NAADAM FESTIVAL
The first round of the wrestling, which starts at about noon on day one in the main stadium, is the more interesting. Mongolian wrestling is similar to wrestling found elsewhere, except there are no weight divisions, so the biggest wrestlers (and they are big!) are often the best. Mongolian wrestling also has no time limit- the bout will continue with short breaks. It will end only when the first wrestler falls, or when anything other than the soles of the feet or open palms touch the ground.
Before each elimination bout, wrestlers limber up and honour the judges and their individual attendants (zasuul) with a short dance called a devekh, or 'eagle dance'. After the bout, the loser must perform the takhimaa ogokh, walking under the right arm of the winner, who then makes a lap of honour around the flag on a pedestal and does some more eagle dancing. The gesture signifies peace between the two wrestlers.
Wrestlers wear heavy boots called gutui - similar to the traditional boots worn by ordinary Mongolians. The tight, unflattering pants are called shuudag, and the small vest across the shoulders is azodog. The open-fronted vest was allegedly introduced after one Amazonian-sized female wrestler floored all the male wrestlers. When it was discovered she was a woman the vest was introduced to ensure that women would no longer take part in bouts (and thrash the men!).
Winners are bestowed glorious titles depending on how many rounds they win. These are nachin (falcon) - five rounds; zaan (elephant) -seven rounds; and arslan (lion) - given to the winner of the tournament. When an arslan, or lion, wins two years in a row he becomes an avarga, or titan. One renowned wrestler was given the most prestigious, and lengthy, title of the 'Eye-Pleasing Nationally Famous Mighty and Invincible Giant'. Mongolia's most famous wrestler is currently Bat-Erdene.
You will see plenty of wrestling if you are in Mongolia during the Naadam Festival, or during the Ikh Sorilgo (Major Test) tournaments in the weeks before Naadam.
Also changing of the guards is worth looking at.
Archery is held in an open stadium next to the main stadium. Archers use a bent composite bow made of layered horn, bark and wood. Usually, arrows are made from willows and the feathers are from vultures and other birds of prey.
Traditionally dressed male archers stand 75m from the target, while women archers stand 60m from it. The target is a line of up to 360-round gray, red and/or yellow leather rings (known as sur) on the ground. Usually there are only about 20 or 30 rings. After each shot, special judges who stand near the target (but miraculously never get injured) emit a short cry called a uukhai, and raise their hands in the air to indicate the quality of the shot. The winner who hits the targets the most times is declared the best archer, or mergen.
The horse racing can attract well over 1000 horses. During the festival, you may see dozens of horses being herded down the main streets of Ulaanbaator, as if they were on the steppes. The horse racing is held at the village of Yarmag, about 10km along the main road to the airport - it is very easy to spot.
To get to Yarmag, you will need to catch one of the very regular buses or minibuses to Buyant-Ukhaa, from along the road to Naadam Stadium.
There are normally six categories of horse racing, depending on the age of horses: for example, a two-year-old horse, called a shudlen, will race for 15km, while six and seven-year-old azrag and ikh nas horses race for up to 30km. There are no tracks or courses; it is just open countryside. Horses are fed a special diet for weeks beforehand.
Before a race, the audience, all decked out in traditional finery, often sings traditional songs. The young riders sing a traditional anthem called a gingo before the race, and scream 'goog' at the horses during the race.
The winner is declared tumnii ekh, or 'leader of ten thousand'. Riders and spectators rush to comb the sweat off a winning horse with a scraper traditionally made from a pelican's beak. The five winning riders must drink some special airag, which is then often sprinkled on the riders' heads and on the horses' backsides. During Naadam, a song is also sung to the two-year-old horse that places last.
The best and busiest time to watch the horse racing is at the final race, late on the second day. You will be hard-pressed to see what is going on, and it is unlikely that you will be able to take any good photos. Get there really early for the final, go to other races on both days, or walk up a few hundred metres along the track where the crowds thin out.
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