 


A commanding view of the valley

Not only is its art and architecture beautiful,

Amarbayasgalant enjoys a commanding and

striking view of an expansive valley flanked by

mountains on all sides.
                                 Interior buildings and art work

 

Jangar, our tour guide doing penance

Prayer wheel

Stupa outside the walls

Two of the four protection gods

The other two protection gods defending the monastery

A warning about what happens to evil-doers

Roof line

Fresco on protection wall

The cow god

Mongolian script

Here are the impressive structures on the hillside.

A stairway to a Buddha overlooking the monastery


First tier of stairs going up

View from the top



Buddha at the top



Grand stupa from below



The all-seeing eye on top of the grand stupa



 

Buddha in front of stupa and by prayer wheels 

 

One final view of this beautiful place