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Golden Abode of Buddha Shakyamuni in Elista (Russia) - description, history, location. Exact address and website. Reviews of tourists, photos and videos.

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Golden Abode of Buddha Shakyamuni - Significant Buddhist temple in Europe and the Republic of Kalmykia, a majestic and bright place, the dominant of all Kalmykia and Elista, located in its very heart and which can be seen from every corner of the city.

Previously, there was a precast concrete factory here, but with the blessing of the Buddhist leader His Holiness the Dalai Lama XIV, who came to Elista (the city of contrasts) in November 2004, a stunning Buddhist temple was erected. Before leaving Elista for India, His Holiness the Dalai Lama consecrated the place where the future khurul was to be built. The golden abode of Buddha Shakyamuni was erected in 9 months according to the project of S. Kurneev, V. Gilyandikov and L. Amninov.

In the center of the hall there is a huge golden statue of Buddha Shakyamuni, covered with gold leaf, the authors of which were Kalmyk artists under the guidance of the honored sculptor of Russia Vladimir Vaskin.

In the magnificent khurula building (56 m high), consecrated on December 27, 2005, the largest Buddha statue in the country and Europe (12 m) is installed. Prayers are performed here, festive divine services and rituals. The golden abode of Buddha Shakyamuni is surrounded by a fence with four entrances from four cardinal points, in which 108 snow-white stupas alternate at a five-meter interval.

The main gate is the southern one, it is through them, according to the Kalmyk tradition, that one enters the temple. Around the khurul, seventeen pagodas were erected with statues of the famous Buddhist teachers of the Nalanda monastery and prayer drums “kurde” with prayers embedded in them, near which you can make wishes by placing coins at the beginning of the drums and at the end.

At the base of the majestic white temple, built in a style characteristic of Buddhism, the believers are greeted by the White Elder (Tsagan Aav) - the pagan god of the Kalmyks, the patron of the surroundings.

A beautiful fountain was built between the two stairs. The entrance to the "abode of the Buddha" is framed by red columns and guarded by lions of a special color, and massive red doors with carved decorations in the form of gold patterns are especially admirable.

Golden Abode of Buddha Shakyamuni, Elista

To enter the temple, you must be barefoot, wearing socks brought with you, women must be in skirts or loincloths (available for rent at the entrance), with closed legs. For proper circulation of energy, temple sculptures must be walked around in a clockwise direction.

The interior of the temple delights no less than him. appearance. The walls are skillfully painted with scenes from Buddhist culture. Nine tank painters designed the interior, and the painting is still updated from time to time. The full monastic ammunition of the 14th Dalai Lama is also kept here. In the souvenir shop at the temple you can buy incense and jewelry.

The central temple of Elista consists of seven levels, each of which has its own functions. The first level of the khurul contains a museum of the history of Buddhist culture, a library, a reading room, and a conference room.

The second floor of the khurul was given over to a prayer dugan. There are benches for worshipers, and in the center of the hall there is a huge golden statue of Buddha Shakyamuni, covered with gold leaf, the authors of which were Kalmyk artists under the guidance of the honored sculptor of Russia Vladimir Vaskin. Holy objects are kept inside the Buddha (mantras, incense, prayers, Kalmyk land from all over).

On the other levels, there are administrative offices, exhibition halls, individual reception rooms, the residence of the President of the Republic and the head of the Buddhists of Kalmykia, monastic rooms, the residence of the Dalai Lama XIV Tenzin Gyatso, general technical and ritual rooms.

The Golden Abode of Buddha Shakyamuni Elista, a significant center for the development of world Buddhism, is visited every year by thousands of tourists and believers. It is here that you can get acquainted with Buddhism and its hallmarks. The central Elista khurul, “a pearl among the steppes”, stands out among the modesty, diminutiveness of the city with its incredible power and breathtaking beauty!

How to get there

Address: Elista, crossroads st. Lenin and st. Ilyumzhinov.

Hourul working hours

From 9:00 to 10:30 - a daily general prayer service for the well-being of the entire Kalmyk people and all living beings; from 11:30 to 16:00 - daily individual reception (except Monday); from 14:00 to 16:00 - memorial service (yoryal) every Friday.

