Baruun Geser süm
Read in Mongolian
Name(s) of Temple :
Baruun Geser süm ,ENG: Western Geser Temple,ENG: Geser Temple,ENG: Temple of the Blue Hat lamas,
Rinchen Number :
914
Rinchen Name :
Western Geser Temple
Type of Monastery/Temple:
Temple
Aimag where the temple is located:
Ulaanbaatar
Sum where the temple is located:
Chingeltei district
Old Aimag Name :
Tusheet Khan
Description of location :
At the foot of Dasgaanii owoo hill (to the west of Gandan) there is a temple complex with high walls enclosing a collection of pink and white temples and other buildings all with green ceramic tiled roofs.
GPS coordinates :
North 47° 55’ East 106° 53’
Total site area:
Side1: Side2: Side3: Side4: Side5: Side6:
Revived temple on site :
No
Site status at the time of survey :
The script OM MANI PADME HUM is written in red on the wall. There are two entrances, with the main entrance on the south side and the other on the east. Inside there are two courtyards. Entering through the main entrance, there are the two small buildings on either side of the first courtyard with the Badma yogo datsan belonging to Gandan monastery at the far end, which has recently been repainted. The buildings on the sides are now classrooms for the Secondary School of Gandan monastery (Shashnii surgalttai 112 dugaar surguul’, ‘112th School, providing religious training’), where Buddhist subjects are also taught. (One of them used to be the residence of Zakhar, the founder. (See History section.) There are also consulting rooms for astrologers in these buildings.
Behind the temple, in the second courtyard, there are two yurts: one belongs to Badma yogo datsan being used for holding ceremonies; the other is the consulting room for a traditional doctor. At the head of this courtyard there are stairs leading up to the old brick building called ‘temple of the Heros’, now being used by Zurkhai datsan (see current situation part). Below the stairs in the second courtyard in front of Zurkhai datsan there are two wooden buildings one of which is used by astrologers, the other being a small shop selling religious articles as well as being the reception for ordering the text readings in the Zurkhai datsan.
In front of this main building in the second courtyard there are fragments of stone statues and stupas, prayer-wheels, and images of Ochirwaan (Tib. phyag-na rdo-rje / phyag-rdor, Skr. Vajrapani) and Namsrai (Tib. rnam-(thos)-sras, Skr. Vaishravana) painted on a stupa in front of the building.
Recently, the wall of the complex was extended and renovated. On the front walls of Geser süm complex, in 2007 a colourful neon floodlighting was placed: a mantra in Tibetan script in red colour, in the centre the name of one of the temples housed in Geser süm, Badma yoga datsan written in white, blue and yellow , and on the two sides in writen Mongolian ’Gandang tegčenling dačang’ in yellow and red. This is crowned with three green horse heads in the upper part.
Date of establishment of the monastery/temple :
1919-1920
The Geser Temple was relocated to this site from Amgalan in 1927
Date of closing and destroying the monastery :
Revival of the old monastery/temple:
Yes
Founder's name and title (if known):
Date of Revival:
Monks in Old Temple :
Form Number :
UBR 914
Survey Team :
Team C
