Xamar Monastery
Xamar Monastery, located in Dornogov' aimag, was established in the 1820s by the famous Mongolian educator and literary figure Danzanravzhaa. The Monastery was an important centre of Ningma Buddhism, and seat of the Goviin Dogshin Noyon Xutagt ("Wrathful Noble Saint of the Gobi").
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History and Significance of Xamar Monastery
An outspoken critic of the society in which he lived, Danzanravzhaa fought against the rigid class and gender distinctions of his day. He devoted great efforts to the cause of public enlightenment, which he promoted at Xamar Monastery through the establishment of a public school open to both girls and boys, a theatre, a museum and a public library.
The "Namtar duulax dacan" (story-singing college), established at Xamar Monastery in the 1830s, is recognized as being Mongolia's first professional theatre. The nearby "Xüüxdiin dacan" (children's college) offered basic and artistic training for local children, who often went on to become performers or other types of artists at the Monastery or in the Saran Xöxöö theatre company.
In the words of renowned Mongolian scholar Cendiin Damdinsüren: "Xamar Monastery was a perfectly harmonious location, having a river with 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 Xöxöö drama..."
The local public was involved in many religious activities held at the Monastery, including the cam dance festival and the Amaagiin Gandoi Ergex ceremony. Under Danzanravzhaa's influence women were especially encouraged to participate in these events; Xamar Monastery was unique in 19th century Mongolia as a place where women were accorded greater respect and privileges than men. Reflecting these liberal attitudes Danzanravzhaa composed the song Ülemzhiin chanar (Quality of Greatness) - which remains popular today - in praise of a woman's qualities.
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 Xamar Monastery consisted of four main sections - East Xüree, west Xüree, Coxon and Dünxer - comprising four colleges (dacan) 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.
Xamar Monastery was re-established in 1990s on the initiative of Züün-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.
Sacred Well
His Holiness was extremely meticulous in his selection of locations for the monasteries he had constructed, consulting with local Princes and others and travelling far and wide on horseback to examine potential sites. He also consulted with Zhanzhaa Xutagt, who gave the following advice: "You will see a sign or premonition. Build your monastery at that place." His Holiness Danzanravzhaa liked the site known as Övör Xamar, where there was already a stupa. The "good man" Xilen Xormoi was sitting and preparing his hunting rifle. His Holiness saw this and said to himself that this place would certainly never fall victim to foes. The area to the south of Xamar Monastery had a small grove of elms, extending for approximately ten metres, and many wells with plenty of water. But the "Sacred Well" was more unusual that all this. The sacred well was situated on the back of a hill to the north-west of the monastery. One evening His Holiness was walking in this area and declared: "We will find water here. Let us dig a well." His disciples remained skeptical, saying "we have never seen water come from the top of a mountain. Perhaps you are mistaken." But Danzanravzhaa replied angrily, "if we drilled a hole in your heads, what would come out? Anywhere you find solid, it must always be together with liquid. Dig this well quickly." So his disciples began to dig, and at a depth of less than a metre crystal clear, ice-cold water began to well up. The disciples revered Danzanravzhaa's wisdom, and quickly fenced off the hole and made it into a well.
Following the destruction of Xamar Monastery in 1938, the well gradually filled in. In the 1970s an attempt was made to revive the well, but to no avail. But in the winter of 1991, local resident Narangerel, son of Dashdeleg, dug the well and found water again.
Restoration of Xamar Monastery
Xamar Monastery was completely destroyed during the religious repression of the 1930s, along with the caves and even the woods located in the surrounding area.
Fifteen years have passed since the monastery was revived thanks to the efforts of the local Buddhist community, and Xamar continues to operate with the active input of the local population – without any support from local or national authorities.
Miserior Project
Recognizing the importance of Xamar Monastery in promoting education among the rural population and protection historical monuments, German citizen Jan Felgetreu has helped to institute a 25-thousand euro project to create a Hospice for the residents of Xamar Monastery and its surrounding rural areas, with the support of the international "Miserior" NGO.
This project has assisted the construction of the Hospice at Xamar Monastery and provision of all necessary technical equipment. The Hospice offers:
- A kindergarten offering pre-school education
- Non-formal education for drop-out children and for illiterate adults
- An information centre serving the rural population.
Miserior has also provided two full scholarships based on academic merit to students of disadvantaged backgrounds in Dornogov'.
Ongoing restoration plans
- Restoration of the ovoo (sacred cairns), circumambulation path, caves and other structures in the vicinity of the monastery.
- Restoration the meditation caves, repairing the pathways and stairs leading between them, and reinforce some caves that are in danger of collapse.
- Installation of a 250-metre stone walkway in the vicinity of the petrified wood and dinosaur fossil remains at Luutyn Cav, so as to protect the fragile soil from erosion by pedestrian traffic.
- Construction of a memorial stele to mark the site of the ruins of the first Mongolian theatre and the studio where Danzanravzhaa composed the famous song "Ülemzhiin chanar".
- Construction of the "Noyon Xutagt Danzanravzhaa" complex. This installation will include reconstructions of Danzanravzhaa's Lavran Palace, the "White Creation Temple", the "College for the Singing of Stories" (theatre), Yadam worship temples, and the Xayaavch Temple.
- Establishment of an arboretum at the Monastery. A grove containing more than 100 elms, formerly located in the area of Xamar Monastery, was cut down for use as fuel by Russians who were constructing the military town of Züünbayan in the 1950s.
- Construction of a stupa in memory of the 7th Noyon Xutagt of the Gobi, who fell victim to the religious persecutions but has recently been rehabilitated. This stupa will constitute a restoration of the former "Old Man Stupa".
- Restoration of the complex of temples and stupas at Shamalyn Ovoo, along with their circumambulation path.
- Repair of existing temples at the monastery.
- Installation of 12 kilometres of protective fencing at the Luutyn Cav palaeontological remains and at the meditation caves, so as to protect them from damage by automobile and other traffic and permit their future development.
 | In commemoration of the legacy and teachings of His Holiness Dulduit Danzanravzhaa Fifth Wrathful Noble Xutagt of the Great Gobi (1803-1856) I did not overbearingly sophize Nor preach with pride and arrogance But having found a sense in this world Spoke the truth of my dear heart. |   |