Man who stole mummified monk remains is finally jailed

The thief who stole the mummy of the Mongolian monk found in the lotus position has been jailed for six months.

D Enkhter took the remains in October last year from Sodnomdarzhaa Mountain, 50km from Tsakhir in the Arkhangai district, and hid it. He was only caught three months later when he tried to sell it for 300million tugriks (7million roubles/$155,000).

No details on his prosecution have emerged from Mongolia but it is known he was sentenced according to Article 129.1 of the Criminal Code, for destroying the grave.

It comes as the Mongolian government announces that it plans to allocate 164million tugriks (4million roubles/$84,000) to return the monk’s body to his burial place.

The remains of Tsorzh Sanzhzhav, who was born about 200 years ago, are being kept and restored in Gandan Monastery in Ulaanbaatar, but will soon go back to the mountain. There are hopes that one day a temple can be built above the grave to allow pilgrims and tourists to visit and pray.

Tsorzh Sanzhzhav was a disciple of one of the greatest Buddhist teachers that ever lived and had been buried alongside his elder master.

He was a student of His Holiness Incarnate Ovgon Geser Lama, who is revered in the region and whose grave is visited annually by pilgrims wishing to pray.

But his identity became known around the world when his body was taken from that final resting place, in a mountain cave, and was destined for sale on the black market.

There had been speculation that the monk was not dead and was instead in 'very deep meditation' in a special spiritual state known as tukdam. But that was subsequently proved to be unfounded.