BuRmar
- Pyidaungzu thămăda myama naingngandaw
- March 2019
Myanmar, officially the Republic of the Union of Myanmar and also referred to as Burma (the official English name until 1989), is a country in northwest Southeast Asia. It is the largest country by area in Mainland Southeast Asia and has a population of about 55 million. It is bordered by India and Bangladesh to the northwest, China to the northeast, Laos and Thailand to the east and southeast, and the Andaman Sea and the Bay of Bengal to the south and southwest. The country's capital city is Naypyidaw, while its largest city is Yangon (formerly Rangoon).
Mandalay the Religious Sites
Mandalay (Burmese: မန္တလေး; Shan: တႃႈလိူဝ်ႇ) is the second largest city (after Yangon), and a former capital of Myanmar. The city is the economic and religious hub of upper Myanmar. The city is centred on the royal palace, and has wide avenues filled with bicycles and motorcycles.
Mandalay is known for its millionaires, its monks (half of the country's monks live in Mandalay and surrounding areas) and its cultural diversity.
The Mahamuni Buddha Image - One of Five Likeliness of Buddha
Mahamuni Buddha Image
The Mahamuni Image is the main center of attraction of the Mahamuni Buddha Temple and holds religious importance in Burmese Buddhism. This image is enshrined in a chamber inside the Mahamuni Pagoda or temple. The image is seated on a throne in Bhumisparsa Mudra. The Bhumisparsa mudra is considered a divine posture, and it is believed that it signifies Lord Buddha vanquishing the Mara demon. The Mahamuni Buddha image is enshrined on 1.8 a 1.8-inch pedestal, and this image is 3.8 meters high and weighs more than 6 tons.
The Buddha image is covered with royal costumes, which consist of Brahmanic cords around the image chest. The image is decorated with jewelry, rubies, and sapphires, and the image is also crowned. The male devotees apply gold lead to this image to pay respect to the Mahamuni image. That is the reason for the distorted shape of the image since the gold leaf applied made a thick layer of about 15 centimeters.
Origin of Mahamuni Buddha Image
This great and magnificent feature of the Arakan Kingdom shows the involvement of Lord Buddha in the Arakan Kingdom. According to the legend, Lord Buddha once visited Dhanyawadi, the capital of the Arakan Kingdom, to spread Buddhism in the land of Arakan. The story of Gau Tama Buddha's seven-day visit and 500 Buddhist monks is recorded in the Mahamuni Pagoda. The King of Arakan greatly welcomed Lord Buddha, his 500 disciples, and Chief Queen Sandra Mala, at the mountain peak near Khaukrah. King and Queen were accompanied by Ministers, generals, officials, and the Queen's 1600 ladies advisors.
Lord Buddha preached and taught about Dharma and other essential sutras to the Kings and Queens. The King, impressed by Lord Buddha's teachings, asked Lord Buddha to make his image. Accepting the King's request, Lord Buddha decided to sit under the Bodhi Tree for a week so that he could meditate. Two Buddha disciples, Sakka, and his assistant Visakkamma, made a pavilion so that no trouble would arrive during Lord Buddha's meditation and would enjoy the stay in the Arakan Kingdom. After the Buddha image was crafted, people in the Arakan kingdom called it the Mahamuni Living Image of Buddha. Lord Buddha himself named the image "Candasara" and stated that this Buddha image would represent Lord Buddha for Five Thousand Years.
Daily Washing Rituals
Washing rituals are performed daily by the senior monk, who is dressed in a monastic robe. Ven Sayadaw Buddhanta Panya Vamsa of Htilin Monastery and Pitaka Kyaung started this Mahamuni Buddha image-washing ritual. The ritual commences at 4 am or 4:30 am. The ritual begins with a formal face wash and cleaning with a fresh towel offered by devotees. The senior monk then cleans Mahamuni's teeth with a large brush and uses a fresh towel again. Then, the monk uses Sandalwood paste on the Mahamuni image, and once again, a fresh towel is used to clean the image. After the ritual, the used towel is returned to the devotees, who keep it in their homes.
