Kalmyk Cultural Heritage Project (BUDDHIST RITUALS, HOLIDAYS AND PILGRIMAGE)
| Created: | 2014-09-03 20:32 |
|---|---|
| Institution: | Department of Archaeology and Anthropology |
| Description: | In Kalmykia people celebrate three major holidays, including Tsagan Sar, Ur(s) Sar, and Zul, each considered both national (secular) and religious holidays. On these days, Buddhist temples hold large prayer services, and people celebrate both at the temple and at home. Other celebrations that are on the religious calendar are the ritual of inviting Buddha Maitreya, the ritual of circumventing a temple with Gandzhur and Dandzhur texts, the Dalai Lama’s birthday, and others.
Rituals that combine Buddhist and pre-Buddhist beliefs and which are dedicated to ancestors, local spirits and Buddhist deities constitute seasonal rituals of gal tyalgn (fire rituals), gazr us tyaklgn (rituals dedicated to masters of water and land), usn arshan (rituals performed to secure the rain, good harvest, a successful fishing trip, etc.) and several others. Among Buddhist rituals the construction of sand mandalas and the dance of tsam stand out in terms of elaboration and visual effects. Both are performed by Tibetan monks who come to Kalmykia for these occasions at the invitation of the Central Temple. Pilgrimage is an inseparable part of Buddhism. In the past the main destination for Kalmyk pilgrims was Tibet, whereas today many go on a pilgrimage not only to distant places such as India, Mongolia and Buryatia, but to nearby locations, including the Mount Bogdo and Khoshutovskiy Temple, both of which are in the neighboring Astrakhan oblast. In recent years trips to listen to the Dalai Lama’s teachings held in Baltic countries are also becoming popular. |
Media items
This collection contains 68 media items.
Media items
A Press Conference with the Dalai Lama, Riga 2017
This video features a press conference given by the Dalai Lama in Riga, Latvia, on 23 September 2017. His Holiness answers questions put forward by the local press and journalists...
Collection: Kalmyk Cultural Heritage Project (BUDDHIST RITUALS, HOLIDAYS AND PILGRIMAGE)
Institution: Department of Archaeology and Anthropology
Created: Wed 25 Oct 2017
A Ritual to Purify Land for the Construction of a Stupa
This video is shot at a single poplar tree that grows near the village of Khar-Buluk. This place is considered to be sacred and has eight stupas erected around the tree. In the...
Collection: Kalmyk Cultural Heritage Project (BUDDHIST RITUALS, HOLIDAYS AND PILGRIMAGE)
Institution: Department of Archaeology and Anthropology
Created: Fri 25 Sep 2015
Andrei Terentev, About Buddhism in Russia
Andrei Terentev, a prominent Russian historian of Buddhism, talks about Buddhism in the Soviet Union and its revival in today's Russia.
Collection: Kalmyk Cultural Heritage Project (BUDDHIST RITUALS, HOLIDAYS AND PILGRIMAGE)
Institution: Department of Archaeology and Anthropology
Created: Mon 30 Oct 2017
Aysa Okonova, About the Dalai Lama's Teachings in Riga
Aysa is a volunteer at the Central Temple in Elista, Kalmykia, and works for the charitable fund Buyn which helps poor families with many children. Aysa participated in the...
Collection: Kalmyk Cultural Heritage Project (BUDDHIST RITUALS, HOLIDAYS AND PILGRIMAGE)
Institution: Department of Archaeology and Anthropology
Created: Wed 25 Oct 2017
Badma Koldaev, About the Ritual of Usn Arshan on the Volga and Monk Tyugmyud Gavzh
Collection: Kalmyk Cultural Heritage Project (BUDDHIST RITUALS, HOLIDAYS AND PILGRIMAGE)
Institution: Department of Archaeology and Anthropology
Created: Sun 22 Apr 2018
Badma Narmaev, A Legend About the Bogdo Uul Mountain
Bogdo Uul is situated near lake Baskunchak in Akhtubinsky rayon of Astrakhan’ oblast. There are several versions of the legend about the mountain. A version that Badma recounts is...
Collection: Kalmyk Cultural Heritage Project (BUDDHIST RITUALS, HOLIDAYS AND PILGRIMAGE)
Institution: Department of Archaeology and Anthropology
Created: Wed 28 Sep 2016
Baira Armanova, About the Dalai Lama's Teachings
Baira has been to the Dalai Lama’s teachings in Riga twice. She says that these teachings are a joyful event for every Buddhist. Although she did not understand the previous...
Collection: Kalmyk Cultural Heritage Project (BUDDHIST RITUALS, HOLIDAYS AND PILGRIMAGE)
Institution: Department of Archaeology and Anthropology
Created: Wed 25 Oct 2017
Baterdene Muchkaev, About the Dalai Lama's Teachings in Riga
Baterdene, a volunteer at the Central Temple in Elista, talks about his experience of attending the Dalai Lama's teachings in Riga in September 2017.
Collection: Kalmyk Cultural Heritage Project (BUDDHIST RITUALS, HOLIDAYS AND PILGRIMAGE)
Institution: Department of Archaeology and Anthropology
Created: Mon 30 Oct 2017
Batyr Elistaev, A Daily Prayer to Deity Protectors
Lama Batyr explains that solka is a practice of the defenders of Dharma aimed at defending the teachings of Buddha so that evil does not influence the hearts of the pious. During...
