Xan Bayanzu'rx Mountain (Dornogobi)

The most famous of the sacred mountains in the East Gobi is Xan Bayanzu'rx, located in SAINSHAND sum of DORNOGOBI aimag. Originally a site for shamanic sky-worship rituals, the Gobi Noyon Xutagt had a small temple constructed here and used the site as a meditation refuge.

The Mountain of Wishes

Zham'yaanzanzan, the third reincarnation of the Gobi Noyon Xutagt, was born as the son of Ceden Mergen Zasag. It is said that in honour of his tantric achievements, the king of the naga presented the Xutagt a wish-fulfilling Chintamani jewel, a precious object of worship from the Heavenly palace. Since that time Xan Bayanzu'rx Mountain and the meditation temple used by the Xutagts have appeared to radiate light, and many suffering people have come here to offer their wishes.

Many years later the local xoshuun prince Ceden – known generally as Mergen Noyon – came temporarily to live in this area, which fell under his own dominion. The prince had borrowed a considerable sum of money from a Tibetan, which he spent unwisely and found himself unable to repay; yet eventually the Mergen Noyon died without having returned the money, and the Tibetan trader who had provided the funds also died of unhappiness. At this point the Tibetan approached the Erleg Nomun Xaan (the "King of Death") and presented his case. Yet as Ceden Mergen adamantly refused to acknowledge his guilt in front of the Erleg Xaan, his son – the third Gobi Noyon Xutagt – was summoned as a witness.

Thus Zham'yaandanzan, the third Gobi Noyon Xutagt, went into deep meditation in the small temple on Xan Bayanzu'rx Mountain, allowing his spirit to leave his body and reach the location of the trial, where he testified for the Tibetan plaintiff and against his own father. But meanwhile his disciples came across his vacant body and assumed that their master had died prematurely, whereupon they went into a great mourning. The disciples discussed what to do with the body of their teacher, and eventually decided to mummify the body then place it in the meditation temple, after which they would make various offerings and worship their teacher.

By the time the Erleg Nomun Xaan declared to the spirit of the honourable Xutagt that he might return to the Earth and re-enter his human body to resume his merciful deeds, the Noyon Xutagt's body had already been mummified and installed in the temple to be worshipped with offerings. Thus since there was no means for him to re-enter his human body, the Noyon Xutagt passed into the mountain instead and began to practice the granting of wishes.

Since that time the heavenly spirits ceased to visit the mountain, with only the dragon keeping vigil over the mummy-temple. The mountain came to be known as "Sharilyn Uul", meaning "Mountain of the Mortal Remains".

Locals believe that the Noyon Xutagt continues to reside within the mountain, and therefore make their wishes in Mongolian – either by whispering these to the mountain or simply thinking them intently – accompanied by offerings of VODKA. Lamas only visit the mountain at times of OVOO-worship ceremonies, at which time they repair the ritual cairn and read sutras in worship of the underground spirits (LUS, or "naga").

At the time of the Manchu Qing Empire, visitors were instructed that they must not whisper but shout their wishes to the mountain, and a spy who lived by the mountain was thus able to record the wishes of the GOBI people.

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