Mongolian shamanic ovoo shrine (Tenriism religious site) 1, near Ulaan Baatar, Mongolia
An Ovoo shamanistic religious site, made from rocks with wood or from wood (symbolizing Mother Earth, , Eje, with blue scarves symbolizing blue sky, , Tengri). An ovoo, according to Wikipedia, "is a sacred cairn found in Mongolian shamanic religious traditions, usually made from rocks with wood or from wood (My note: rocks and wood symbolizing Mother Earth, , Eje, with blue scarves symbolizing blue sky, , Tengri). Ovoos are often found at the top of mountains and in high places, like mountain passes. They serve mainly as Tengriism religious sites, used in worship of the mountains and the sky as well as in Buddhist or Shamanist ceremonies, but often are also landmarks. "When traveling , it is custom to stop and circle an ovoo three times in clockwise direction, in order to have a safer journey. Usually, rocks are picked up from the ground and added to the pile. Also, one may leave offerings in the form of sweets, money, milk, or vodka. If one is in a hurry while traveling and does not have time to stop at an ovoo, honking of the horn while passing by the ovoo will suffice. Ovoos are also used in mountain- and sky-worshiping ceremonies that typically take place at the end of summer. Worshipers place a tree branch or stick in the ovoo and tie a blue khadag, a ceremonial silk scarf symbolic of the open sky and the sky spirit Tengger, or Tengri, to the branch. They then light a fire and make food offerings, followed by a ceremonial dance and prayers (worshippers sitting at the northwest side of the ovoo), and feast with the food left over from the offering." Ovoo worship, and other forms of religion, were prohibited during the Communist times in Mongolia, but clandestine worship still occurred.
Size: 3333px × 5000px
Location: Ovoo shrine near Ulaan Baatar, Mongolia
Photo credit: © Terry Allen / Alamy / Afripics
License: Royalty Free
Model Released: No
Keywords: ancestor, animism, baatar, blue, cairn, earth, eje, mongolia, monotheism, mother, ovoo, pile, poles, polytheism, religion, rocks, scarves, shamanism, shrine, sky, tengri, tengriism, totemism, tourism, travel, ulaan, vertical, wood, wooden, worship
