Ivolginsky Datsan
Иволгинский дацан
Russia's Buddhist center, with Tibetan-style golden-roofed temples and a circumambulation path. It enshrines the Ivolginsky Khambo Lama Dambo-Ayusheyev, whose body has remained incorruptible.
Ivolginsky Datsan was built in 1945 and was one of the few Buddhist temples permitted to open during the Soviet period. Today it serves as the headquarters of the traditional Buddhist monastic community of Russia. The monastery has several painted temple halls, stupas, and a Buddhist academy. Worshippers circle the temples clockwise along the path. The most famous attraction is the body of Khambo Lama Dambo-Ayusheyev, who died in 1927. When his coffin was opened in 2002, he was still seated in meditation posture. His body is displayed to the public only on certain holidays. Admission is free. Opening hours are about 7:00 to 18:00. The monastery is about 35 km from the city center, and you can reach it by minibus route 130 from near the market.
Opening hours
About 07:00–18:00
Nearby sights
- Odigitrievsky Cathedral
- Buryat Opera and Ballet Theatre
- Lenin Street Pedestrian Zone & Triumphal Arch
- Museum of Nature of Buryatia
- Lenin Head Monument (Soviets Square)
- National Museum of the Republic of Buryatia
- Rinpoche Bagsha Datsan
- Tarbagatay Old Believers Villages (Desyatnikovo)