PM Modi presents unique 'Urga Kanjur' to St. Petersburg Buddhist temple

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on 2 June presented over 100 volumes of Urga Kanjur to Jampa Donor, Buda Balzheivich Badmayev, Head Priest, Datsan Gunzechoinei Buddhist Temple, St. Petersburg.

The Urga edition of the Tibetan Kanjur was unknown till 1955 when Prof. Raghu Vira brought to India its complete set of 104 volumes with a volume containing the catalogue. It was presented to him by the Prime Minister of the Mongolian People's Republic, as a unique bibliographic rarity.

This Kanjur was revised, edited and xylographed from 1908 to 1920 under the patronage of the last Jibcundampa of Mongolia. It was collated with the Derge and two Chinese editions (Rgya-par-mag Uis). It retains the order of the Tshal-pa Kanjur, which is based on the old catalogue Hphan-than-ma. Its size (35x25cm) is smaller than that of the known xylographed editions.

-ANI