Burkhan – Baabay

The sacred place of Burkhan-Baabay is located 4 kms far from the resort of "Nilova Pustyn" (“Nilov Desert”) in a thick forest at the bottom of the mountain Sagaan Khairkhan, in translation from the Buryat language “White Sandy ”.

In those times when the basic religion in Tunkinsky valley was Shamanism, this place was named as Shargay- Noyon. According to the legend, Shargay-Noyon was an epic hero who went down from the heavens for struggle against the Mongolian invaders. Later in consciousness of people he turned into the God of Khan Shargaj noyon, the head of Khaats, sitting on the crests of the Sayan mountains.

The legend describes how Shargay-noyon went down from the sky in full arms of the nomadic warrior riding a grey horse, his racers dug a slope of mountain causing the emergence of white sand which possesses special power of a guard for warriors and defenders of the native land.

The Buryat warriors always prayed here and took with them sacred sand which should have saved them from death and troubles. In honour of it in 1867 a small framework for prays was built here. This tradition is still kept now. During the Great Patriotic War Khoytogol soldiers leaving for the front also took with them small bags with sacred sand, and as they said, it often saved them.

Burkhan-Baabay Later, in the epoch of Lamaism this place began to be called as Burkhan-Baabay. According to the stories of native inhabitants Lamas (Buddhist monks) persuaded Shamen to burn out their clothes and attributes and adopt Buddhist belief. In 1919 on this sanctuary Lamas of Kyrensky datsan erected a unique Buddhist cult construction - "Zhalsan”, a symbol of Buddhism. There is no second similar construction in Buddhist temples of Russia. It is a high column with a barrel fixed at its top and filled with Buddhist books, relics, silver coins and other attributes. This gift is lifted so high that Buddha could see it. Later two datsans were constructed here.

At present the Shaman sanctuary is located here together with the Buddhist datsan.There is a bunkhan (a chapel) and an altar. Services conducted here are often held by local old residents - experts in ancient (pre-Shaman) religion of the Buryats, in ceremonies of Shamanism and Buddhism. Sometimes these ceremonies are conducted together with Lamas.

An interesting sight of this sacred place is the inscriptions on the wall of one of the buildings, where one can see ancient Buryat poetic prays of "Triad" and Jesus Christ's precepts near to each other.

As before local people trust to special protecting force of this place, they come here to pray and to bring gifts, asking Shargay-Noyon for health, prosperity and children. There is an interdiction on abuse, quarrels and shouts. It is also forbidden to litter and to use foul language here. The popular belief is that the God - master of these places can deprive people of his gifts and then springs will dry up, good luck and success will leave people.

Natives tell about the incident when a sacred book was stolen from datsan.The family of the man who had stolen it, was lost in the car accident, and the book was returned.

In 2003 on the place where “Obo” made from the sacred stones brought from Shumak used to exist, a Buddhist Stupa was erected.
Burkhan-Baabay is one of the sights of Tunkinsky valley. It is visited frequently by tourists and certainly by native people who are going to far away places and want to strengthen their spirit and to pray for good luck.