Geser’s temple

Geser's temple, Ulan-Ude
With a stately movement
Having opened the pearl door
He goes out now,
With the unhurried movements
Without dropping dust off his boots
He crosses the threshold.

In the eyes there is a smile, quiet is the face,
He comes out from the palace onto the porch.
The porch is so built up
That a filly can run about with its colts.

Along the silver steps from above
Without stumbling on the stairs
He goes where there is the silver tethering post
Described thus in the ancient epic which is abundant in myths is Geser’s palace. That shows the life in the skies. And what was like Geser’s palace on the earth? Academician P.S.Pallas was the first to describe Geser’s temple in the book “The travels in the various provinces of the Russian state” published in St. Petersburg in the Russian language in 1773–78.
Among the sights of the localities beyond Baikal academician Pallas gives special attention to Geser’s temple at the bordering township of Maimachen (Altan-Bulag) on the other side of Kyakhta. Pallas wrote down the full name of Geser like this: “The sovereign of the ten counties Geser bogdo khan”. Collected after Pallas’s expedition there were lots of facts of worshipping Geser and the temples that were built in his honour.
Geser’s temples were built up to the 30-s of the XX century. Consecrated thus in the middle of the XIX century was Geser’s statue in the form of a Buddhist monk-gelong. Given to one of the datsans in Urga (Dashisamdanling-datsan) was two-volumed “Geser-unchoyinkhor” (Geser’s praying drum), a collection of prayers and invocations to exorcise the evil spirits in the name of Geser.
It is known that during the Japanese-Chinese war of 1894 in the lobby of one of the Mongolian temples of Geser the Kind erected was a new statue of Geser the Warlike. The lamas and laymen supposed that the old Geser-the Monk would not dare kill the Manchurian emperor whereas Geser the Warlike might do that.
In 1921 baron Ungern fon Sternberg having got possession of Urga declared in the yard of the temple of Geser that he came to defend Buddha’s religion and the throne of the great Manchurian emperors from the red and the atheists. Baron Ungern was proclaimed the embodiment of Geser the Warlike. The lamas argued that the bullets of the red Russians and the black Chinese could do no harm to Geser’s embodiment and only a Mongol’s bullet could strike it down.
Built in 1932 near Gandan monastery in Ulan-Bator was a new Geser’s temple where the believers were attracted by a prophet who could foretell the future. After 1937 the temple was turned in a dwelling house that saved it from destruction. Prior to 1937 the Mongols and the Chinese came to the yard of Geser’s Chinese temple bringing gifts to Geser’s spirit. Still living among the Mongolian nomads is the tradition of sacrificing a bay horse to Geser’s spirit.