Under the leadership of Khorloogiin Choibalsan and the influence of Joseph Stalin, the Communist government of Mongolia destroyed most of the monasteries and killed more than 15,000 lamas throughout the 1930s. Luckily, Gandan Monastery wasn't destroyed, but it was closed in 1938. It reopend in 1944 and was the only functioning Buddhist monastery. In 1990, restrictions on worship were lifted when Marxism ended here.
Lots of adorable babies to watch in this place!!
These are prayers wheels. You have to walk around clockwise and each wheel says "Om mani padme hum" in Tibetan. Which means "Hail to the jewel and lotus flower." This is a way to cleanse your karma.
A bunch of little Buddhas inside one of the buildings.
One building contains a 26.5-meter-high (86.9 ft) statue of Migjid Janraisig, a Buddhist bodhisattva also known as Avalokitesvara. It has 2,286 precious stones and is gilded with gold leaf.
This area is always swarming with pigeons and families. It is very fun to watch! You can buy grain at the entrance and feed the pigeons. Then every once and a while all the pigeons decide to take flight it unison. It is an amazing sight to see. I especially love the gentle sound of the breeze beneath their wings as they fly in a circle around the monastery. This is why this is one of my favorite places in UB.
Here is an awesome video on a little girl on the prowl for some pigeon in the air! Her dad does a good job of keeping her at a manageable pace.
Not sure what this kid was wearing on his bottom, just another example of cute in Mongolia.
The monastery is surrounded by the Gandan ger suburb, which Matt and I usually walk through to get to work.
It's looking warmer there! People aren't totally bundled up. The video is cute! Her hood is like a leash!
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