Mongolia’s thriving Buddhism faces cash crunch
Ulan Bator (Mongolia): On a barren patch of land outside Mongolia’s capital, a former herder guards a half-finished pedestal and abandoned golden Buddha’s head — testament to the money problems keeping Buddhism from flourishing in the country.
When 68-year-old Tsegmid Lunduv, a longtime nomad, was hired to patrol the spot in 2013, the project seemed full of promise: a proposed sprawling complex of meditation centres and spiritual retreats, tucked into the rolling steppes outside Ulan Bator and under the spiritual guidance of the Dalai Lama.
But two years ago, construction was suspended pending additional funding, leaving two partially built legs, the unattached head and a hand with fingers curled into the gesture for teaching and understanding.
Only Lunduv, his wife, grandson and their yellow puppy were standing sentry on a recent visit to the holy site-to-be.
“Once the project comes to fruition, all of Mongolia’s troubles will go away,” said Lunduv, a portly man with a tattered white tunic and a gaptoothed smile.
He added: “It will usher in a new era.” One of the project’s main financial backers, the Genco group, is owned by new Mongolian President Khaltmaa Battulga, who took office in July and must now navigate the country out of its maze of debt with a $5.5 billion International Monetary Fund-led bailout.
Buddhism has returned to prominence after being quashed over years of Soviet control, with over half of the population now identifying as Buddhist, according to official figures. But the debt-laden country’s money troubles have severely limited the infrastructure.