Earlier, at the end of November 2004, during his visit to the republic, His Holiness the Dalai Lama XIV consecrated the construction site of the future temple in the very center of the capital of Kalmykia. And in early March 2005, in Dharamsala, Kirsan Ilyumzhinov, who headed the republic at that time, and Telo Tulku Rinpoche, the Supreme Lama of Kalmykia, presented His Holiness with a draft design of a new khurul, who approved it with recommendations and good wishes.

A year later, His Holiness the Dalai Lama gave the name of the khurul complex - "The Golden Abode of Buddha Shakyamuni" ("Burkhn Bagshin Altn Sume"). Khurul was built in record time - just nine months. 52 organizations were involved in its construction, and directly on construction site employed more than a thousand people.

The construction of the "Golden Abode of Buddha Shakyamuni" without exaggeration can be called a nationwide construction. Residents of all regions of Kalmykia, regardless of religious affiliation and beliefs, made donations for the construction of the shrine; musicians gave charity concerts, the head of the republic, Kirsan Ilyumzhinov, contributed personal funds for its construction, and also attracted funds from various foundations.

Territory of the complex

Modern architectural style with traditional elements of religious symbols became the basis of the temple building. The territory of the khurul is surrounded by an openwork fence with a top of 108 suburgans - the sign of 108 Buddhas. The gates are located on the four cardinal points as symbols of the four elements: Earth, Fire, Water and Wind. On both sides of the gate is a wonderful wish-fulfilling stone, giving wealth - "cintamani".

Around the temple, on the advice of His Holiness the Dalai Lama XIV, statues of 17 pandits, the great Teachers of Nalanda, were erected, which was once the largest Buddhist university, founded in the 2nd century BC.

At the four corners of the complex are pagodas with large prayer drums - "kurde", in which, according to tradition, tightly rolled scrolls with the mantras of Avalokiteshvara - the Buddha of Infinite Compassion - "Om mani padme hum" are laid. One rotation of the drum with pure thoughts and faith is tantamount to reading aloud the millions of mantras placed in it.

The main decorative decorations of the facade were 8 symbols of Buddhist teachings: the wheel of the Teaching, golden fish - a symbol of spiritual liberation, lotus - a symbol of purity, a vessel - a symbol of hidden knowledge, an umbrella - a symbol of protection of dharma, a standard - a symbol of victory over ignorance and death, a shell - as a symbol spread of the Teaching in all directions, an endless knot of happiness - a geometric figure symbolizing the changeable nature of being.

Above the entrance portal there is a traditional sculptural group depicting the wheel of the Teaching and two deer in memory of the two gazelles who were the first to come out of the forest and began to listen to the first sermon of the Buddha, and the eight spokes of the wheel are the Eightfold path to enlightenment.

On the main square khurul complex along the axis south entrance statue installed white old man- Tsagan Ava (samsaric deity). The staircase leading to the main entrance of the temple is decorated with cascading fountains with seven bowls. On the top panel of the fountain there is a sculpture of Kubera - the God of wealth. On the western and eastern sides of the temple are stairs with smaller fountains and images of dakinis.

On the upper platform of the temple there is another gallery with small kurde. 108 small kurde are located in total on three sides of the khurul complex: from the east, west and north.

The overall composition of the complex is completed by flower beds, ornamental flower beds, khurul garden with walking alleys, ritual grounds for performing sacred rites “gal taklgn” and “usn taklgn”.

prayer hall

On the second level of the temple complex, on both sides of the front doors, there are figures of snow lions - guardians of the Teaching. Entering the khurul, you find yourself in the foyer, then the main prayer hall is located.

In the prayer hall, the main object in terms of size and significance is the figure of Buddha Shakyamuni. The height of the statue is 9 meters. It is made in accordance with the traditional worldview of 32 signs of perfection. The Buddha sits in an asana (earth-touching posture) in which he called on the earth to be a witness to his enlightenment. In the left hand of the patra is a bowl for collecting alms, a sign of renunciation of worldly life. The Buddha statue is covered with gold leaf, a symbol that the Buddha's body is perfect and radiates golden light.

On a small platform in the altar is the throne of the Teacher - His Holiness the Dalai Lama XIV. On the right side of the altar is a glass pagoda, inside which the Dalai Lama's clothes are one of the greatest relics of the Buddhist world. The monastic robe was donated at the request of the Kalmyk people as a sign of the centuries-old connection between the Oirat-Kalmyks and the Dalai Lama.