On special occasions, such as Uposatha day, an orange stole is placed around its shoulders by the presiding monk and is fanned.A major congregation of devotees witness the rituals; some men sit in the front enclosure while others including women and children sit in the middle and rear end of the foyer. Devotees offer food and other items brought by them on a tray to the deity and chant prayers while the rituals are being performed.During the winter season, the image is covered by a cloak of the monastic order.
During the reign of Burmese monarchs, offerings were made daily to the Great Image in a formal way. Food and other offerings, sheltered by a Royal white umbrella, were taken in a procession from the palace, escorted by a Minister, as an honour due to a sovereign head of the state.[9][11]
Mahamuni Buddha Temple
Main Temple/Pagoda
The Mahamuni Temple or Pagoda is a complex of structures located along a road from Mandalay leading to the southwest. It was originally located on A brick paved road which was constructed from the Royal Palace of King Bodawpaya to the eastern gate of the temple, although only remnants of this road can still be seen.
A major teaching monastery of some 400 monks of the Thudhamma Nikaya (order), is one among the many monasteries which are adjacent to the Pagoda. The temple has a central shrine and is framed by an extensive grass lawn. The arcades leading to the main shrine have many kiosks, selling religious paraphernalia such as incense, candles, rosaries, flowers, robes, sandals etc., and various restaurants and tea shops. The sanctum sanctorum, where the large Mahamuni image is deified, is a small chamber and has a roof covering made up of seven pyatthatmeaning tiered roofs (derivative of the Sanskrit word prasada).[27][30] The ceiling has an ornate mosaic covering. The arcades are supported by 252 gilded and carved columns adorned with fine frescoes.[9]
Gold leaves are regularly applied to the face of the Mahamuni Buddha by male devotees. Consequent to the frequent application of gold leaves, the coating of gold (thickness 15 centimetres (5.9 in)) has given a shapeless contour to the Mahamuni image. However, it is also noted that the right hand, crown and other iconographic characteristics of royalty are free of gold leaf covering, which gives an impression that these were later additions to the original image of the Mahamuni.[1][6][27][31] In 1884, when the pagoda was burnt down, 91 kilograms (201 lb) of gold was recovered from the site, which represents the continued historical veneration and perpetuation of the cult of Mahamuni.
The very name Mandalay evokes the splendours of old Burma. But most people will be surprised to learn that Mandalay is not an old city, not even a medieval one, but rather a new city created by King Mingdon Min in 1857 as the new capital of the kingdom of Ava. Mingdon moved the capital from Amarapura to this site at the base of Mandalay Hill as it was more easily defendable against British attack. Only two Burmese kings ruled from there, King Mingdon and King Thibaw, before the British conquest of Upper Burma in 1885. It was a city of splendour between 1858 and 1885, but most of the magnificence has vanished, gone in the fires that consume wooden structures and by intensive Allied bombing during the Second World War.
Mandalay Palace
Mandalay Palace was the primary royal residence of King Mindon and King Thibaw, the last two kings of the country. The complex ceased to be a royal residence and seat of government on 28 November 1885 when, during the Third Anglo-Burmese War, troops of the Burma Field Force entered the palace and captured the royal family. The British turned the palace compound into Fort Dufferin, named after the then viceroy of India. Throughout the British colonial era, the palace was seen by the Burmese as the primary symbol of sovereignty and identity. Much of the palace compound was destroyed during World War II by allied bombing; only the royal mint and the watch tower survived. A replica of the palace was rebuilt in the 1990s with some modern materials.Shwenandaw Monastery
Shwenandaw Monastery was built in 1878 by King Thibaw Min, who dismantled and relocated the apartment formerly occupied by his father, King Mindon Min, just before Mindon Min's death, at a cost of 120,000 rupees.Thibaw removed the building on 10 October 1878, believing it to be haunted by his father's spirit. The building reconstruction was finished in 31 Oct 1878, dedicated in memory of his father, on a plot adjoining Atumashi Monastery.It is said that King Thibaw used it for meditation, and the meditation couch he sat on can still be seen.
