Exhibition "Mandala – The Temple of Secret Tantra"
October 20 - 30, 2020
Vernissage: October 20, Tuesday, 10:30 a.m.
Ministetry of Foreign Affairs
Sofia, 2 Alexander Zhendov Str.
State Institute for Culture to the Minister of Foreign Affairs and the Embassy of Mongolia proudly present “Mandala – The Temple of Secret Tantra”, exhibition which displays photos of Buddha statues, Buddhist texts and paintings from the 18th and 19th century. The exposition also presents photos of beautiful architectural designs of the Choijin Lama Temple Museum Complex constructions. The Choijin Lama Temple Museum Complex – marvelous masterpiece of architecture, and irreplaceable heritage of Mongolian history, religion and culture – was constructed between 1904 – 08.
The exhibition presents a variety of Buddhist “Mandala” paintings, called "Holy object painting art" by Mongols. From the 18th century onwards, Mandala painting developed with rapidity and reached its height at the beginning of the 20th century. Mandala paintings have a main figure such as Buddha, Arhat or Bodhisattva surrounded with other cognizable deities as retinues in a symmetrical manner. The painting commonly shows the Mongolian life style, customs, cultural tradition and pedagogical principles.
Many of these masterpieces have been preserved up to the present day in a special museum complex in the Mongolian capital.
Among the exhibits in the exhibition can be seen photographs of bronze statues of Buddha from the 17th century as evidence of the peaks of Mongolian Casting Art, the roots of which can be traced back to the Bronze and Early Iron Ages.
The vernissage of the exposition will take place according to all measures of distance and disinfection.