Travels: Darkhan, Russia-Mongolia Border and Shamanism

Last week i made a two-day trip to Seleng Aimag of Northern Mongolia on the border with Russia. We left early in the morning on a mini-bus with 12 friends from students’ dormitory. The travel was actually planned by an anthropologist friend of mine, a Mongol from Inner Mongolia of China, who was interested to see a Shamanism festival on April 06. There is a famous Shamanist-site in Selenge Aimag (Province), where the grand religious festival is held annually.

We left in the breezing cold of early morning with a kit taking warm cloths. I had slept late that night, and was feeling dizzy in the morning at 9am when our mini-bus left the Foreign Students’ Dormitory of National University of Mongolia (NUM), where i live. The travel started with a sleepy mood. I was sitting at the back-seat of the bus, with friends from Italy, Korea, China and a Mongol. We had chitchat about culture and weather in Mongolia. After 15 minutes of drive, we were almost getting out of the city. Manager of the trip, the Mongol guy from China, asked the driver to stop at any store for buying breakfast and some other stuff. He told we had to buy some gifts and necessary pray items for the Shaman festival. We had a Mongol guide, another anthropologist friend of mine who is planning to go to Afghanistan for a field research next year. I was surprised when he said we had to buy a bottle of Vodka, among other things, for the religious ceremony. Vodka is an important part of Mongolian culture. I will write a post about this in detail any other time.

Darkhan City

We were told it is a long drive and we will get to our destination in six hours. I was enjoying chatting and throwing jokes at each other. But got bored with all that after two hours and took out my earphones of mobile to listen some music. Views on the way were scenic. Roads were in good condition, but it was not a highway. I was lost in the slow tunes of the music that our bus stopped. It was Darkhan, the second largest city of Mongolia after Ulaanbaatar, the capital. This city was built in 1960s during the Soviet time, for industrial purposes, as implies the name of the city, Darkhan, which means blacksmith. The city is divided in two parts, Old Darkhan and New Darkhan, which has seen a construction boom recently. The tallest building of Mongolia used to be in Darkhan a couple of years ago. But now there are many skyscrapers in Ulaanbaatar taller than the 16-story building in Darkhan. We did not have to stop in the city. Though it was lunch time, but some friends were insisting we should have meal outside in open air out of the city. There was a Buddha statue on a hill beside the bypass of the city. We went to see the statue colored white. There was a beautiful bridge making a flyover on the road to reach the statue. I took out my camera and shot some photos of the road, and the Buddha statue. My friend anthropologist, the Mongol guy from China named Namar, is a on-and-off Buddhist. He made some rounds disturbing the beautiful pigeons sitting on the steps around the statue. After some photos our guide called all to head towards the bus. On the way, beautiful trees, vast land and frozen lake attracted my sight. After some 20 minutes of drive outside the city, we stopped for lunch. The overcast sky was black with slight raindrops. I joined the Korean friend who made some really tasty sandwiches of tuna. After food, while others were still busy with eating, i with another friend from Inner Mongolia took his gloves to try baseball. It was a good activity after hours of drive that stiffed the legs. We soon headed towards our destination, Selenge Aimaq. Now after lunch and baseball, i was feeling asleep and took a nap in the vehicle, earphones to my ears listening some romantic Hazaragi song on Damboora.

Mongolian-Russian Border

I woke up when our vehicle stopped in Altanbulug, the border town with Russia. We got out of the vehicle and a Mongol friend went to get permission from security officers on the barricade to let us go to the border, five minutes away. It was raining very slightly and i was able to see the Russian Cathedral on the next side of the border fence. After 15 minutes, our friend came back with permission that we could go to the fence-area. Altanbulug is a small town on both sides of the border and local people are allowed to cross the border without any Visa. Unlike other border towns, i didn’t see much commercial activities and trade in this town. Despite the Free Trade Zone between Mongolia and Russia in this area, there was no major commercial activities. This town is also the last or first Mongolian town for those entering or leaving Mongolia by the Trans-Siberian Railway line between China, Mongolia and Russia. After taking some photos on the border, we came back. It was raining and windy. On our way back, our guide decided to take us to Seleng Aimaq Museum, some miles away from the border-fence. Though it was Sunday, but after explaining that we are foreign students, the official of the museum allowed us to visit. Outside the museum, there was the house of Sukhbaataar, the military leader and Mongol hero who led the nation in the independence war against China. Most of things inside the Museum also related to Sukhbaatar and the war. Altanbulug was the town where the war began between a handful of Mongol soldiers and Chinese troops. Altanbulug has got a significant importance in Mongolian independence. The People’s Provisional Government of Mongolia, was formed in 1921 by some Mongol leaders in exile in Russian city Kyakhta, located next to the border. The war fought in Altanbulug later caused the defeat of Chinese Army and independence of Mongolia in 1924. The statue of Sukhbaatar and Lenin was an attraction for visitors in the museum. Standing beside the statues, I made a Mao-action–hands on chest–and asked the friend for a photo with a possible caption “Mao, Lenin and Sukhbaatar”

