CHOIJIN LAMA TEMPLE MUSEUM
Luvsankhaidav, the younger brother of the 8th Bogd Khan, is known as “Choijin Lama”, and the temple was built in his name in 1908. It is a Buddhist temple of the Red Stream, and it was closed in 1938 after the congregational activities were held until 1936.
Since 1942, it has been converted into a religious museum and consists of 5 parts of the temple. The Mongolian name of the temple is “Temple that Develops Mercy”. Although the 8th Bogd Khan was a member of the Yellow Buddhism, Bogd Khan visited this temple every month for state and religious matters. In 1939, it received the 1st degree of state special protection, and until 1960, it was a closed museum serving research workers and foreign representatives with special permits. The museum is characterized by preserving unique works of religious art. It is interesting that the flag on the top of the Parliament House overlaps with the top of the Choijin Lama Temple.
Luvsankhaidav was born in 1872 in Sholao, Tibet as the 5th son of Gonchigtsereng. He followed his brother to Mongolia in 1874 at the age of two. In 1883-1884, Bogd Khan’s teacher Baldanchoimbol, the Yonzon abbot, determined that there was a Choijin amulet in Luvsankhaidav and put him on the path to become Choijin as a disciple of the Tibetan Choijin Seteeev Lama and Luvsanpeljee, a Mongolian monk of Khuree(Capital City). It is said that when Luvsankhaidav first landed his Choijin ancestors, Bogd Khan came to see him and paid respect by holding Khadag. After the establishment of the Mongolian state, Bogd Khan was awarded the title of “Chastity, devout gurtemba, gujir abbot treasured, clear reverence noble”, stamp of nobility, the stamp of Choijin talisman, and stamp of the church that cultivates mercy, respectively. Zankhan Temple was built for Luvsankhaidav’s “Choijin Ritual” ritual, and he descends at least six times a month. He fainted and died in 1918 during his Choijin Ritual.
Main Church
At the back of the temple, the Buddha and his two disciples, Modgoljibu and Shaaribu, on the right side of the temple, the owner of this temple, Choijin lama, and on the left side of the temple, Choijin lama’s teacher, Abbot Yongzon. Choijin created the sculpture using the papier-mâché method, including the ashes of the monk. But the teacher was embalmed in 1910 when he died while sitting. In the center of the church, there are the seats where the monks used to sit, the religious music used during the Tsam ceremony and the daily meeting, the stone carvings depicting the sixteen Naidan disciples, the tankas of the three idols of the age, and the Khuree Tsam bags, which the 19th-century artisans of Khuree created. The valuable exhibits of the museum, the Tsam mask and clothes of Lord Jamsran were created by Puntsag-Osor, a famous craftsman of Khuree. The face mask is made of 7,000 red corals and weighs 30 kg, with other accessories 70 kg. His eyebrows, beard, and belt were made of gold, and his clothes were decorated with embroidery. On the opposite side is the mask and costume of the Gombo deity, decorated with white ivory. Also, Ganlin Trumpet was made from the tibia bone of a young woman, Damar was made from the skull bone, the copper sculpture of sixteen Naidan disciples, one thousand pieces of Buddha and Bogd Zonghov clay sculpture, the statue of Erleg Nomun Khan, a depiction of hot and cold hell, wooden carvings of Maidar and Avid. Unique treasures such as carvings and thread embroidery of khadag with eight Otoch Manlas are preserved.
Zankhan Church
Next to him is the throne of Bogd Khan, where Choijin comes every month to ask questions about the future of the state and religion. Monk Choijin summoned the spirits of fierce gods into his body and performed the actions of those gods, which was called the “Choijin Ritual”. On the west side of the church are about 2 meters high Choijin deities Ochirvaani, Naichun Choijin, the guardian of religion, Damdinsamduv, the mascot of racing horses, Bogd Zonkhov, the founder of yellow Buddism, Lovon Badamjunai, the founder of the red Buddism, Jigjid, the god holding a woman, Perenjalbu, the creator of work, Zimerlei, the god of war riding on a horse. Statues of Choijin, angel Dashcermee the protector of women, wealth-maker Dorjshugden, and hero Regdendagwa, who suppresses religious disobedience, were destroyed. Hanging from the ceiling of the church are cloth paintings depicting hell, meaning that anyone who sins goes to hell and suffers in this way.
Zuugiin Temple built for Buddha
In the background, Odser, Buddha, and Maidar, who are the past, present, and future forms of Buddha, are enshrined. On the front altar are the Seven Treasures of the State, on the surrounding wall are paper sculptures of sixteen Naidan disciples meditating, and at the entrance of the temple is Baldanlham, one of the ten halls, and on the right side is a statue of Naichun Choijin, the protector of religion.
Yadam Temple of Sacred Idol or Secret Tantra
It was a temple where Lama Choijin only came to meditate, and there were two deities showing the unity of the method. In the courtyard, there is an idol of Duchinnagwajude, the main idol of Lama Choijin, one of the 84 wizard gods of India. On top of it, there are White Tara, Ayush, and Jugdernamjil gods on the wooden altar, eight religious sacrifices on the front altar, wooden carvings of Lord Jamsran on the left side of the temple, and heads representing the people of the five continents are hanging on the upper right side of the temple. The mouths are tied together with a string, symbolizing that people are united in mind and speech. On two pillars hangs a gun, symbolizing the sound that repels evil.
Enkh-Amgalan Temple built for the First Bogd Zanabazar
At the back of the church, there is an image of Zanabazar himself, and on either side of him, god Ayush and god Buddha are seated with their disciples. At the top, there are three idols of Nas, while in the middle of the temple, there are rare and precious exhibits, such as statues of gods made by Saint Zanabazar and his disciples, Chinese and Tibetan sculptures, Japanese sculptures of Bogd Zonkhov, and Indian bronze stupas brought by Zanabazar. On the walls around the church, there are paper figures of the Sixteen Gods of Hope, which represent the 16 human qualities: angry, peaceful, miserly, boring, lazy, compassionate, cunning, hardworking, cheerful, fit, kind, etc.
