KHAMAR MONASTERY

The monastery was built in 1821 on the initiative of Danzan Rabjar (1803-1856), to whom it is now dedicated. Known as the fifth incarnation of the Gobi Noyon Khutagt, this eminent figure is very important in Mongolia. A Buddhist scholar, intellectual, poet, artist, writer, composer and physician, he founded a dozen other institutions and monasteries in the Gobi during his lifetime. He was the first to allow women to attend his school.

The current buildings of the monastic complex are no longer the original ones; they were rebuilt in the 1990s after being destroyed in 1937. Before its destruction, the site was much more than a place of worship; it was also a cultural and academic center, and its 80 temples were home to some 500 monks. The complex included a large temple and a three-storey theater, in which Danzan Rabjar staged one of his most famous plays, Saran Khukhuu , in 1830, as well as a library, a museum and four colleges in which general studies, astronomy, drama and art were taught.

Today, the monastery is known as the "world energy center". Locals and tourists alike flock here to admire the magnificent sunrise over the Gobi and to benefit from the high energies of the place through rituals. To the north, caves were once used by monks to retreat and meditate for 108 days, a number sacred to Buddhists.