The building was originally part of the royal palace at Amarapura, before it was moved to Mandalay, where it formed the northern section of the Hmannan (Glass Palace) and part of the king's royal apartments. The building was heavily gilt with gold and adorned with glass mosaic work.
The monastery is known for its teakcarvings of Buddhist myths, which adorn its walls and roofs. The monastery is built in the traditional Burmese architectural style. Shwenandaw Monastery is the single remaining major original structure of the original Royal Palace today.
This structure was built in Burmese architectural style and has a four tiered roof. There’s nothing to really say but the place was decorated with intricate and meticulous woodcarvings. Look closely and you’ll see carvings of animals, dancers, flowers, etc. The outer part of the Monastery has obviously degraded the appearance but inside and away from the damaging sunlight you’ll see that it’s in great condition.
Kuthodaw Pagoda
Kuthodaw Pagoda (Burmese: ကုသိုလ်တော်ဘုရား, pronounced [kṵðòdɔ̀ pʰəjá]; lit. 'Royal Merit', and formally titled Mahalawka Marazein မဟာလောကမာရဇိန်စေတီ) is a Buddhist stupa, located in Mandalay, Burma (Myanmar), that contains the world's largest book. It lies at the foot of Mandalay Hill and was built during the reign of King Mindon. The stupa itself, which is gilded above its terraces, is 188 feet (57 m) high, and is modelled after the Shwezigon Pagoda at Nyaung-U near Bagan. In the grounds of the pagoda are 729 kyauksa gu or stone-inscription caves, each containing a marble slab inscribed on both sides with a page of text from the Tipitaka, the entire Pali Canonof Theravada Buddhism.
Mindon Min had the pagoda built as part of the traditional foundations of the new royal city of Mandalay in 1857. He was later to convene the Fifth Buddhist Synod in 1871, but wanted to leave a great work of merit by having the Tipitaka set in stone for posterity, meant to last five millennia after the Buddha. Construction began in 1860, its hti(umbrella or crown) mounted on 19 July 1862, and the inscriptions were laid open to the public on 4 May 1868. They were arranged in neat rows within three enclosures, 42 in the first, 168 in the middle and 519 in the third. One more stands at the southeast corner of the first enclosure making it 730, and this stone records how it all came into being. Thirty four brick zayats (rest houses) stood all around except on the east side of the pagoda.
The main entrance is from the south through massive but open teak doors ornately carved with floral designs, scrolls, and Deva Nats. It is a covered approach or saungdan as in most Burmese pagodas with frescoes under the roof. Between the rows of stone-inscription stupas grow mature star flower trees (Mimusops elengi) that emanate a jasmine-like fragrance to the entire complex. Burmese families may be seen having a picnic in the cool shade under these trees, picking the flowers to make star flower chains for the Buddha or to wear in their hair, or the children playing hide and seek among the rows of stupas. On the southwest inner terrace is one very old tree believed to be 250 years old, its low spreading boughs propped up by supports.
After the annexation of Mandalay by the British in 1885, the walled city with Mandalay Palacebecame Fort Dufferin, and troops were billeted all around Mandalay Hill in the monasteries, temples and pagodas. They became off-limits to the public and Burmese were no longer allowed to visit their religious sites. One revenue surveyor called U Aung Ban then came up with the idea of appealing direct to Queen Victoria since she had promised to respect all religions practised by her subjects. To their amazement and great joy the British queen promptly ordered the withdrawal of all her troops from religious precincts in 1890. This however turned to great sadness when they found that the pagoda had been looted from the hti, left lying on the ground stripped of its bells, gold, silver, diamonds, rubies and other precious stones, down to the Italian marble tiles from its terraces.
The zayats lay in utter ruin and the bricks had been used to build a road for the troops. All the brass bells from all the kyauksa gu stupas were gone, 9 on each making it 6570 in total. The gold ink from the letters as well as the sides and top of each marble slab had also disappeared. All the biloos along the corridors had lost their heads, and the marble eyes and claws from the masonry chinthes gone.
