Large number of Buddhist monasteries and temples were built throughout
Mongolian territory between 1600 and 1800s. In the eastern Mongolia, in 1779
there was an establishment of one important and powerful monastery. At the
beginning, the monastery’s name was “Baldandashgomlin” as Tibetan. During
the prosperity of Buddhism in Mongolia, this monastery played the main role to
prepare religious staff, especially high educated lamas knowing Tibetan, Indian
and Sanskrit and science of astrology. Philosophical creatures of Buddhism,
poetries were translated from mentioned languages into Mongolian.It marked out for monastery’s capacity and how big it was, nearly
1500 inhabitation of Buddhist lamas and 5-7 religious schools and faculties
like “Choir”, “Djud”, “Mamba”, “Duinkhor” and etc. Noted handicraftsmen and
merchants lived there, except only lamas. Additionally, more than 500
monasteries of the 700 Mongolian monasteries had their own local variations of
the ceremony. “Zahra” and “Duinkhor” tsam dance - the most popular religious
mask dance were played and the biggest celebration of Buddhism “Maidar ergekh”
was held in the Choir monastery as well.
The monastery’s leaders were high mental potential Lamas. The
5th leader was Lama Gonchigdambil, once his camp was on a fire and burnt
to the ground but amazingly only single thing was found from camp ashes without
any damage. That was the fifth leader’s portrait drawn by him. The portrait is
being kept in the Gandan Monastery, present Mongolian biggest Buddhist center.
Between 1937 and 1939, religious persecution became common and a political
opposition began to form. Almost all monasteries and temples were destroyed. In
1938, this black wind knocked down and set the monastery on fire. Now only the
ruin of monastery exists. The Ruin of Choir Monastery was taken into
Mongolian State protection in 1993.
