Obo (building)
An obo (also owoo ) is a cultic cairn in Mongolia and Tibet . Obos can often be found on mountain passes . Its origin lies in Mongolian shamanism and the Bon religion. The tradition was continued in the Buddhist popular belief and can also be found among the Mongolian people of the Kalmykia .
They consist of larger stones from the surrounding area. Obos are usually one to two meters high. You can with colorful strips of cloth (usually blue) and wooden sticks in the middle decorated his.
Obos can be found as travel deities on many pass heights. Obos used to be a symbol for those who died in war. Before a war, residents had their warriors put a stone on each mountain. The returning fighters took their stones away from the obo. The rest of the stones belonged to the men who had stayed on the battlefield forever.
According to the Lamaist belief, it is good luck to travel around an obo three times and think of your wishes. Each time a stone or other offering is placed on top of the obo. Even today, this is often done before a long drive.
See also
- Stone men - to comparable customs and buildings in other cultures of the world
References and comments
- ↑ The Kalmyks are of Mongolian origin : "Kalmyk Buddhism is a mixture of ethnic beliefs and shamanism (belief in unseen gods, demons, and spirits). [...] The obo, a heap of stones thought to be inhabited by local spirits, often serves as a site for performing various rituals. The obo, a heap of stones thought to be inhabited by local spirits, often serves as a site for performing various rituals. "
- ↑ Emma Inveen: Summer's holiday in Eastern Tibet ( page no longer available , search in web archives ) Info: The link was automatically marked as defective. Please check the link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. , in East of Asia Magazine, Vol. IV (1905), p. 108: "They are generally placed on high points where travelers are wont to halt, gratitude for a good journey being shown by adding a stone to the pile."