The walls of the temple are painted with stories from the life of the Buddha and 16 arhats, here are portraits of all fourteen Dalai Lamas, the deity Avalokiteshvara - the living embodiment of which are the Dalai Lamas, as well as images of Green Tara, the defenders of the Teaching, and a ritual ornament with symbols and images of the defenders.

In the center of the hall there are tables (shira) and monks' seats for holding services. Ahead is the throne of the Shajin Lama of Kalmykia.

Education

On the ground floor there is a conference hall, the Museum of the History of Buddhism, a Buddhist library, as well as a cloakroom designed for a thousand visitors.

The basis of the library of the "Golden Abode of Buddha Shakyamuni" is the gifts of His Holiness the Dalai Lama XIV: "Ganzhur" - complete collection"Words of the Buddha" (108 volumes), and "Danzhur" - commentaries on the "Word of the Buddha", compiled by the great pandits of Nalanda (213 volumes).

In addition to classical works, the library contains the works of modern Buddhist philosophers - His Holiness the Dalai Lama XIV, Bogd Gegyan IX, Sakya Pandita and many others. The library has publications in Kalmyk, Mongolian, Russian, English and other languages.

The library fund consists of books presented as a gift by the book publishing houses of Elista, Moscow, St. Petersburg, and laity. Scientists A.V. Badmaev presented the library with a handwritten text of the 17th century "Sutra of the Golden Light" in the Old Kalmyk language. The library is equipped with computers with open access to the Internet, which greatly facilitates the reader's search for the necessary literature.

The Museum of the History of Buddhism contains in its collection relics containing fragments of ancient sacred texts - “nom”, Gelung clothes, archival photographs, objects Buddhist art XII-XIII centuries. The exposition of the museum includes the richest collection of masks of deities of the Buddhist pantheon. This is a gift from the monks of Gyudmed Monastery.

The conference hall with a capacity of 460 people is equipped with the latest equipment, including those that allow you to broadcast video lectures via the Internet. Lectures, seminars on the philosophy of Buddhism are held here, films are shown on the basics of Buddhist teachings, about the life of Shakyamuni Buddha, the Dalai Lama and other Buddhist teachers.

A place where you can get away from the busy world

On the third level there is an exhibition hall, rooms for monks, administration and offices for individual reception. The gallery overlooks the statue of Buddha Shakyamuni. The columns are painted with patterns, sacred mantras OM MANI PADME HUM in the Kalmyk and Tibetan languages. Especially for the meditation lessons, a large tanka “The Way of Mastering Concentrated Serenity of the Mind” (Shamatha) was written. The sounds of mantras and prayers permeate the space of the entire temple.

Comfortable armchairs and sofas are located around the entire perimeter of the hall, here you can renounce the vain world, just relax alone or with friends, talk with a clergyman about religion, philosophy, about something else.

Under the protection of the suburgans

On the fourth level is the office of the Shajin Lama of Kalmykia Telo Tulku Rinpoche. At this level, you can also see a model of a mandala, which is written on a fabric stretched across the center of the religious council hall, and, as it were, personifies a kind of synthesis of state and spiritual power.

Here is the open viewpoint for walks of high teachers. At the outer corners, suburgans are installed, at the base of which weapons are laid as a symbol of the suppression of the causes of war: aggression, hatred, impatience, etc. The head of the Republic of Kazakhstan, Kirsan Ilyumzhinov, handed over Kubachi and Mongolian sabers, other weapons with precious stones.

The suburgan contains the image of the Buddha, the symbol of the mind of the Buddha. A spiritually prepared person, contemplating the suburgan, can achieve complete enlightenment, ordinary lay people can accumulate a huge amount of good merit by veneration, offering, worship.

Residence of the 14th Dalai Lama and abode of enlightened beings

On the top floor of the temple is the residence of His Holiness the Dalai Lama XIV. It includes a hall for receiving guests, an office and private quarters of the Teacher, rooms for members of his secretariat and assistants. From the time of the Dzungar Khanate, with the help of Gushi Khan, a spiritual and religious system was established in Tibet. secular power Dalai Lamas and Kashag governments. Since then, there has been a close connection between the Dalai Lama and the Oirat-Kalmyk people.

The seventh level of the temple complex - "Burkhn Bagshin Altn Sym" - is the abode of enlightened beings, where all the visible elements of architecture, the interior serve for a special mood of the believers, create an atmosphere conducive to contemplation, calm and reflection.

