Traditional and New Places of Religious Pilgrimage in Buryatia

Abstract

The article discusses the current religious situation in Buryatia where Shamanic and Buddhist organi- zations are in search for the “mysterious” and “miraculous”. This activity aims at restoring and popu- larizing the cults and loci that both Buddhists and Shamanists have revered as sacred since old times. Simultaneously, religious workers are interested in updating and expanding the map of sacred places that would become objects of pilgrimage for believers from different regions of Russia and abroad. Among them, most attractive is the Hambo Lama Itigelov’s phenomenon which inspires numerous people to visit the Ivolginsky datsan. Among the visitors, there are not only Buddhist believers-pilgrims who hope for a blessing, but also non-religious people who seek a rational explanation for the miracle. The pilgrimage to the Holy Lama helps maintain the image of the republic as a sacred territory. The interest of pilgrims in Buryatia for the sacred places promising the childless couples the joy of mother- hood and fatherhood does not fade away. The most famous among those is the place of manifestation of the image of the goddess Saraswati–Yanzhima in Buryatia. The appearance of new holy places on the sacred map of the region, as well as the formation of new cults, is the result of the vigorous activity of religious Shamanistic and Buddhist organizations.