Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla is on a three-day visit to Mongolia leading an Indian Parliamentary Delegation. He visited the Gandan Tegchenling Monastery on 8th July 2023, Saturday where he was welcomed by Da Lama and Khamba Nomun Khan. Gandan Tegchenling Monastery is the main centre of Buddhism in Mongolia and is a repository of valuable Buddhist heritage, including Buddhist knowledge, unique rituals, and artistic items. The Monastery offers religious and contemporary education to both monks and lay students within its various traditional colleges. Prime Minister Narendra Modi also visited the monastery in 2015 and handed over a Bodhi tree sapling to Chief Abbott.
 
Expressing his thanks for the welcome at the Monastery, Mr Birla said that for centuries India and Mongolia have had vibrant relations through civilizational, historical, spiritual, and cultural ties. He added that the shared heritage of Buddhism has strengthened the traditional ties between the two countries. He stressed that India as the ‘karmabhoomi” of Lord Buddha was committed to provide full cooperation for the preservation of Buddhist heritage in Mongolia.