This is a painting depicting the Maitreya procession at Lamyn Gegeen Khuree. A green horse-headed cart is led by five lamas, one of whom carries a blessing rod. On the cart two monks steady an image of the bodhisattva, Maitreya, whilst an image of the future Buddha Maitreya hovers above as if waiting to descend. Two further groups of monks carry the seven possessions of the Cakravartin and the eight auspicious signs. Some monks in the procession play cymbals, flutes and other musical instruments, whilst several hold offerings. Behind the cart are Mongolian nobles and devotees. The background landscape is dotted with flowers and gems. The religious significance of this festival is to encourage one to pray for Maitreya’s speedy descent from Tuṣita Heaven to earth, for the sake of all sentient beings. An elaborate maṇḍala offering is made to Maitreya during the procession. In 1656, the First Bogd Zanabazar introduced the Maitreya Festival to Mongolia. From then until 1937, the festival used to take place every fifteenth day during the last month of summer. This complex and highly detailed painting depicts highranking monks and nobles in larger proportion to the ordinary monks and people of lower social standing, thereby indicating their more revered position.
