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following the seasons and looking for animal fodder .
Our ger on this occasion was simple yet modern by the standards of the steppe , the latticed frame exposed , two small beds separated by a small stove , table , and stools . A timber finished linoleum floor offered a level of authenticity yet still didn ’ t feel quite right . Others had had a lot more of the traditional , patterned rugs and felts , none simply for decoration but as an offering of the sacred , mostly the four elements of life : fire , water , earth , and air . Other symbols depicted strength or constant movement , something familiar to the people on the steppe .
The crown , it was explained , is also a symbol , and depending on which central Asian country your are visiting it has differing names and with it the meaning . Here in Mongolia , it was a window to the ‘ eternal blue sky ’, not only a reference to the environment above but more one to the belief that the creators or gods live above and are constantly watching down , the crown is essentially a window into the ger dwellers life .
Toono , the ger crown in Mongolian language , also symbolises many aspects of Buddhist religion and mimic the style and artistry of those found in many monasteries where
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