India has restored 108 volumes of sacred Mongolian Ganjuur (Buddhist texts) and has sent them to 50 Buddhist monasteries and educational institutions.
The sacred texts, Ganjuur- Buddhist canonical texts meaning concise orders or words of Lord Buddha are an important part of Buddhism in Mongolia, worshipped in monasteries.
The governments of both countries recently hosted a ceremony at the famous Ganden Monastery of Mongolia in the presence of officials from both India and Mongolia that was attended by the Chief Buddhist Guru Nauan Khan Khambo Lama from Tibet and chief religious guru Ling Rimpoche in Mongolia, representatives of 50 institutions and over 500 Buddhist monks.
Furthermore, two sides are planning to write first official Sanskrit-Mongolian dictionary.
The Indian government since the last few years has been working on bolstering its ties with Mongolia.
“Their original manuscripts had been destroyed during the Soviet-era. There was an old microfilm copy in China which was brought to India by Acharya Raghuvira, well-known linguist and president of the Jan Sangh. But that was not the complete set.
His son Lokesh Chandra who is a scholar himself had published a few of those copies in 1970. It was then felt that we must try to restore and reprint the lost treasures of Mongolia.”
IGNCA member secretary Sachchidanand Joshi said the move builds “love and goodwill” towards Mongolia and shows India’s commitment towards Buddhism.
Apart from building a convention hall in the country’s biggest monastery, India has helped out Mongolia with the main Buddha statue by getting artist Ram Sutar to design the same.