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| Most revered Buddhist site in Myanmar - the Shwedagon Pagoda |
Friday, March 02 Yangon, Myanmar
Before leaving Myanmar today for India, we stopped to see the Shwedagon Pagoda, also known as the Golden
Stupa of Yangon. In Burmese
language, a stupa is called at zeidi – but the popular English name is pagoda. It is believed to enshirine eight hairs
from the head of the Buddha, among other relics. It is the most sacred Buddhist site in Myanmar and a place
for pilgrimage for all Burmese Buddhists.
Shwedagon literally meanns “Golden Dagon” – Dagon is the ancient name for the city of Yangon when is was
within the Mon kingdom.
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| Giant guardians at the west gate to the Shwedagon Pagoda |
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Lengthy entrance to the Pagoda, lined with golden columns.
As with all temples, shoes and socks off, covered knees and shoulders show respect. |
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| Seller putting together bundles of roses for purchase to offer at the temple |
It’s a holiday in Yangoon, Peasants’s Day, and the end of of a four day weekend from the Lunar New Year, so many people are at the Shwedagon Temple because they have the day off. All dressed up, lots of families together, having picnics, adolescents meeting each other. The pagoda is amazing – huge complex guarded by giant lions at each of the four cardinal gates. We entered via the western gate and walked around clockwise. We first stopped at a Buddha to put on gold foil for merit/ good karma.
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| So many families today from all over the country because of the holiday |
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| The sunshine is bright - it's 98 degrees today |
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| At the very top of the stupa - the Hti- is encrusted with jewels and topped with a 76 carat diamond |
There has been a shrine on the site of this pagoda since the late 6th century. The original pagoda was probably constructed by the Mon empire sometime between the 6th and 10th Century. In the late 18th century, it came under control of the Burmans, and was raised to its present hight of 326 feet. At the top is the hti – an umbrella like finial which is inlaid with diamonds, emeralds, rubies and other precious stones. At the very top is the Diamond Orb, a gold sphere covered with more than 4000 diamonds, 1800 carats and at the tip of the orb is a 76 carat diamond. The stupa is covered in gold leaf – estimated to have anywhere from 9 to 60 tons of gold covering its surface.
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| The day of your birth is astrologically significant, and you stop to offer water blessings at your specific day. The red sign says "Thursday's Corner." |
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| My corner - my birth was on Wednesday morning - my animal is an elephant and my planet is Jupiter |
We stopped at everyones birth day of the week to make offeringsd to Buddha and the animist spirits. At your specific day of the week, you offer (and dump) 4 cups of water – one for Buddha, one for the spirit angel, one for the post and one for the animal (mine is an elephant without tusks).
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| Interesting side temple with painted tiles depicting scenes from the life of the Buddha |
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| This grouping of temples look rather futuristic |
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| This most beautiful and majestic pagoda is covered with tons of gold leaf |
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| The umbrellas provide a small respite from the intense sun reflected off all the white marble and gold leaf |
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| This spirit (nat) is particularly revered because she is carrying a baby Buddha |
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| Many couples, like these, make offerings to the maternal spirit for fertility |
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| Families, resting in the shade - many brought refreshments for lunch or snacks |
We made the complete (clockwise) circle around the Pagoda – it was gleaming to a point of blinding in the noon day sun – and hot enough to fry an egg. We were as much a spectacle to other families as they were to us. It was fun to see the adolescents dressed up for meeting the opposite sex – very cosmopolitan, many of them. Also, so many young Buddhist monks, shaved heads, red or orange robes and cell phones – the height of modernity.
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| Mike taking a rest and enjoying the view |
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