Migjid janraiseg süm
Read in Mongolian
Name(s) of Temple :
Migjid janraiseg süm,Melmiigeeree bolgooson süm,Janraisig datsan,ENG: Migjid Janraiseg Temple, Avalokiteshvara Temple,
Rinchen Number :
913
Rinchen Name :
Migjid Janraiseg Temple
Type of Temple :
Jasaa Assembly
Aimag Temple located in :
Ulan Bator
Old Aimag Name :
Ulaanbaatar
Description of location :
This temple is situated in Gandan monastery in Ulaanbaatar. The Tibetan name for the Temple is mig ‘byed spyan-ras gzigs grwa-tshang. The name in Mongolian is Melmiigeeree bolgooson süm.
GPS readings :
North 47° 55’ East 106° 53’
Revived temple on site :
Yes
Status of site at time of survey :
In 1988, the Mongolian Culture Foundation initiated the reconstruction of the central statue, supported by P. Ochirbat who became the first President after 1990 became the first President after 1990. The building of the present statue by Mongolian masters using copper from the Erdenet mines, began in 1991 funded in part by generous donations of around 350 million tögrögs from Mongolian devotees. His Holiness the 14th Dalai Lama consecrated the part-built statue in August 1995 when he was in Mongolia and conducted the Kalachakra initiation, too. In 1996 the precious statue was completed under the leadership of G. Pürewbat lama and his students in the Mongolian Institute of Buddhist Art (Mongoliin burkhanii shashnii urlakhui ukhaanii deed surguul’) with the formal opening ceremony led by President Orchibat taking place on the 16th of the last autumn month. A set of the Ganjuur and Danjuur and other religious scriptures, tons of herbs and incense, a complete yurt along with its furniture, and other objects were placed inside the statue, according to the requirements for the preparation and dedication of holy statues or stupas. The eighty cubit or twenty-six metre high figure of Avalokiteshvara is decorated with precious stones and is gilded in gold. It is surrounded by prayer wheels and numerous sculptures of Amitayus most of which are copies although some of the originals have been recovered. The 10th anniversary of the rebuilding was celebrated on 23rd October, 2006. (For a detailed story of the rebuilding of the temple and the statue, see Mend-Ooyoo, G., Bilgiin melmii neegch, Ulaanbaatar 1997)
This temple is now a focal point for all Mongolians. It is a favourite place for everyone to have their pictures taken: for families from the countryside on their visit to the capital; for newly married couples, for newly graduated classes and so on. There are now several professional photographers in front of the temple building.
Date of founding the monastery/temple :
1911
Date of closing and destroying the monastery :
Огноо хаагдсан: The communists destroyed the original statue in 19 - Ярилцлагын дугаар:
Огноо хаагдсан: Temple used as a military barrack from 1938 - Ярилцлагын дугаар:
Огноо хаагдсан: From the 1950s it functioned as the State Archive - Ярилцлагын дугаар:
Огноо нураагдсан:: - Ярилцлагын дугаар:
Old monastery/temple revived:
Yes
Revived temple register number:
UB 013
Үүсгэн байгуулагч хүний нэр болон цол хэргэм (мэдэгдэж байвал):
Нэр, цол хэргэм : Mongolian Culture Foundation initiated the reconstruction of the central statue, supported by P. Ochirbat who became the first President after 1990. - Ярилцлагын дугаар:
Date of Reviving:
Year : It was renovated in 1962, 1971 and 1973. - Ярилцлагын дугаар:
Year : Formally re-opened in 1996 with new statue - Ярилцлагын дугаар:
Monks in Old Temple :
Notes :
For more information see UBR 913 AM.pdf and UB 013 AM.pdf. The temple, which is a mixture of Tibetan and Chinese styles, was built behind Güngaachoilin datsan and Lamrin datsan of Gandan monastery (for details see entry UBR 912 Rinchen 912). Its foundation stemmed from the time when the 8th Bogd khaan’s eyesight was seriously affected in 1911. Mongolian clerics and princes asked the Bogd khaan what would help to heal his eyes. The Bogd khaan declared if Mongolians built an eighty cubit high statue (c. 26 metres) of Avalokiteshvara, the Bodhisattva who looks on all sentient beings with great compassion, his eyesight would improve. On 29th November 1911, Mongolians conferred the ultimate rights of the Bogd khaan, until this time borne by the Manchu emperor (as Mongolia was not a separate state, but part of the Ching empire), to the 8th jewtsündamba khutagt. Chinese builders using copper from Doloon nuur (‘Seven Lakes’, name of a lake in Inner-Mongolia) built the Avalokiteshvara statue in 1911 to 1912 with the gilding being done by Mongolian and Chinese masters. On the 13th of June 1913 the statue was consecrated. The measurement used for the planning and building of the statue was based on a measurement of the Bogd khaan’s forearm. (tokhoi, ‘forearm’ was a traditional Mongolian way of measurement.) Ten thousand statues of Amitayus made by Mongolian and Polish masters surrounded the statue. The distinctive Tibetan shaped brick built temple with Chinese roof also contained one thousand copies of the Prajnyaparamita sutra (Yum, TIB: yum, ‘Verses of Eight Thousand’) printed by bronze blocks, and the eight stupas marking the events in Buddha Shakyamuni’s life.
According to Sereeter (pp.72-74.), the idea for building the statue first occured in 1905. Notwithstanding this, it was only in 1911 that the people of the four Khalkha aimags and the subordinates of the jewtsündamba khutagt (Ikh shaw’) donated 33,000 lan silver to celebrate the independence of Mongolia from the Manchu overlordship, which had just been gained. The main tutelary deity of the temple was Jigjid and its main protector was Gombo. The following financial units belonged to the temple: Ikh jas, Mönkh zuliin jas, Janraisegiin nünnain jas, Da-nin-ag khurliin jas, Mönkh Dorjzodwiin jas, Dörwön lamiin Günregiin jas. According to Dashtseren lama, there were ceremonies held here regularly and the temple had one disciplinary master.
The communists destroyed the original statue in 1938 and metal from it was used to make bullets for guns. The temple itself was not destroyed and, according to Pürew (Mongol töriin golomt, pp. 73-74.), it was used as a military barrack from 1938. Pürew claims (Mongoliin uls töriin töw, p. 56.) that 10,000 tögrögs were offered to pull down the temple in the 1950s, but nobody applied. From the 1950s it functioned as the State Archive and it was renovated in 1962, 1971 and 1973.
All data on this temple is kindly provided by Kristina Teleki and Zsuzsa Majer who retain copyright. See relevant section in Monasteries and Temples of Bogdiin Khüree, Ikh Khüree or Urga, the Old Capital City of Mongolia in the First Part of the Twentieth Century: Zsuzsa Majer, Krisztina Teleki Budapest, Hungary. Ulaanbaatar 2006
Form Number :
UBR 913
Survey Team :
Team C