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.