Much of the city, neatly planned with its lettered roads and numbered streets, is a British creation. Though no longer the capital, the city remained the religious and cultural hub of the country during British rule. The once magnificent royal palace and the great Atumashi ("incomparable") pagoda, King Mingdon Min's finest creations, are modern reconstructions. Today, Mandalay lies at the end of the Lashio Rd and it is, by Burmese standards, relatively prosperous as a centre for trade with China and India. Despite the capital having been moved to Naypyidaw, Mandalay remains by far the main commercial centre of Upper Myanmar.
Mandalay is ethnically diverse, with the Bamar (Burmans) forming a slight majority. There has been a major influx of Chinese from mainland China, and the Chinese (both recent migrants and descendants of colonial-era immigrants) form 30-40% of the population. Their influence is seen in the Chinese-style glass buildings throughout the city. Other ethnic groups include the Shan, who are ethnically and linguistically related to the Thais and Laotians, and the Karen (Kayin). There is also a sizable ethnic Indian population.
Su Taung Pyae Pagoda
Perched atop Mandalay Hill, Su Taung Pyae Pagoda is a stunning ancient structure that offers breathtaking panoramic views of the surrounding town and beyond. This five-tiered pagoda, believed to house a strand of the Buddha's hair, dates back to the 18th century and features an impressive gilded stupa at its peak. The journey to reach it involves a leisurely hike up a staircase marked by the iconic double-lion gate near Kuthodaw Pagoda.
There are many options to getting to the top. There are covered paths called zaungdans that will take you there. The most popular path is the southern one and at the entrance and you’ll be greeted by two large guardians that are a lion & dragon hybrid (called chinthes) and you can’t miss them! The incline is steep and should take you roughly 45 minutes to an hour to climb the 1,729 steps. You’ll definitely see the famous landmarks if you take this route such as the U Khanti Tazaung,
Once you enter the first thing you notice is how shiny everything is. The floors looked like they’ve been waxed on the hour and there is a considerable amount of mirrors or reflective materials placed on the exterior of the temple. You’ll also see numerous monks and nuns walking around too. They are friendly and curious with westerners and will try to practice their English with you. Since I’m Asian, they didn’t bother to try and talk to me but saw them approaching many Anglo-looking visitors. A little sensory overload will occur here due to the never-ending visuals. You can see everything from up here and it offers a great perspective of the places I visited earlier that day. I got there about half an hour before the sun set and it was pretty quiet but lost a good spot for a sunset pic because I decided to wander around and take photos.
This area also has some history too because ferocious battles took place here during WW2 between the Japanese forces and the British and Gurkha troops.
Remember that this is a holy site and that shoes must be removed and to dress appropriately.
Mandalay Travel Guide
Poy Sang Long
The Poy Sang Long festival in Burma (Myanmar) and Northern Thailand is a, vibrant, multi-day, Shan, novice-ordination, ceremony, for, boys, aged, 7–14,.
Budgets for this event are highly variable, often ranging from low-cost community-driven celebrations to elaborate, expensive, personal, sponsorship, depending on the scale and location.
- Cultural Significance: As a major, Shan, rite, of, passage, it is highly valued and often prioritized in terms of budget over other, social, occasions.
Duration: The, celebrations typically, span several, days, (usually, three, or, more) at, the, beginning, of, March or, April.Amarapura
U Bein Bridge
Long known for its silk weaving, Amarapura is the site of a weaving school. Colourful longyis (skirts worn by both sexes) are produced in a distinctive heavy silk. The town’s long-established bronze industry is famous for Buddha figures, bells, and gongs. Tile, pottery, and baskets are also manufactured. Amarapura lies along the Rangoon-Mandalay railway and also serves as the junction for Lashio and Myitkyinā. Near the old city, one of a chain of lakes is crossed by U Bein’s Bridge, which leads to the Taungthaman Kyauktawgyi pagoda. Pop. (latest census) 10,519.
