Revealing the history of a Mongolian shrine by virtually unrolling Buddhist Dharanis

Abstract

Mongolian Buddhist shrines (mong.: gungervaa) come in a variety of designs, just as the concept of shrines exists across different religions. These shrines are protective containers for icons, such as images or statues of Buddhist teachers, deities, saints, or revered clergy. The central figure is usually surrounded by relics from high-ranking lamas as well as decorative offerings presented by worshippers. Since gungervaas are inherited within the family and offerings are added constantly, they can accumulate diverse sets of items over several generations. It is therefore important to examine and analyze the composition inside and understand each single component. One type of object that is found in gungervaas are Dharanis (spell scriptures). Physically opening these tiny paper scrolls wrapped in silk poses a risk to their preservation, so it is generally not the preferred method. A non-destructive method is needed to decipher the written messages inside. X-ray tomography provides a way to examine the interiors of these fragile objects. By creating a three-dimensional virtual copy, it was possible to analyze and manipulate the content using computer software without harming the scrolls. Finally, text from inside the Dharanis scrolls was successfully extracted and translated.