Collection: Kalmyk Cultural Heritage Project (BUDDHIST RITUALS, HOLIDAYS AND PILGRIMAGE)
Institution: Department of Archaeology and Anthropology
Created: Wed 29 Apr 2015
Batyr Elistaev, A Mandala Offering
Lama Batyr talks about mandala offerings to Green Tara, a deity that symbolizes emptiness. He says that the mandala (a Buddhist pattern) represents the universe and that Meru...
Collection: Kalmyk Cultural Heritage Project (BUDDHIST RITUALS, HOLIDAYS AND PILGRIMAGE)
Institution: Department of Archaeology and Anthropology
Created: Mon 15 Jun 2015
Batyr Elistaev, A Morning Prayer
Lama Batyr explains that a morning practice called sang is connected with the worship of the lineage of Buddhist teachers. It is performed early in the morning and has two aims –...
Collection: Kalmyk Cultural Heritage Project (BUDDHIST RITUALS, HOLIDAYS AND PILGRIMAGE)
Institution: Department of Archaeology and Anthropology
Created: Wed 29 Apr 2015
Batyr Elistaev, About Buddhist Holidays
Lama Batyr says that the ritual of gal tyalgn (fire offering) is performed in spring during the month of the mouse, according to the lunar calendar. During this time, the spirits...
Collection: Kalmyk Cultural Heritage Project (BUDDHIST RITUALS, HOLIDAYS AND PILGRIMAGE)
Institution: Department of Archaeology and Anthropology
Created: Mon 15 Jun 2015
Bembya Mitruev, About Bogdo Uul
Collection: Kalmyk Cultural Heritage Project (BUDDHIST RITUALS, HOLIDAYS AND PILGRIMAGE)
Institution: Department of Archaeology and Anthropology
Created: Tue 8 Aug 2017
Boris Shurganov, About the Dalai Lama's Teachings
In 2012 Boris travelled to India with the aim to attend the Dalai Lama’s teachings in Bodh Gaya and visit sacred sites. Following the trip, he started to understand the importance...
Collection: Kalmyk Cultural Heritage Project (BUDDHIST RITUALS, HOLIDAYS AND PILGRIMAGE)
Institution: Department of Archaeology and Anthropology
Created: Fri 20 Oct 2017
Buddhist Ritual Performed at the Iki-Burul Temple
This video features a ritual performed by a Tibetan lama at the Iki-Burul Temple in October 2017. Before the ritual, the monk explains the meaning of the ritual in Tibetan which...
Collection: Kalmyk Cultural Heritage Project (BUDDHIST RITUALS, HOLIDAYS AND PILGRIMAGE)
Institution: Department of Archaeology and Anthropology
Created: Sun 28 Apr 2019
Celebration of the Birth, Enlightenment and Death of the Buddha
This video features a ceremony held at the Central Temple in Elista in May 2016 which was dedicated to a celebration to commemorate the birth, enlightenment and death of the...
Collection: Kalmyk Cultural Heritage Project (BUDDHIST RITUALS, HOLIDAYS AND PILGRIMAGE)
Institution: Department of Archaeology and Anthropology
Created: Tue 16 Aug 2016
Dalai Lama in Riga, 2017: Day 1
The Dalai Lama gave teachings on “Stages of Meditation” and “Concise Lamrim” in Riga, Latvia, from 23 to 25 September 2017. This video shows the first day of the teachings at the...
Collection: Kalmyk Cultural Heritage Project (BUDDHIST RITUALS, HOLIDAYS AND PILGRIMAGE)
Institution: Department of Archaeology and Anthropology
Created: Thu 26 Oct 2017
Dalai Lama in Riga, 2017: Day 2
The Dalai Lama gave teachings on “Stages of Meditation” and “Concise Lamrim” in Riga, Latvia, from 23 to 25 September 2017. This video shows extracts from the second day of the...
Collection: Kalmyk Cultural Heritage Project (BUDDHIST RITUALS, HOLIDAYS AND PILGRIMAGE)
Institution: Department of Archaeology and Anthropology
Created: Thu 26 Oct 2017
Dalai Lama in Riga, 2017: Day 3
The Dalai Lama gave teachings on “Stages of Meditation” and “Concise Lamrim” in Riga, Latvia, from 23 to 25 September 2017. This video shows extracts from the third day of the...
Collection: Kalmyk Cultural Heritage Project (BUDDHIST RITUALS, HOLIDAYS AND PILGRIMAGE)
Institution: Department of Archaeology and Anthropology
Created: Mon 13 Nov 2017
Dalai Lama in Riga, 2017: Preparation
The Dalai Lama gave teachings on “Stages of Meditation” and “Concise Lamrim” in Riga, Latvia, from 23 to 25 September 2017. This video features preparation works carried out at...
Collection: Kalmyk Cultural Heritage Project (BUDDHIST RITUALS, HOLIDAYS AND PILGRIMAGE)
Institution: Department of Archaeology and Anthropology
Created: Thu 26 Oct 2017