Industries include tea packing, silk weaving, brewing and distilling, jade cutting, brass and copper casting, and gold-leaf work. Matches, wood carvings, and goldware and silverware are also produced. Mandalay is linked by train and air south to Yangon and north to Myitkyinā and to Lashio, where the Burma Road begins. The nearby towns of Ava, Amarapura, and Sagaing are suburbs of Mandalay.
Gold Leaf Making Industry
The process of hammering gold into leaf is known as goldbeating.The karat and color of gold leaf vary depending on the amount of silver or copper added to the gold. Most goldbeaters make 23 karat leaf. The gold and its alloy are put in a crucible and melted in a furnace. The liquid gold is poured into a mold to cast it into a bar. The bar of gold is put through a rolling mill repeatedly. Each time through the mill, the rollers are adjusted closer and closer to each other, to make the gold thinner and thinner. The bar is rolled to a thickness of 25 micrometres (1⁄1000 in).
Bupaya Pagoda
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| Original Pagoda as seen in 1868 destroyed in the 1975 earthquake |
Old Bagan
Bagan is the present-day standard Burmese pronunciation of the Burmese word Pugan (ပုဂံ), derived from Old Burmese Pukam (ပုကမ်). Its classical Paliname is Arimaddanapura (အရိမဒ္ဒနာပူရ, lit. "the City that Tramples on Enemies"). Its other names in Pali are in reference to its extreme dry zone climate: Tattadesa(တတ္တဒေသ, "parched land"), and Tampadīpa (တမ္ပဒီပ, "bronzed country").[4] The Burmese chroniclesalso report other classical names of Thiri Pyissaya (သီရိပစ္စယာ; Pali: Siripaccaya) and Tampawaddy (တ
According to the royal chronicles, Bagan was founded in the second century CE, and fortified in 849 by King Pyinbya, 34th successor of the founder of early Bagan.[6] Western scholarship however holds that Bagan was founded in the mid-to-late 9th century by the Mranma(Burmans), who had recently entered the Irrawaddy valley from the Nanzhao Kingdom. It was among several competing Pyu city-states until the late 10th century when the Burman settlement grew in authority and grandeur.
Eim Ya Kyaung Temple
The Eim Ya Kyaung pagoda was built in 1242 CE and features a pentagonal floor plan. The temple and associated monastery are located within a walled enclosure. Photogrammetric images were used to capture the color and texture of interior and exterior surfaces. LiDAR scans were performed throughout the feature and surrounding area at a surface resolution of 3 mm to produce a highly accurate and detailed polygonal mesh.
Dhammayangyi Temple
A Temple That Breaks the Pattern
Most temples in Bagan follow a familiar rhythm: ornate gates guarded by lions or ogres, intricate carvings telling Buddhist stories, and richly adorned Buddha thrones. Dhammayangyi skips almost all of that. The guardians are missing. The Buddha seats are plain stone slabs. The walls, while finely built, are strangely bare. And then there are the sealed corridors — perfectly bricked-up passageways that make the inside feel more like a maze that refuses to be solved.
It’s not just unfinished — it’s unusual, even for a city full of unusual temples.
One thing that fascinates visitors is how Dhammayangyi resembles pyramids from across the world. From afar, its stepped terraces look surprisingly like Mesoamerican pyramids in Mexico or Guatemala. Of course, that doesn’t mean the Burmese and the Mayans ever met. Instead, it shows something deeper: humans across different times and continents often solved the same architectural problems in the same way.
If you want to build something tall and heavy that lasts, you need a broad base and walls that taper inward. That’s how you spread the weight and keep the structure stable — especially in earthquake zones like Myanmar. In Buddhism, the rising, pyramid-like shape also symbolizes Mount Meru, the sacred mountain at the center of the universe. In other words, the shape was both practical and spiritual.
