Energy for Tourists and for Pilgrims: Khamaryn Khiid and the Shambhala Energy Centre in Mongolia

Abstract

In the last decades Khamaryn Khiid and the nearby Shambhala Energy Centre, a fast growing Buddhist monastic site in the remote Gobi desert, has become one of the most popular pilgrimage sites in today’s Mongolia. The place draws Mongolian tourist-pilgrims who visit the monastery and adjacent sites as part of a family day-trip or longer holiday. Furthermore, the site has become attractive as a pilgrims’ goal for a western clientele that aims to combine ecologically inspired tourism with a spiritual journey. Based on recent fieldwork, the article examines the interplay of religion and tourism in the development of this global pilgrimage destination.