After coming out of the museum, the guide took us to a hill on the border to see Selenge River that flows from Russia into Mongolia. After driving on hilly ups-and-down, we reached to the check-post of Mongol Army. We got permission to go top of the hill and see Selenge River on Russian territory next side of the border. It was one of the most beautiful scenes i had ever seen. My words won’t describe the view fairly, hope photos do that. It was around 5pm. The flashing glow of sunset was scenic. Standing on the hill, the sun was right in front of my eyes on the horizons in Russia. Its strong lights blazing out of the scattered clouds made a breathtaking view on the river. The rays hitting cloud outface was making a stunning reflection on surface of water flowing in the river making a zigzag shape. The hills on our side–Mongolian territory–divided the border. Standing on the top of the hills, we were on the Northern edge of Mongolia looking into the vast land of Russia. The chilly winds from Siberia  was freezing my ears and nose. My fingers were shivering while photographing the heavenly view. I was running up on the hills to see the Northeast part of the river. Time was running out, the soldiers on check-post had allowed us only for 10 minutes, which had already passed. We were making photographs and enjoying looking the scenic view. We had to leave now, as it was already about 15 minutes more than we were allowed by the soldier. Everybody left the hill with promises to visit this place again in summer. It was beauty of the river and hill that attracted so strongly.

On the way back, it was decided we will stay in any hotel in Sukhbaatar City, the capital of Seleng Aimag. We had to leave early morning the next day for Shamanism festival. It was dark in the evening. After checking two hotels, i once felt what if we don’t get room in any hotel? Most hotels were filled, as Shamanism devotees had flocked the city to attend the grand festival. After checking at four places, we found a luxurious-looking hotel named Voyage. We were all happy to get rooms, which were clean, comfortable and luxurious-looking in this small town-city. The cost of the room was also reasonable per room at 10,000 ₮ (Tugrug, the Mongolian currency. One US Dollar = 1400 Tugrugs). It was about half past seven and we decided to have dinner after putting kits in our rooms. During the meal, our guide was briefing us about what Shamanism is and how will be the festival tomorrow. We had wonderful discussion while having dinner. The guide was saying people believe Shamans can fly and also curse someone. He was asking us to be serious at the religious site and not laugh or mock. A friend of mine, a Chinese Christian, was arguing how is it possible to fly? He din’t believe it. I was enjoying the discussion and coffee, which i found a sachet in my coat-pocket. And my Korean friend was not comfortable with the coffee of the hotel, mine was MacCoffee. Soon after meal, all left to their rooms for sleep, as we had to get up early at 6 in the morning.

Shamanism Festival

Shamanism is the oldest religious practices of the world. Its a religion for its followers, but some anthropologists call it a set of beliefs. Shamanism is the ancient religious beleifs of Mongols dating back to centuries before Chingis Khan era. Today there is a considerable number of Shamans in Mongolia, though Buddhism is the dominating religion here. The festival in Seleng Aimag is the grand festival of Shamanism in Mongolia. All the Shamans from across the country gather at the site of a big tree called “Eej Mod” which means “Mother Tree”. Its not an organized religion. There is not a particular set of practices known throughout the entire Shamanism world. They don’t have any religious holy place like Church or Mosque. Many anthropologists have declared it a set of the oldest religious practices in human civilizations and most of today’s organized religions have roots of some practices from Shamanism. Though there is not an exact period about the origin of Shamanism, but it has been the dominating religion of Turko-Mongol ethnic groups in Siberia and Central Asia for centuries. Today followers of Shamanism are found in largest number in Japan, Korea, China, Mongolia and Africa. Shamans are the messengers between the humans and spiritual world. Among Mongols, many families have a Shaman, who is responsible for the religious stuff like communication between spirits of the family members and other good and evil spirits.

