Shankh Monastery
Shankh Monastery (Mongolian: Шанх хийд, Shankh Khiid) located in Övörkhangai Province, Central Mongolia, 25 kilometers South East of Kharkhorin city, is one of Mongolia’s oldest and most historically significant monasteries. It was founded in 1647 by Zanabazar, the first Jebtsundamba Khutuktu, or spiritual head of Tibetan Buddhism for the Khalkha in Outer Mongolia, around the same time as the establishment of the nearby Tövkhön Monastery.
| Shankh Monastery Шанх хийд | |
|---|---|
| Religion | |
| Affiliation | Tibetan Buddhism |
| Location | |
| Location | Övörkhangai Province, Mongolia |
| Country | Mongolia |
Location within Mongolia | |
| Geographic coordinates | 47.0514°N 102.954°E |
| Architecture | |
| Style | Chinese, Mongol and Tibetan influences |
| Date established | 1647 |
The monastery belongs to the Gelupa, or Yellow Hat Sect, school of Tibetan Buddhism. Its main temple is famous for its seven Kalachakra Mandalas which portray all 722 Kalachakra deities, the only ones of their kind in Mongolia.
The meaning of the word shankh is unclear, with some speculating it refers to the small mountain range between the monastery and Erdene Zuu Monastery, while others claim it refers to “a group of objects arranged in a particular order”.