Yonten Gelung takes part in a ceremonial gathering dedicated to the celebration of the Day of National Writing

On September 6, a ceremonial gathering dedicated to the celebration of the Day of National Writing took place at the Zaya Pandita Kalmyk Ethnocultural Gymnasium.

The event was attended by the senior administrator of the Central Khurul of Kalmykia “The Golden Abode of Buddha Shakyamuni” and member of the Public Chamber of the Russian Federation Yonten Gelung. In his speech, Yonten Gelung noted the significance of the figure of Zaya Pandita in spreading the Buddhist Teaching among the Mongolian peoples and in enriching the culture of the Kalmyk people.

As part of the gathering, Yonten Gelung presented a first-degree diploma and a gift from the Central Khurul to the winner of the 3rd Republican Calligraphy Competition, which had been held the day before at School No. 15. The winner was Aisa Kucherova, an 8th-grade student of the A.Sh. Kichikov Kalmyk National Gymnasium. A total of 16 works were entered in the competition, the best of which was Aisa’s work. On this day, small gifts from the Central Khurul of Kalmykia were prepared for all participants.

According to Yonten Gelung, today the Central Khurul is not only a place where rituals are performed and prayers are read, but also an educational and cultural center. “The preservation and development of language and culture is a task not only of teachers and scholars, but of society as a whole, and the Central Khurul has supported, supports and will support all initiatives and undertakings connected with the language, culture and traditions of the people,” said Yonten Gelung.

Yonten Gelung concluded his address by reading a prayer of praise to Zaya Pandita in the Kalmyk language, written by the 5th Dalai Lama.