Shwedagon Pagoda Myanmar

- The Shwedagon pagoda has a long history

covering a timeframe of around two thousand years. There are always people asking where the Shwedagon is. Actually its quite simple, the Shwedagon Pagoda platform is on the highest hill in Yangon Myanmar or Burma. Dominating the Yangon panorama, as it is visible on the pagoda pictures you can find below.

The Shwedagon pagoda in Yangon also called Shwedagon paya or Shwedagon stupa one of the most venerated pagodas of Myanmar or Burma. The Shwedagon is not the tallest one, the tallest pagoda in Myanmar is the Shwemawdaw Pagoda at Bago, but it is for sure the most famous pagoda in the whole Buddhist world and also one of the major tourist attraction in Myanmar together with Bagan and Mandalay.

More about Shwedagon pagoda history is explained below. There are some other famous pagodas such as the Shwezigon Pagoda in Bagan, Sule Pagoda in Yangon downtown and another very famous pagoda pilgrim destination is the Golden Rock Pagoda at Kyaiktiyo in Mon State Myanmar about 200 km south east of Yangon.

Everyday Myanmar monks, nuns, novices and other Myanmar’s visit the Shwedagon Pagoda to pray. In resent years quite some tourists join them. Below is also written the story of Shwedagon. Some more famous pagoda and temples of Myanmar are located at Mandalay, Mrauk U, Bago, Sagaing opposite Mandalay, Monywa and plenty of places in the country

- Shwedagon, the “Mother of all Pagodas in Myanmar”,

towering to a height of 326 feet on Theingottara Hill is the landmark of Yangon, and dominates the shape of the city. Ralph Fitch, the first Englishman to arrive on Myanmar’s shores in 1558, wrote about the Shwedagon Pagoda: “it is called Dagon and is of a wonderful bigness and all gilded from the foot to the toppe - it is the fairest place, as I suppose, that is in the world.”

In his “Gentleman in the Parlor,” (1930), Somerset Maugham, at his first sight of the Pagoda was inspired to write that this superb, glistening, golden Buddhist Temple rising superbly upwards, was like a sudden hope in the dark night of the soul.

The people of Myanmar have provided for the entire world to see one of the greatest cultural monuments ever erected by man.”

Supreme Court Justice Douglas of the U.S.A. in his “North from Malaya,” wrote, “But of all things that man has erected by his hands the Shwedagon Pagoda is the loveliest I have known.”

According to the chronicles, in 585 B.C., Tapussa and Bhallika, two Myanmar merchant - brothers went for trade to India. They were fortunate to meet the Lord Buddha and  received eight hair relics.

They returned to Myanmar and as gesture of welcoming the hair relics, several pagodas were built along the coastal way. These pagodas are still known as San-daw-kyo Payamyar (Pagodas built as a token to welcome the hair relics) King Okkalapa himself came to welcome the hair relics. The Shwedagon Pagoda was built and the relics enshrined there.

- During construction, relics of the three preceding Buddha’s (Kakusan, Konago, and Kassapa) were excavated

and re-enshrined, giving the Shwedagon Pagoda the name “Pagoda of Four Relics”. The pagoda was successively renovated and

rebuilt by the kings of Hanthawaddy (Bago). King Binnya U raised its height to 60 feet, and in 1451 A.D. Queen Shinsawpu raised its height to 302 feet. It was also gilded with gold from top to bottom.

In 1775, the Shwedagon Pagoda was rebuilt by King Sinbyushin of Inwa, raising it to its present height, with its present form and new hti. The British forces occupied Theingottara Hill and fortified it in 1824. In 1871, King Mindon placed a new hti, vane and diamond orb on the top of  the Pagoda, its this most sacred of all Myanmar shrines and the largest of its

Under the burning sun the hot marble slabs paving the Shwedagon Pagoda platform are a problem for bare-footed visitors, means visit the pagoda after 3pm when there is shadow around the building cooling the hot marble slabs.

This great Buddhist temple with the heavy gilded main stupa occupies the center. The stupa has an octagonal base with eight smaller stupas

on each of its eight sides, making a total of sixty-four. Many pavilions (tazaungs), resting places (zayats), assorted images, statues, temples, shrines and smaller pagodas are grouped around the massive central stupa. Manokthihas (sphinxes), surrounded by a number of ‘chintes’ are found, one at each corner of the platform.