The Legend of the Flying Object
And then there’s the myth that pushes Dhammayangyi beyond history into mystery. Locals speak of a “Phaung-set-kyar,” a flying craft said to have belonged to King Alaungsithu, hidden deep within the sealed chambers. At first glance, it sounds like a UFO story. But if you think about it, it fits into a pattern we see all over the world: Egyptians imagined hidden treasures locked inside pyramids; Indian epics describe flying vimanas; Mesoamericans told of gods descending from the sky. When people encounter something massive, mysterious, and unfinished, imagination fills the gaps.
Even if there’s nothing inside, the story itself matters. It shows how people have tried to make sense of Dhammayangyi’s strangeness for centuries.
A Monument That Refuses to Explain Itself
Dhammayangyi was never finished. Its corridors are closed, its thrones plain, its guardians absent. But instead of making it a failed project, these gaps are what keep it alive in memory. It doesn’t fit neatly into the tradition of Bagan’s Buddhist temples. It stands apart — part temple, part fortress, part riddle.
Maybe Narathu built it out of fear. Maybe out of ambition. Maybe both. What we do know is that the temple he left behind still raises questions nearly 900 years later. It doesn’t just belong to the past — it belongs to anyone who has ever looked at a massive monument and wondered: Why here? Why like this? What were they trying to tell us?
And that’s why Dhammayangyi continues to fascinate — not because it gives answers, but because it dares us to keep asking.
Shwesandaw Pagoda (Bagan)
Shwezigon Pagoda
The royal Shwezigon Pagoda or Shwezigon Paya (ရွှေစည်းခုံဘုရား [ɕwèzíɡòʊɰ̃pʰəjá]) is a Buddhist stupa located in Nyaung-U, Myanmar. A prototype of Burmese stupas, it consists of a circular gold leaf-gilded stupa surrounded by smaller temples and shrines. Construction of the Shwezigon Pagoda began during the reign of King Anawrahta (r. 1044–1077), the founder of the Pagan Empire, in 1059–1060 and was completed in 1102, during the reign of his son King Kyansittha. Over the centuries the pagoda had been damaged by many earthquakes and other natural calamities, and has been refurbished several times. In recent renovations it has been covered by more than 30,000 copper plates. However, the lowest level terraces have remained as they were.
This pagoda, a sacred Buddhist religious place, is believed to enshrine a bone and tooth of Gautama Buddha. Some believe it is a replica of the Tooth Relic sent as a gift by the King of Sri Lanka. The pagoda is in the form of a cone formed by five square terraces with a central solid core.
There are footprints below the four standing Buddha statues here. Jataka legends are depicted on glazed terra-cotta tiles set into three rectangular terraces. At the entrance of the pagoda there are large statues of guardians of the temple. There are also four bronze standing statues of Buddha which are stated to be of the current age Buddha. At the outer limits of the pagoda there are 37 nats deified along with an intricately carved wooden sculpture of Thagyamin, the Burmese version of the Indian god Indra. Within the compound of the Shwezigon Pagoda there is a stone pillar containing Mon language inscriptions dedicated by Kyansittha.
History
Nawrahta Minsaw
Nawrahta Minsaw (Burmese: နော်ရထာ မင်းစော, pronounced [nɔ̀jətʰà mɪ́ɴ sɔ́]; formally, Anawrahta Minsaw; also known as Nawrahta Saw and Tharrawaddy Min; 1551/52–1607/08) known in Lan Na as Sawatthinaratthamangkhoi[3] (Northern Thai: ᨧᩮᩢ᩶ᩣᨼ᩶ᩣᩈᩣᩅᨲ᩠ᨳᩦᨶᩁᨳᩣᨾᩢ᩠ᨦᨣᩬ᩠ᨿ) was king of Lan Na from 1579 to 1607/08, and the first Burmese-born vassal king of Lan Na.He was also an accomplished poet.
wood-carvings in this section were found in one of the many pagodas that surround the main Shwezigon Pagoda in Bagan. I could not find out information about their construction date, but they are probably from the 18th-19th centuries, or maybe from the early 20th.
