The Mongolian religion, known as Mongol shamanism, is dedicated to the worship of the "Tngri" or ancestor spirits and the devotion to Father sky, or Qormusta Tengri in Mongolian. The Mausoleum of Genghis Khan is one of the main embodiments of the Tenger spirit. It's considered an important center of Mongol shamanism.
Shamanism was a system of beliefs within Mongolia that included medicine, religion, worship of nature, and ancestor worship. Men and women interceded between the spirit world and the human world. The shamans (böö) and shamanesses (udgan) performed these tasks. Nobles, clan leaders, and commoners were not the only ones to commune with the spirit world: nobles performed spiritual duties as well, as did commoners.
However, the structure of Mongolian clan-based society was evident in the manner in which they worshipped as well. When the Mongolians used Ovoos to draw borders between tribes, they were often associated with shamanism, where they built them on sacred sites to establish connections with nature deities.
Traditional religious practices involve praying to deities belonging to a sacred site to invoke assistance from them. In ancient times, people would mark specific areas to let travelers and hunters know when a place is favorable or not. Trees and small holes, as well as branches and stones, would be left to indicate certain sites. Branches and stones gathered into stone heaps were called Ovoos and the indicative signs became Alphabet. This belief is at the core of the nomadic lifestyle, which is characterized by its close harmony with nature and the environment.
During the communist regime in Mongolia, the worship of sacred sites was one of several practices that were banned. This severely threatened its viability. Worship ceremonies build a sense of community and solidarity, as well as awareness of the interdependence of human beings and the environment. The government and communities are actively reviving the tradition, but several challenges remain.
Globalization is reducing the number of practitioners who have the necessary knowledge, and several mining companies are operating from the sacred sites to the cities, as well as the flow of herdsmen from sacred site areas to the cities. Yet, people are eager to revive the traditions and transmit related knowledge, which has resulted in many temples being renovated and favorable conditions for worshipping being created in local areas. Today, young people are taught how to conduct the ceremonies and behave appropriately by elders and Mongolians continue to practice worshipping at the traditional sacred sites.