Gandantegchinlen Khiid Monastery
December 3rd 2008 02:01
Ulaanbaatar! The capital of Mongolia, also known as Outer Mongolia, is a place that's relatively new, considering the reach of the Mongolian empire. When the Soviet Union withdrew funding from Mongolia, the country suffered terribly, bringing poverty to Ulaanbaatar in a serious way.
Through it all, the good times and bad, the Gandan Monastery has been steadfast, bringing the light of Tibetan Buddhism to the people of Mongolia, offering them some comfort in a US-led world that grew to despise Communism.
Through the rule of the Communist Party, the monastery was not allowed to act in an official manner until the Communists left in 1990, allowing the monks to open the doors to the public, allowing the light of worship to shine bright on the endless grassy plains of the country.
Perhaps the most unique feature of the monastery:
"It features a 26.5-meter-high statue of Migjid Janraisig, a Buddhist bodhisattva also known as Avalokitesvara."
More pictures of the temple!
*this image is from the Wikipedia page on the monastery
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