14:50 Meeting at the airport of Elista.
15:30 Lunch is included in the price.
16:30 Excursion to the Burhn Bagshon Altn Suyume Temple or the Golden Abode of Shakyamuni Buddha in Elista.
The largest Buddhist temple in the Republic of Kalmykia, one of the largest Buddhist temples in Europe. The main attraction of the temple is a gift from His Holiness the Dalai Lama XIV, these are his personal robes, now they are stored in special glass sarcophagi.
With the blessing of His Holiness, this temple was erected.
At night, the beautiful building is illuminated by a multitude of spotlights, and its radiant beauty is visible from everywhere.
17:30 Departure to the Lone Poplar natural monument (20 km).
This poplar is considered a sacred tree by Kalmyks Buddhists. It is surrounded by eight Buddhist stupas. Monks from Central Khurul hold a large prayer service here every year.
There is one of the 10 Kalachakra Stupas in the world - the Kalachakra Stupa of Green Tara, the only one in Russia and Europe.
According to legend, this poplar was planted in the early 20th century by a Buddhist monk. He brought the seeds from Tibet, where he made a pilgrimage.
It is difficult to find shady places in the steppes of Kalmykia. A single poplar turned into a gigantic tree with spreading branches, casting a thick shadow.
Everyone who made long marches stopped here to rest, recited mantras, and made requests to the poplar. And the wishes were fulfilled. Thus, the "Lonely Poplar" began to be revered in Kalmykia as a shrine.
Lonesome Poplar is the winner of the 2019 Main Tree of the Country – Russian Tree of the Year contest. He is 103 years old according to the CDE for 2019 (No. 390 in the register of old-age trees of Russia).
Our poplar took the third place in the "European Tree of the Year 2019" competition.
Dinner on your own.