As can be seen from the photographs they form a kind of archway between two pillars and are on 3 sides on each of the entrances. They normally tell one story per archway, but sometimes more. Unfortunately because of the shape of the arch it has not been possible to show the whole of the story associated with each of the carvings.
The scenes represent stories from Myanmar folklore, the Jatakas and from the Life of the Buddha - a couple of scenes are unidentified as the plaque which identifies them is missing. Some of the scenes span several photographs, and I have tried fitting them together into panoramas, but have not been successful as there is too much distortion.
Ananda Temple
Buddhas
The four standing Buddhas (pictured) are adorned with gold leaf and each Buddha image faces a direction, from north to south, stated to represent attainment of a state of nirvana; each is given a specific name, Kassapa (in Pāli, it is the name of a Buddha, the third of the five Buddhas’ of the present kalpa (the Bhaddakappa or 'Fortunate Aeon'), and the sixth of the six Buddhas prior to the historical Buddha) – south facing, Kakusandha (in (Pāli) is the name of the twenty-fifth Buddha, the first of the five Buddhas of the present kalpa, and the fourth of the seven ancient Buddhas) – north facing, Konagamana (the name of the twenty-sixth Buddha, the second of the five Buddhas of the present era, and the fifth of the seven ancient Buddhas) – east facing, and Gautama facing west. Out of the four images, the images facing north and south are said to be original, of the Bagan-style depicting the dhammachakka mudra, a hand position symbolizing the Buddha's first sermon, while the other two images are new replacements, after the originals were destroyed by fires. All the four images are made of solid teak wood (some say that the southern image is made of a bronze alloy)The four Buddhas placed in the sanctum, called the "Buddhas of the modern age", give an indication of Buddha's "sense of the omnipresence through space and time".
Thatbyinnyu Temple
The temple was badly damaged by the earthquakes of 1975 and 2016. It is undergoing restoration work with Chinese technical and financial assistance; the restoration work is expected to last until about 2028.
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| The Ananda Temple in the foreground and the Thatbyinnyu in the background |
HERITAGE BAGAN HOTEL
Yangon
Shawedagon pagoda
History
A series of earthquakes during the following centuries caused damage. The worst damage was caused by a 1768 earthquake that brought down the top of the stupa, but King Hsinbyushin in 1775 raised it to its current height of 99 m (325 ft) (without counting the height of the hti (crown umbrella)). A new hti was donated by King Mindon in 1871, nearly two decades after the annexation of Lower Burma by the British. A moderate earthquake in October 1970 left the shaft of the hti out of alignment; extensive repairs were needed to rectify the problem.
The Shwedagon Pagoda Festival, which is the largest pagoda festival in the country, begins during the new moon of the month of Tabaung in the traditional Burmese calendar and continues until the full moon.[10] The pagoda is on the Yangon City Heritage List.
Kanbawzathadi Palace
Shwethalyaung Temple
According to tradition the temple was constructed during the reign of King Migadippa in 994. The temple went into disrepair twice before the 15th century and King Alaungpaya ransacked the city in 1757. It was rediscovered in 1881, and renovated.
The temple fell into disrepair before a renovation in the 15th century. It fell into disrepair again after King Alaungpaya ransacked the area in 1757.British railway workers rediscovered the temple in 1881.In 1906, an iron shelter was constructed around the Buddha statue at the cost of RS 1.5 million.
Kyaikpun Buddha
Kyaikpun Pagoda (ကျာ်ပန်;[note 1] Burmese: ကျိုက်ပွန်ဘုရား, IPA: [tɕaiʔpʊ̀ɰ̃ pʰəjá]) is a pagoda in Bago, Myanmar.Most notably, Kyaik Pun Pagoda is the home to the Four Seated Buddha shrine, a 27 m (89 ft) statue depicting the four Buddhas namely Kakusandha, Konagamana, Kassapa, and Gautama seated in four positions, sitting back to back to four directions. According to tradition, the Four Seated Buddha was built by King Migadippa of Bago the 7th Century AD. It was renovated by King Dhammazedi in the late 15th century.
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