Ulaanbaatar
Barga Girl Who Prays at the Statue of Chinggis Khaan Every Morning
Mongol Pulse
Ulaanbaatar, February 10, 2026 /MONTSAME/. My name is Adiya Bat, of the Ikh Zon Khal clan. I am a native of the New Barga Right Banner in Hulunbuir, Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region, PRC. I am an ethnographer by profession.
I first arrived in Mongolia in August 2025, accompanying my mother, younger sister, and the elders of the "Tunkh Archery" team from our banner. At that time, I represented the Barga people of Hulunbuir at the opening of the “Bargajin-2025” International Culture, Art, and Sports Festival held in Zuunmod soum, Tuv aimag. It was a magnificent gathering where Barga people from all over the world converged.
The following morning, my mother, sister, and I visited the Chinggis Khaan National Museum, where we bowed before the golden statue of the Great Khaan. In the afternoon, we toured the National Art Gallery. After a few days, my mother and sister returned home, but I stayed behind to participate in the “Nomad” World Cultural Festival 2025 held in the Nalaikh district.
Currently, I am studying traditional folk dance — Bii Biyelgee — at teacher Batnyam Batbayar’s Biyelgee Dance Connection. Every morning on my way to the dance training, I pass through Sukhbaatar Square and offer a devoted prayer at the statue of the Great Chinggis Khaan. Every time I pray, I say a silent blessing: "Under the power of Eternal Blue Sky, may Mongolia prosper for eternity."
Praying at the Khaan's statue clears my thoughts and makes my body feel light, as if I am quietly replenished by a sacred, unseen power. At first, I was quite surprised by this feeling, but eventually, I grew accustomed to it. I will be returning home soon. I will wrap these precious moments spent in Mongolia in the "silk cloth" of my heart and cherish them deeply.
Photo by Chadraabal Baramsai