When we reached the site, large number of people had already arrived there. I saw people praying around the “Mother Tree”. Pieces of cloth were tied to the tree, mostly blue. People were making rounds of the tree and throwing milk, vodka or some beans on the tree. There was a table near the tree decorated with Mongolian cake, milk, vodka and candles. People would keep some food items, like chocolate, there and pray. We followed all the practices to have a better understanding of the belief of people. There was another small table of candles near the tree. Everyone would go to the candles and take some “blessings” from the smoke of candles. So did I. There was a kind of hole in the tree, fit for a human head to go inside. People had lined to make special prayers with their heads in that hole. I also did it, but had no idea what to say or pray. Though i am a secular person but have respect for all beliefs. People were throwing Vodka and milk on that tree while making rounds. I took the bottle of Vodka and packet of milk from my friend and followed others. To understand best a belief, one has to be practically among the followers and closely see what and how they do. Families had come with children from far-flung areas to attend this festival. Some had even brought tents. A group of Shamans were beating the drum near by the tree and doing prayers, running rounds and making a strange noise. The grand prayer with all Shamans had to start later at 10am. We had much time till then and left for breakfast back to the hotel. Sukhbataar is a small city. We were lucky to find a small restaurant with Khushuur, Tsutai Tsai (milk tea) and soup in the morning, when most restaurants are closed in small cities. My Chinese friend, who had an argument about the flying capability of Shamans, again started a discussion during the breakfast. I said “when you go rounds and rounds, you feel dizzy. Shamans make rounds of the tree running, they drink Vodka during this practice. While extremely dizzy, it feels as if someone is flying”. Everyone laughed and this was funny to be reasonable for my friend. I told him that i made this joke to make him understand and keep quiet on how Shamans can fly? After the breakfast, we left back to “Mother Tree”, about 20 minutes drive north of Sukhbaatar city.

Now the grand prayers were to start soon. People were making a big circle around the tree. We sat in the first row. All Shamans, male and female, were gathering around the tree to start the prayers. Their was a senior Shaman reading the prayers and other Shamans and people, including us, would say “Khuree”, which means the word  “Ameen” in Islam and Christianity. People were still throwing Vodka and milk on the tree. My back and cap were wet with milk and Vodka thrown from behind, coming like rain drops. After the prayers were finished, Shamans started running around the tree, beating the drums with a stick in their hand. I asked my Mongol friend what do they mean by doing this? He said they will now start communication with spirits and someone’s spirit “will come” in them! When these Shamans would fall down, their family members carrying them from shoulder would take up and give another drink of Vodka. I was amused by these all unique religious practices. While thinking later about all the practices i saw, i believed most of the very ancient practices of Christianity, Islam and other organized religions were taken from Shamanism. For instance, fear of nature was the causes of many ancient religious practices in almost all religions of the world. Shamanism is also mainly based on fear of nature and spiritual world. After several rounds of the tree, those Shamans would fall down making loud noise in strange language. It was when they would “go to the spiritual world and talk with spirits”. They believe good and bad spirits exist and that Shamans can heal disease with the help of spirits, most probably “good spirits”.  There is a similar concept of good and bad “Jin” among Muslims. “Jin” is spirit or a supernatural creature, that some magicians try to control with verses of Quran and solve problems or cure disease by them. In today’s modern era of scientific advancement, Its still a good business for some Mullah thugs to loot ignorant people in countries like Afghanistan, Pakistan and India.

Here is a video clip  of the grand prayer, by my Italian friend Paolo.

I was surprised to know that in technologically advanced countries like Japan and Korea, millions of people practice all these superstitions. Japanese Shintoism is a more developed version of Shamanism. Anyhow, i personally believe these superstitious practices are far better than the violent religious extremism in Middle East.

Th Shamanism festival finished at around 11am. I left the praying area earlier and played baseball on the ground near our bus. We headed towards Ulaanbaatar (UB) at 12. My seat beside the door of the bus was not comfortable this time. The six hours drive back to UB was pleasant. We stopped in Darkhan city again and went to the main market of the city. This wonderful trip was a perfect experience of understanding Shamanism, seeing those heavenly scenic border hills and exploring Mongolia.

Horse-statues in Darkhan city.

Darkhan city bypass.

Bridge in Darkhan

Buddha statue in Darkhan

Steps to Buddha Statue

Me at the bells near Buddha statue.

We stopped here for lunch.

Russian-Mongolian Border fence. Altanbulug town.

House of Sukhbaatar outside the Seleng Museum

Sukhbaatar and Lenin statue in museum

Sunset and Seleng River on Russia-Mongolia border

A beautiful view of Russian terroritory from hill in Mongolia

Sunset in Russia, view from Mongolia

Me capturing the sun

Russian side of the border

Darkhan city

Table for putting milk, vodka and cake.

“Mother Tree”

A beautiful girl throwing wheat and beans on the table, a religious performance.

Milk and Vodka for “Mother Tree”

Many people brought children.

Shaman and two persons taking prayers/blessings.

The grand prayer of Shamans around “Mother Tree”

A female Shaman.

Me and a friend playing baseball.

16-story building of Darkhan city.

Grand prayers of Shamans.