Wednesday, February 1, 2012

Mongolia | Incarnations of Javsandamba 16 – 25

Earlier I posted about the statues of  the first  First Sixteen Incarnations of Javzandamba on display in the Larivan Temple at Erdene Zuu, in Kharkhorin, Övörkhangai Aimag. The sixteenth incarnation was of course Taranatha, who was born in Tibet and died in Mongolia. 
16. Жонан Дарната
Jonan Darnata (Taranatha) statue at Erdene Zuu
Tibetan thangka of Taranatha
This spectacular late nineteenth century thangka of Yamantaka (it measures over seven feet in length) was just recently unearthed in the archives of the Bogd Khaan Winter Palace Museum, a vast repository of materials many of which have never been put on public display before or even catalogued. The first twenty-four incarnations of Javzandamba are depicted at the top of the thangka. 
Taranatha on the Yamantaka thangka above
The next nine incarnations (17 through 25) served as the Bogd Gegeens of Mongolia. The first was of course Zanabazar
17. 1 Богд Занабазар (1635-1723)
Zanabazar  (Enlargement)
Statue of Zanabazar in the Bogd Khan Winter Palace Museum 
18. II Богд Лувсандамбийдонмэ (1624-1557)
Luvsandambiidonme  
19. lll Богд Ишдамбийням (1758-1773)
Ishdambiinyam  
20. IV Богд Лувсантүвдэнванчуг (1775-1813)
Luvsantüvdenvanchug
21.  V Богд Лувсанчүлтэм Жигмэддамбийжанцан (1815-1841)
Luvsanchültem Jigmeddambiijantsan 
22.  Vl Богд Лувсанбалдандамбийжанцан (1643-1648)
Luvsanbaldandambiijantsan 
23. VII Богд Агваанчойживанчүгпринлайжамц (1849-1868)
Agvaanchoijivanchülgprinlaijamts
24.  VIIl Богд Агваанлувсанчойжинямданзанванчүг (1869-1924)
Eighth Bogd Gegeen Agvaanluvsanchoijinyamdanzanvanchüg 
25. IX Богд Жамбалнамдолчойжижанцан (1932 – )
 Jambalnamdolchoijijantsan
The Ninth Bogd Gegeen lives in Ulaanbaatar but reportedly is in very bad health. Speculation has already begun on where the 10th Bogd Gegeen will be born. 

7 comments:

Anonymous said...

Fave is the blue dude.

-a mes

Don Croner said...

Don’t tell me—this is what you look like when you are angry. You should show this aspect of yourself to your obnoxious office mate. Maybe that would scare him off. Usually the necklace of skulls works like a charm. As for the Pea and Princess episode, you know the old saying, “Lay down with dogs and get up with fleas . . . and dog hair in your bra!

Anonymous said...

I'd love to show the "blue dude" in me to that guy. Unfortunately, I'm cursed with a "politeness" gene that prevents it from happening, although I will give a blunt opinion from time to time.

Oh, but she's a cutie pie of a dog! No human can resist her charms! : )

batbold said...

Hey, what's up. Heard anything about the Buddha tooth ruckus that's on the news? It has been 'discovered' at the Bogd Khan Palace Museum.

Don Croner said...

Researcher Nyamochir, for whose book I took the photos of Taranatha, told me about the Buddha tooth a couple of weeks ago. He showed me photos of it but I have not seen the tooth itself. I think he gave a lecture about it at the Zanabazar College at Gandan last week, but I was not able to go.

batbold said...

Za sar shine dee saihan shinelj baina uu.

Don Croner said...

U 2!