Dashi-Dorzho Itigilov

Dashi-Dorzho Itigilov (Russian: Даши-Доржо Итигэлов; Buryat: Этигэлэй Дашадоржо, Etigelei Dashadorjo; 1852–1927) was a Buryat Buddhist lama of the Tibetan Buddhist tradition.

Dashi Dorzho Itigilov
Born	May 13, 1852 Ulzy Dobo (present-day Republic of Buryatia), Russian Empire
Died	June 15, 1927(1927-06-15) (aged 75)
Citizenship	Soviet

Born in the countryside of Buryatia, Itigilov's parents left him at an early age, forcing him to pursue sheep-herding to make ends meet. When he was 15, Itigilov joined the Anninsky Monastery, where he learned to read Tibetan and Sanskrit, enabling him to read Buddhist texts and serve in the Buddhist community. After becoming the religious leader of Russian Buddhists, Itigilov raised money to provide food, clothing, and medical care to World War I soldiers, among other philanthropic acts. In 1927, he died, passing away in a Lotus position. After he was buried in a pine box, Itigilov was exhumed in 1957, showing a remarkably intact body. After a change of clothes, a reburial, and a second exhumation in 1973, it was finally decided in 2002 that Itigilov would remain above ground permanently. The surprising preservation of Itigilov's corpse has been a subject of confusion among scientists.[1]