Burkhan Bakshin Altan Sume

The Burkhan Bakshin Altan Sume ("The Golden Abode of the Buddha Sakyamuni", Kalmyk: Бурхн Багшин алтн сүм, romanized: Burxn Bagşin altn süm, [burxən bɑkʃin ɑltən symə]) is a Gelug Buddhist monastery in Elista, the capital of the Republic of Kalmykia, a federal subject of the Russian Federation.[2][3] The temple is the largest Buddhist temple in Russia and Europe, and it contains the third largest Buddha statue in Europe (9 m),[4] with only the 10 m tall Miró Buddha in Paris[5][6] and the 12.5 m tall Buddha in Lagan being bigger.[7]

Burkhan Bakşïn Altın Sümi
Бурхн Багшин алтн сүм
Golden Monastery in Elista
Monastery information
Other namesRussian: Калмыцкий Центральный Буддийский монастырь, romanized: Kalmytsky Tsentralny Buddiysky Monastyr
OrderGelug
DenominationBuddhism
Established2005
People
Founder(s)14th Dalai Lama
AbbotMutl Vladimirovich Ovyanov (Мутл Владимирович Овьянов)
Architecture
StatusCentral Khurul of Kalmykia
ArchitectS.E. Kurneev (С.Е. Курнеев), V.B. Gilyandikov (В.Б. Гиляндиков), L.D. Amninov (Л.Д. Амнинов)[1]
Site
LocationElista, Republic of Kalmykia
CountryRussia
Coordinates46°18′35″N 44°17′2″E
Public accessYes
Websitehttps://khurul.ru/ and https://www.buddhisminkalmykia.ru/

It was opened on December 27, 2005 at the site of a former factory.[8] More than 5,000 people attended the opening ceremony, including representatives of Tibetan Buddhist communities from Moscow, Volgograd and Saratov.[4]

The 14th Dalai Lama blessed the site of the future temple just before he left Elista during his November 2004 visit to the Republic and gave it its name on March 11, 2006.[9]

During the opening ceremony, the president of the Republic of Kalmykia Kirsan Ilyumzhinov dedicated the monastery to Kalmyks who died during and after their sudden and forced exile to Siberia. The date corresponded with Zul-Khural, the Kalmyk New Year (similar to Galdan Namchot), and the anniversary of the 1943 deportations (December 27, 1943).[4][10]


Exterior of the monastery complex

Along the perimeter, the monastery (Kalmyk: хурул, romanized: khurul) is surrounded by a fence with white suburgans alternating every five meters. In total, there are 108 suburgans around the khurul, representing 108 Buddhas. There are four entrances in the fence of the temple, located on the four cardinal points, symbolizing the four elements earth, fire, water, and wind. The southern gate is the main gate. A wish-fulfilling jewel, that grants wealth, can be found on both sides of the gate. The khurul is surrounded by 17 pagodas with statues of the great Buddhist teachers of the Nalanda monastery. Those pagodas were added on recommendation of the 14th Dalai Lama. In addition, there are four large pagodas with prayer wheels (Kalmyk: кюрдэ, romanized: kyurde) at the four corners of the complex. On the main square of the monastery complex, along the axis of the southern entrance, there is a statue of the White Elder Tsagan Aav (Kalmyk: Цаһан өвгн).[11]

The eight auspicious symbols of Buddhism decorate the facade of the monastery. The pediment of the facade is decorated with a sculpture of Dharmachakra — the Wheel of Teaching. On the sides, there are two fallow deer, the listeners of the first sermon of Buddha.[11]

The entire architectural plan of the monastery has the shape of a mandala.

Overview of the monestary complex with white stupas on the fence, pagodas in the courtyard, and the monastery in the center
Overview of the monestary complex with stupas, pagodas, and the monastery in the center
The southern gate as seen from the stairs that lead up to the monastery building
The southern gate as seen from the courtyyard
Prayer wheels called Kyurde in Kalmyk language
Prayer wheels - Kyurde
Statue of the White Elder in front of the monastery building
Statue of Tsagan Aav on the main square in front of the Khurul

See also

References
  1. «Золотая обитель Будды Шакьямуни» отмечает 15-летний юбилей ["The Golden Abode of the Buddha Sakyamuni" is celebrating its 15-year anniversary] (in Russian). 2020-12-27. Retrieved 2023-04-23.
  2. Baumer, Christoph (2018-04-18). History of Central Asia, The: 4-volume set. Bloomsbury Publishing. pp. 95–98. ISBN 978-1-83860-867-5.
  3. Lidzhieva, Irina V.; Nemgirova, Sofia N. (2014-10-02). "The Ethnocultural Development of a Region". Anthropology & Archeology of Eurasia. 53 (4): 71–84. doi:10.1080/10611959.2014.1081540. ISSN 1061-1959. S2CID 147251209.
  4. "Europe's biggest Buddhist temple opens in Kalmykia". 2005-12-27. Retrieved 2023-04-23.
  5. Jean-Bernard Litzler (2015-05-29). "Paris inaugure sa pagode restaurée accueillant le plus grand Bouddha d'Europe". Le Figaro (in French). Retrieved 2023-04-23.
  6. Kim Willsher (2015-05-31). "Facelift for little-known Paris pagoda that houses 10-metre Miró Buddha". The Guardian. Retrieved 2023-04-23.
  7. "Europe's Tallest Buddha Statue Unveiled in Russia". The Moscow Times. 2019-09-23. Retrieved 2023-04-23.
  8. SINCLAIR, TARA (2008). "Tibetan Reform and the Kalmyk Revival of Buddhism". Inner Asia. 10 (2): 241–259. doi:10.1163/000000008793066713. ISSN 1464-8172. JSTOR 23615096.
  9. История создания [History of creation] (in Russian). Archived from the original on 2012-05-04. Retrieved 2023-04-23.
  10. "La Calmucchia verso l'autonomia: tra buddisti, scacchisti ed extraterrestri". the Submarine (in Italian). 2019-01-10. Retrieved 2022-10-14.
  11. Экскурсия по хурулу [A Tour around the Khurul] (in Russian). Archived from the original on 2020-02-04. Retrieved 2023-04-24.
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