Temple "Golden Abode of Buddha Shakyamuni" is visible from anywhere in the city - its height is 63 meters. The light reflected from the golden roof is a symbol of Spirituality, a symbol of faith in the cessation of suffering. Bells hang from the corners of the “floating” roof, thanks to which the sound of the Dharma spreads to all parts of the world.

Opening hours of the Central Khurul of Kalmykia "Golden Abode of Buddha Shakyamuni"

9.00 – 10.30 common prayer for the well-being of all living beings (daily)
11.30 – 16.00 individual reception (daily, except Monday)
14.00 - 16.00 memorial service (yoryal) every Friday

Matsg odr - big prayers

8 lunar day– Prayer-appeal to the Green Tara (Nogan Derk Morgul)
15 lunar day– Prayer-appeal to the Buddha of Medicine (Manla Morgul)
29 lunar day– Prayer-appeal to the defenders of Dharma (Syakusn Morgul)

Museum "History of Buddhism"
From 9.00 to 17.00(Closed: Monday)

Buddhist Library of Russia
From 10.00 to 18.00(Closed: Monday)

Center for Traditional Medicine
Monday-Friday: from 9.30 to 14.30
Day off: Saturday, Sunday

Film club "Dharma without borders"
Second and fourth Saturday of each month (subject to change)
16.00 (conference room)

01. I came to Elista on business and didn’t have time to visit the sights at all, but I really wanted to get to the Buddhist temple, especially since we settled just opposite the complex. I got up half an hour early and went for a walk.

02. The northern gates of the complex are not the main ones, but you can enter from any direction: the gates are located on the four cardinal points as symbols of the four elements: earth, fire, water and wind. Along the perimeter, the khurul is surrounded by a fence with snow-white stupas alternating every five meters. There are 108 stupas in total.

03. The architectural plan of the monastery has the shape of a mandala. The khurula building is surrounded by 17 pagodas with statues of the great Buddhist teachers of the Nalanda monastery. I chose a very suitable time for visiting: the sun appeared for just a few minutes, and then a cold rain began.

04. Kalmykia is the only region in Europe where the traditional spread of the Tibetan form of Buddhism has been practiced by Kalmyks since the end of the 16th century.

05. The khurula building has a height of 63 meters and contains the largest 9-meter Buddha statue in Russia and Europe. You can't take pictures inside, but it's definitely worth visiting. The surface of the statue is covered with gold and diamonds, and inside the statue there are many objects sacred to Buddhists: mantras, various incense, earth from different regions of the republic, plants and cereals growing on the territory of Kalmykia.

06. It is necessary to bypass khurul clockwise, large prayer drums are installed in the corners.

07. The pipes of the boiler house in the background are decorated accordingly.

08. The place for the construction of a new khurul was consecrated on December 1, 2004 by the XIV Dalai Lama.

11. Khurul consists of 7 levels. On the ground floor there is a library, a museum and a conference hall. The second level is a prayer hall with a 9-meter statue of Shakyamuni Buddha. On the third level there are individual reception rooms, where monks, a Tibetan medicine doctor and astrologers receive believers. The fourth level is the residence of the head of the Buddhists of Kalmykia Telo Tulku Rinpoche and a small conference hall. On the fifth level is the residence of His Holiness the 14th Dalai Lama Tenzin Gyatso. Utility rooms are located on the sixth level. On the seventh level there is a meditation room, which can only be visited by clerics.

12. Prayer drums have been an integral part of Buddhist culture for many centuries. Traditionally, drums contain tightly rolled mantra scrolls. One rotation of the drum is equivalent to reading aloud the millions of mantras placed in it.

14. The main gate of the Golden Abode

16. At the southern entrance there is a statue of the White Elder - Tsagan Aava

18. The endless knot of happiness symbolizes the changeable nature of being.

19. On the upper platform of the temple there are 108 snare drums.

20. Less than 10 minutes later it started to rain and I returned to the hotel.

21. Golden Abode of Buddha Shakyamuni in the evening.

I can say one thing - I liked it! The temple impresses with its majesty and beauty. It is definitely worth visiting these parts.

