It is located in
Saihan-Ovoo Soum of Dundgovi province. One of the biggest monasteries in
Mongolia, Ongi, was founded in 1660 and consisted of two temple complexes on
the North and South banks of the river Ongi. At its heyday, Ongi monastery consisted
of over 30 temples, 4 big Buddhism universities and over 1000 monks at a time.
During 1930s, communism spread throughout Mongolia. Both complexes of Ongi Monastery were completely destroyed in
1939 during anti-religious purges, over 200 monks were killed, and many surviving
monks were imprisoned or forced to conscript into the Communist controlled
army. Other monks escaped becoming farmers and common workers. In 1990, after
the democratization in Mongolia, some monks returned to the monastery and began
their Buddhist education as young children some 60 year prior. At present, one
temple has been fully rebuilt, small museums and ruins of the temples.
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