Gandantegchinlen Monasty

Gandan Monastery is a Buddhist monastery in the Tibetan style. Its name translates as "the great area of total bliss." There are now hundreds of monks living there. It houses a Megjid-Janraiseg figure that stands 26.5 meters tall. Megjid-Janraiseg is a guru who guides mankind on the path of truth and compassion. The Gandantegchinlen Monasty then became Mongolia's principal religious center for Tantric Buddhism.

In the 1930s, Mongolia's communist regime, under the constant pressure of Stalin, resulted in the demolition of over 900 monasteries and the death of over 10.000 Buddhist lamas, but Gandantegchinlen monastery was one of the few that escaped destruction. It was closed in 1938, and five of the monastery's temples were demolished. The others were utilised as welcome areas for Russian officials or as cowsheds. After a petition signed by numerous lamas, the monastery reopened in 1944 and was even allowed to operate as a Buddhist monastery, albeit with a tiny number of lamas and under rigorous communist control.

The fall of the Soviet government in Mongolia in 1990 resulted in the lifting of cult restrictions, allowing the monastery to resume operations. Gandan Monastery began an extensive campaign of cult restoration throughout the country. There are currently eight functioning datsans and temples within the monastery, which houses about 900 lamas.

Location: Ulaanbaatar 16040, Mongolia
Opening hours: 9 AM - 5 PM
Phone number: +976 11 36 0354
Rating: 4.4/5, 2075 Tripadvisor reviews