Despite the relative youth (the temple was completed in 2005), the "Golden Abode of Shakyamuni Buddha" has the status of a Buddhist shrine by right: the Dalai Lama personally controlled all the stages that preceded the construction. He not only consecrated the place where the temple was erected, but also approved its sketch, and, most importantly, gave the complex a name. Moreover, for the Buddhist community of Kalmykia, the Dalai Lama's approval of the Khurul's appearance was so important that the head of Kalmykia, Kirsan Ilyumzhinov, and the Supreme Lama of the Republic, Telo Tulku Rinpoche, personally went to meet with the spiritual leader of the Buddhists. They brought sketch designs of the temple to Dharamsala, a small city in India where the so-called "Tibetan government in exile" is based (in 1959, the Dalai Lama, along with many other Buddhists, left Tibet in protest against Chinese policy).

His Holiness the 14th Dalai Lama visited Kalmykia three times: in 1991, 1992 and 2004. During the third visit, the spiritual leader of the Tibetan, Mongolian and Russian Buddhists consecrated the planned site for the construction of the “Golden Abode of Shakyamuni Buddha” khurul.

The poetic name "Golden Abode of Buddha Shakyamuni" is based on the features of the Kalmyk temple: its design is dominated by gold color, and on the second level of the khurul, in the prayer hall, there is the largest statue in Europe of the founder of Buddhism, Buddha Shakyamuni. According to legend, he was an Indian prince from the wealthy Shakya family, who devoted his life to finding a way out of the cycle of earthly suffering, achieved enlightenment and showed this path to others. The statue reaches 9 m in height. Sitting in the asana "pose of touching the earth", the giant Buddha in his left hand holds a patra - a bowl for collecting alms, a symbol of renunciation of worldly life. The statue is covered with gold leaf and encrusted with diamonds: their radiance is a sign that the body of the Buddha is perfect and radiates light. And inside the monument are laid sacred objects: mantras, incense, jewelry and handfuls of earth from each region of the republic. They are designed to fill the statue with good energy. The walls of the prayer hall are painted with scenes from the life of the Buddha and images of all fourteen incarnations of the Dalai Lama. In addition, the decoration of the temple is complemented by about a hundred small statues, folded into beautiful pyramids.

Khurul's work schedule

9.00 - 10.30 - common prayer for the well-being of all living beings (daily)
11.30 - 16.00 - individual reception (daily, except Monday)
14.00 - 16.00 - memorial service (yoryal) every Friday

Temple as a cultural center

At the top level of the khurul, in accordance with the Tibetan tradition, is the residence of the Dalai Lama. This is not the main residence of the spiritual leader of Buddhism. Moreover, His Holiness has not yet visited the apartments built for him in Elista. The luxurious residence in the khurul is located not for the permanent residence of the Dalai Lama, but for him to know that he is always welcome in Kalmykia.

In addition, according to the Buddhist community of Kalmykia, the khurul of the 21st century should be not just a temple, but an educational and cultural center. Therefore, a library, a museum and a conference hall for seminars and lectures on Buddhism, designed for 460 people, were opened on the first level of the Golden Abode of Buddha Shakyamuni. Books were also donated to the library fund by the book publishing houses of Elista, Moscow and St. Petersburg; it has editions in Kalmyk, Mongolian, Russian, English and other languages.

Among the Buddhists who visited the temple were Hollywood celebrities. In 2007, Steven Seagal came to see The Golden Abode. “I have never seen such temples as this one in my life. You are very happy people,” admitted the Hollywood actor during the visit.

There are seven levels in khurul; the total height of the building exceeds 60 meters. The temple is visible from anywhere in the city, and its golden roof shines in any weather. The walls of the khurul are snow-white, the gates are painted red, and the roofs of the pagoda are executed in gold and green colors. Tibetan artists were specially invited to paint the walls. The main elements on the facade are eight symbols of Buddhist teachings - a wheel, fish, a lotus, a vessel, an umbrella, a standard, a shell and a geometric figure "an endless knot of happiness." Each of these symbols has a sacred meaning.

The territory adjacent to the khurul is also decorated in accordance with the traditions of Buddhism. Along the perimeter, the complex is surrounded by a low fence with white stupas placed every five meters - dome-shaped structures for storing relics that do not have access to the inside. The name "stupa" is more typical for India, in Kalmykia they are more often called suburgans. There are four pairs of gates in the fence, their number corresponds to the number of elements and cardinal points. They are made in the oriental style and are designed to remind that the one who enters is entering the path of spirituality and enlightenment. The visitor can enter the temple only through the southern gate. The steps leading to them are decorated with cascading fountains with a sculpture of the god of wealth on the top panel, and at the foot of the stairs, the guest is greeted by the Kalmyk pagan god, the patron of the area Tsagan Aav, made in silver and always decorated with bright ribbons.