- At each cardinal point of the compass

on the pagoda platform are several Buddhist temple and the eight planetary posts representing the eight days of the week (Wednesday is divided into a.m. and p.m. making it two days), each with its own planet and animal symbol. Beside each planetary post is a gilded Buddha figure made of alabaster.

Upon reaching the Buddhist temple platform via the southern stairway, one can see the Adoration Hall or Temple of Konagamana directly facing you. Turn left and begin walking in a clockwise direction as the faithful customarily do.

Just beside the temple is the planetary post for Mercury. The planetary post for Saturn comes next, on the south-western side of the stupa. On the opposite side is a pavilion containing 28 images depicting the 28 ‘avatars’ (previous incarnations of Gautama Buddha.

In the south-west corner of is a monument with inscriptions in Myanmar, English, French and Russian, commemorating the 1920 student revolt against the British colonialists, which marked the start of Myanmar’s drive for independence. Ahead on the left, Shwedagon’s guardian Nat, Bo Bo Gyi, with King of the Nats, Thagyamin, are encased in glass.

The Shwedagon Pagoda Rakhine Tazaung with fine wood carvings on the tiered roof is next. In the adjacent pavilion the eight and a half meter (28-foot) Buddha reclines with head pointing north indicates the Buddha’s transition into Nirvana.

The Chinese Merchant’s Tazaung on the Shwedagon pagoda platform with a number of  Buddha images in varying postures is next. Opposite this, under white umbrellas are the figures of Mai Lamu and Sakka (Thagyamin), the legendary parents of the founder of the Shwedagon Pagoda King Okkalapa.

The landing at the top of the western staircase of the Shwedagon Myanmar brings one to the Temple of Kassapa, the third Buddha, or the West Adoration Hall. Directly opposite, across themarble inlaid walkway is the Two Pice Tazaung,

the Buddha brought over by the merchant-brothers Tapussa and Bhallika. Reportedly built by King Okkalapa and later enlarged by King Bayinnaung. This golden stupa is a smaller replica of the big stupa. Here, woman are barred from climbing onto the platform. The 42-ton Maha Tissada Bell donated by King Thayawaddy in 1841 is housed in a spired and embellished pavilion close by. Further away of the Shwedagon Pagoda entrance is the Planetary Post for the Sun is located at the northeast corner of the main Shwedagon Pagoda stupa. Close to the Naungdawgyi Pagoda, right smack in the northeastern corner is the Dhammazedi inscription dating back to 1485, telling the story of the Shwedagon Pagoda in three languages, Pail, Mon and Myanmar. Walking onwards, one reaches the temple of the Kakusandha Buddha, opposite the eastern stairway.

The Shwedagon Pagoda Eastern Adoration hall is regarded as the most ornate on the Shwedagon Pagoda platform. The main figure of Kakusandha, the first Buddha and three others in this temple, have their right palms turned upward in a posture which is not the usual one. The Tawa Gu Buddha occupies a niche on the upper terrace of the main stupa, behind the Kakusandha Buddhist Temple. This statue has a reputation of being able to perform miracles and only men are allowed to climb onto the upper terrace for a fee. Here on the upper terrace, the visitor will encounter highly devout Buddhists in deep meditation. Just have a look at the Shwedagon Pagoda Pictures here.

Shwedagon pagoda entrance

Shwedagon Buddha Shrine

The Planetary Post for the Moon is beside the Kakusandha Buddhist Temple. The moon, in Myanmar astrology, is recognized as one of the eight planets. Across the Pagoda platform, adjacent to the east stairway is the U Nyo Tazaung with wood carved panels depicting events in the life of Gautama Buddha. A Hamsa Tagundaing or prayer pillar stands close to the southeast corner of the of the Buddhist temple platform with a ‘hintha’ bird (mythological bird, also called hamsa).

This Buddhist temple prayer pillar are believed to bring fortune to the founders. Another Bodhi tree grown from a cutting of the original one in Bodhagaya, stands at the far southeast corner of the platform. On a clear day, a good view of Yangon and over the Yangon River towards Thanlyin can be seen from this point. Also some museums and some more libraries are situated on the Shwedagon Pagoda Platform.

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