Central Mongolia - Mongolia - page 204

The monastery remained closed until 1965, when it was permitted to reopen as a mu-
seum, but not as a place of worship. It was only with the collapse of communism in 1990
that religious freedom was restored and the monastery became active again. Today
Erdene Zuu Khiid is considered by many to be the most important monastery in the
country, though no doubt it's a shadow of what it once was.
Entrance to the walled monastery grounds is free. If you want to see inside the
temples, however, you'll have to go to the ticket desk and souvenir shop on your left as
you enter the grounds from the south and buy a ticket, which includes a guided tour of
the site with an English-speaking guide.
The main temples date from the 16th century. Most of the artefacts you'll see - wall
paintings, thangkas , masks etc - are 18th century. Many are in excellent condition. The
monastery is an easy 2km walk from the centre of Kharkhorin.
» Temples
The monastery is enclosed in an immense walled compound. Spaced evenly along each
wall, about every 15m, are 108 stupas (108 is a sacred number to Buddhists). The three
temples in the compound - Baruun Zuu, Zuu of Buddha and Zuun Zuu - which were not
destroyed in the 1930s, are dedicated to the three stages of Buddha's life: childhood, ad-
olescence and adulthood.
Dalai Lama Süm was built in 1675 to commemorate the visit by Abtai Khaan's son,
Altan, to the Dalai Lama in Tibet. The room is bare save for a statue of Zanabazar and
some fine 17th-century thangkas depicting the Dalai Lamas and various protector deities.
Inside the courtyard, Baruun Zuu , the temple to the west, built by Abtai Khaan and
his son, is dedicated to the adult Buddha. Inside, on either side of Sakyamuni (the histor-
ical Buddha), are statues of Sanjaa ('Dipamkara' in Sanskrit), the Past Buddha, to the
left; and Maidar ('Maitreya' in Sanskrit), the Future Buddha, to the right. Other items on
display include some golden 'wheels of eternity', naimin takhel (the eight auspicious
symbols), figurines from the 17th and 18th centuries, and balin (wheat dough cakes, dec-
orated with coloured medallions of goat or mutton fat), made in 1965 and still well pre-
served. Look out for the inner circumambulation path leading off to the left, just by the
entrance.
The main and central temple is called the Zuu of Buddha . The entrance is flanked by
the gods Gonggor on the left and Bandal Lham (Palden Lhamo in Sanskrit) on the right.
Inside, to the right of the statues of the child Buddha, is Otoch Manal (the Medicine
Buddha), while to the left is Holy Abida (the god of justice). The temple also contains
statues of Niam and Dabaa, the sun and moon gods respectively, a few of the tsam masks
that survived the purges, some carved, aggressive-looking guards from the 16th and 17th