The temple was erected on the site of an old factory of reinforced concrete products on Lenin Street.

Another treasure of the main Kalmyk khurul can be seen on the perfectly trimmed green lawn, between the paths leading to the entrance to the temple: 17 pagodas with statues of the great Buddhist teachers Nalanda. Installing these sculptures around the temple was personally recommended by His Holiness the Dalai Lama: he considers the followers of Tibetan Buddhism to be the spiritual heirs of Nalanda, the largest monastic university ancient india founded in the 2nd century BC. e. In the 9th century it was destroyed by Muslims, but its teachers managed to pass on their knowledge and experience to the people of Tibet, from where Buddhism spread to Mongolia, Kalmykia, Buryatia and Tuva. Statues of the teachers of Nalanda, who preserved the wisdom of Buddhism for the world, are erected in many khurulas. However, the "Golden Abode of Buddha Shakyamuni" is unique in this respect. “Perhaps this is the first temple where sculptures of all seventeen teachers of Nalanda are collected. Before we paid attention only to eight teachers, I added nine more to them. So this temple is a kind of official confirmation of my point of view,” the Dalai Lama explained the special value of the statues.

Perhaps it is thanks to the blessing of His Holiness that all temple complex managed to build in record time - in nine months. 52 organizations participated in the work. The head of the republic invested his personal funds in the construction, the inhabitants of Kalmykia collected voluntary donations for the construction of the shrine, and the musicians gave charity concerts. More than a thousand people were involved in construction work every day, and a whole team was responsible for the architectural part - engineers V.K. Sangadzhiev and V.V. Vasiliev, architects S.E. Kurneev, L.D. Amninov and V.B. Gilandikov. The efforts of all these people were not in vain: The Golden Abode of Shakyamuni Buddha is considered one of the most beautiful khuruls in the world, and every year thousands of tourists and pilgrims specially come to Elista to look at it.

The history of the appearance of Buddhism in Kalmykia

Buddhism came to Kalmykia from Tibet. The religion has spread among the ancestors of modern Mongols and Kalmyks since the 13th century, when the Great Mongol Empire was formed. In a significant Tibetan document, the Red Book, compiled in the middle of the 14th century, it is said that Genghis Khan personally met with a preacher of Buddhism. Representatives of the Oirat - West Mongolian - elite close to the khan got acquainted with the teachings of the Tibetan monks. Many noble Oirats brought Buddhist monks closer to their courts.

The Oirats came to the territory of the Russian state in the 17th century, forming the Kalmyk (Torgut) Khanate in the steppes of the Northern Caspian Sea. Within the boundaries of this formation, the Kalmyk people developed. Moreover, the formation of the future Kalmykia coincided with the popularization of Buddhist teachings among the Oirats: in 1640, at a congress on the occasion of the adoption of a code of laws, Buddhism was declared the state religion for all Mongolian peoples.

In the 18th century, groups of people who wanted to study Buddhism began to leave Kalmykia for Tibet. According to the Buddhist archives, there were so many Oirat students that they formed two separate communities in the monasteries. Some of these people, having studied in the hurulas of Tibet, returned to their homeland to preach Buddhism.

In the 19th century, the spread of this religion was no less active, but after the revolution of 1917 and the formation of the Soviet Union, its influence noticeably decreased. With the beginning of perestroika, everything returned to normal: in 1988, a Buddhist community was first registered in Elista.

The contribution of the Oirats to the development of Buddhism

According to the work “The Rule of the Inhabitants of the Ganden Palace Over the Entire Expanse of Tibet in the Late Period of the Spread of the Teaching”, in the 17th century the Oirats played a significant role in strengthening Buddhism and provided important assistance to Tibet. The document states that in 1641 the "patron and disciple" of the Dalai Lama - the Khosheut Gushi Khan - conquered the territory of Tibet and handed over the reins of government to the Dalai Lama. For this, Gushi Khan was given the name "King of Tibet" and the title of Nomin Khan. Oirat taishis on a regular basis began to receive honorary titles of khans from the Dalai Lama: for example, Galdan Boshigtu Khan, a student of the Dalai Lama, who, according to some researchers, was preparing for the role of a new religious leader among the Oirats. Among the taishas who were offered the title of khan were the Volga Kalmyks: Daichin and Ayuka.