Our Man in Kalmykia

Brother Don Croner is currently visiting the westernmost land of the Mongolian diaspora, the Republic of Kalmykia in southern Russia. Always a compelling correspondent, Don has really outdone himself this time. He's offered us an unprecedented tour of the Golden Temple (the photo above is his, filched from his site), recently completed in the capital of Elista, billed as the largest Buddhist temple in Europe. His guide is none other than the Telo Tulku Rinpoche, himself hosting the abbot of one of the largest monasteries in the world, Drepung Gomang. Richly illustrated with photos of areas of the temple, such as the Dalai Lama's personal suite, that ordinary tourists would never see, you owe it to yourself to take a look. Dig the conference table with a mandala in the middle. That I've never seen before.

BTW, thanks to everyone who gave us a chuckle in the comments to the previous post. Due to some inscrutable technical glitch, when I try to post my own comments on my own blog, they just hover there in the ether, mocking me.

Comments

[lynf]

Knowing nothing about Elista I googled it. Opened up an article about a woman journalist who was murdered in Elista. Just after I opened it up music started - Ding Dong the Witch is Dead. This was very very eery! someone must've hacked into the site.

Hope you are finished with the snow! today is gorgeous in Seattle .......

[yeshe lhamo]

Thanks for the link to the Golden Temple...stunningly beautiful. The method of the prayer energy rising into the mandala was lovely to contemplate. Nevermind the mandala itself! Somehow, that table gives a whole new level of meaning to "having a meeting."