Page 34 [34]
SUSAN C. BYRNE
He and two monk friends from Gundgawarlin took on the challenge and, as Inform¬
ant 1 explained, they began collecting the “traditional prayers, püjas and their tunes
and püja discipline” of Khögshin khüree. While none had served in the first revival
of Khögshin khüree, they consulted Ven. Luwsandamba, by now over 90, about his
“very good knowledge about the khüree.” They wanted to follow the traditional
ways as practiced before 1937 although Informant 1 followed the chanting rhythms
of Gundgawarlin (that he told me he passes on to his young monks to this day).
Informant 1 explained to me how he established the revival of Khögshin khüree
in the city centre: “Then I talked with Mr L., the governor, and (I had) founded ...
and tried to restore the khiiree together with two friends and determined our goal to
revive and preserve the Dharma was practiced here. We also acknowledged that the
development and revival of the Dharma and monasteries was quite poor and try to
look for traditional prayers, pijas and their tunes, piijja discipline. We made efforts
and collected whatever we can collect. Have you observed that there are not many
mountains here that are worshipped? Generally, we are trying to make the mountain
worshipping rituals under regulation too. We took initiatives, we want to follow the
traditional ways and recite pijjas during the time before 1937.”
This is how, in 2003, these three monks opened a temple in central Baganuur
calling it Khögshin khüree and Ontsar Esheelin (Odserlin). Two years later, the Ba¬
ganuur City khural passed a resolution to hand over the revival of Khögshin khüree
from Yengar Shaddüwdarjaalin to Ontsar Esheelin because the former was no longer
active. They wanted an active temple in the centre of Baganuur where local people
32