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TSYMZHIT P. VANCHIKOVA of the Khentii Mountains near Sar"dag mountain peak located on the territory of the modern Central province (Töw aimag). The construction started in 1654 and ended in 1680. The monastery was also known as Nomiin khiiree and served as the residence of the First Bogd gegeen. In fact, it was the center of Mongolian Buddhism until it was completely destroyed by Galdan Boshugtu Khan’s troops after 1687.'7 Since then the monastery-residence of Mongolian Bogd gegeens changed its location several times until 1778, the year of the Yellow Dog, when it settled in the place where Ulaanbaatar is now.'* The Tsogchin dugan (Tib. tshogs chen ‘du khang) became the main temple of [kh khtiree, the place of residence of the Fourth Bogd gegeen. It maintained its previous name — Ribogejayiyandansaddubling.'’ All religious sermons and services conducted by the temples and datsans of Ikh khiiree, as well as by Gandantegchenlin, were guided by the rules and regulations of the Tsogchin dugan.”” As the number of temples and religious schools, the population of monks and general population of /kh khüree increased, the residential quarters of the Mongolian nobility and commoners, craftsmen and Chinese traders expanded and moved closer to the datsans. This resulted in the growth of markets, trading places and warehouses in the area, and the lamas of the Zsanid datsan — philosophical school (Tib. mtshan nyid grwa tshang) decided to relocate to the west of the Dsiitin khiiree. The first temple, Shar stim, was erected on Mount Dalkhiin Denj in 1806/9. In 1833, according to the decree of Bogd gegeen, more than two thousand lamas of several temples of Dsiitin khiiree, with their properties and households, moved to the newly founded monastery Gandantegchenlin.*' The main deity-protector of the monastery was Vajradhara or Ochirdar in Mongolian. Around 1837 the Fifth Jebtstindamba khutagt issued a decree ordering all the monasteries and residential houses of lamas around the monastery to be painted yellow. In 1838 a large stone temple Gandantegchenlin was built, being a branch of the main 7Zsogchin dugan of the [kh khiiree, it supervised the work of all the other temples of the monastery.” Thus, the charter in question provided the guidelines for the entire Gandantegchenlin. In 1944, when religious services were allowed again, the first service was held in the Gandantegchenlin datsan. Since then the whole complex became known as the Gandantegchenlin Monastery. This charter is the most detailed of the statutes available for us. It provides a thorough description of all religious services, their order and sequence by days, months, and seasons throughout the year, starting with the New Year’s services, as well as tules of lamas’ conduct during the services, division of responsibilities among lamas and other workers of the monastery, and so on. Its brief content is as follows: Banjragé, C. — Sainxü, B.: Mongolin xüre xidin tüx, p. 11. Banjragé, C. — Sainxü, B.: Mongolin xüre xidin tüx, p. 13. 9 Seröter, Ö.: Mongolin Ix xtiré, Gandan xidin tüxen bütecin towe 1651-1938. Ulänbätar 1999, pp. 54-55. 20 Nislelin öw soyol. Ulänbätar 2009, p. 137. Dügersüren, L.: Ulänbätar xotin tüxes. Nislel xüre. Ulsin xewlelin gajar, Ulanbatar 1956, p. 24. Nislelin öw soyol, p. 152. 170
