Baldan Bereeven Monastery, Mongolia
Baldan Bereeven Monastery belongs to the Buddhist sect monastery Gelugpa. It’s located in the valley of the Baruun Jargalant River, in the sum of Omnodelger, province of Khentii. Its name is the translation of the Tibetan word “drepung” meaning “pile of rice”. Originally, its architecture was the same as the Drepung monasteries’ one in India and Tibet.
The site has also an esthetic value, since the monastery is surrounded by the picturesque, sacred mountains of the Khentii range : Munkh Ulziit, Arvan Gurvan Sansar, Bayan Baraat, and Bayan Khangai. The locals think that these four mountains have animal shapes : a lion at East, a dragon at South, a tiger at West, a garuda at North. The monastery is located on the hillside of a steep cliff of Mount Munkh Ulziit, on which you can see several stone sculptures representing Buddhist gods, mantras, and the symbol of soyombo.
Epic Mongolia Culture & Adventure Route © Monika Newbound