Spiritual Landmarks — Liz Fliege

While traveling in Mongolia, we often come upon large piles of rocks with assorted bottles, sticks, playing cards, pictures, and sometimes money. If a person is healed, they may add their crutches to the mound. The piles are called ovoos, and are created at special, spiritual, places across the countryside. They also serve as landmarks in the vastness of this beautiful country. When passing an ovoo the traveler should stop, walk clockwise around the ovoo three times, and leave something that represents her or himself behind. This ovoo that Matt Clark is walking around also has many khadakas tied to trees at its center. The khadaka is a long scarf-like piece of blue silk, which represents a "piece of the sky". Khadakas can be found tied to anything from trees to lampposts. They are also given as special gifts.