- Address: Dagon, Yangon, Myanmar (Burma)
- Height: 98 m
- Working hours: daily from 04:00 to 22:00
- Cost of visiting: $ 8.00
Myanmar is not just a country of golden sandy beaches . There are many things here that can surprise not only the layman, but also an experienced tourist. The main such a curiosity of Myanmar is the Buddhist Shwedagon Pagoda in Yangon , also called the golden heart of the country. Be sure, the journey to this landmark will be bright and memorable, and pleasant impressions will suffice for a long time after the holiday.
A bit of history and legends
No one can say the exact year of construction of the pagoda. Opinions converge in one - Shwedagon has been on this site for more than two thousand years. It is logical that such a huge dome was not erected at once - the stupa grew on longlines gradually, surviving a lot of earthquakes and reconstructions, constantly building extensions, turning into a whole system. Some scientists call 260 AD. e. as the date of construction of the temple.
The legend of Shwedagon's foundation tells of two merchants who went to India. It was there that they received eight golden hair from the hands of the Buddha himself. They worked wonders - their light was so bright that the blind saw it, the hearing returned to the deaf, and the feeble cripples again became full-fledged people. In order to save the relic, the merchants placed it in a casket, and at that moment sprinkled rain from the jewels and gold. At the same place and built the Shwedagon Pagoda.
Quite interesting is the destination of Victory Square - the main terrace of the temple complex. Long time kings and generals, and simple soldiers here prayed for victory before the upcoming battles. Over time, this tradition has somewhat changed and strengthened - now in this place, pilgrims and parishioners preach their prayers before any endeavors.
What is the Shwedagon Pagoda?
So, first and foremost a simple philistine encounters a misunderstanding of the word "pagoda". It is a cult building in Buddhist style, which is a temple and a place of religious pilgrimage. Shwedagon Pagoda is a multi-tiered structure that looks similar to an inverted glass. This is the highest temple in Myanmar - in length it reaches a little less than 100 m. What is characteristic, inside there are no additional structures and premises. It's just an earthen hill, lined with stone, then plastered and gilded. Roughly speaking, it is a burial mound, covered with a golden stupa. Due to the richness of the ornaments, there is very little which temple or religious shrine can compete with Shwedagon Pagoda. In the lining of its top were involved gold plates and precious stones. Melodic ringing makes golden and silver bells that adorn the spire.
The temple complex itself has about 72 different pavilions and small temples. Even at the entrance of visitors meets a golden statue of Buddha, sitting under the sacred tree of Bodhi. Surprisingly, countless Buddha statues are collected here, in a wide variety of styles. They are easy to distinguish by the lobes of the uh and the length of the fingers.
Several bells are located on the territory of Shwedagon Pagoda. They are located so low that anyone can hit them with a special bat. By the way, one of the bells - Maha Gandha - is even a local landmark and has its own unique history.
Shwedagon Pagoda as Myanmar's religious shrine
According to legend, this Buddhist temple keeps in itself the relics of the four Buddhas. Namely, the staff of the Buddha Kakusandhi, the water filter of the Buddha of Conagamana, part of the tunic of Kassapa and the eight hair of the Buddha of Gautama. At the corners of the octagonal base of the stupa are placed altars, and each symbolizes a certain day of the week. There is a legend that if you bring an offering to your "own" altar, then the wish is realized. The funny fact is that there are eight of them here. Yes, yes, in Myanmar, just so many days in a week. But in fact, everything is quite simple - the environment is divided before and after lunch.
On the territory of the Shwedagon Pagoda in Yangon it is forbidden to walk in shoes, since this place is sacred. It is believed that the Buddha himself once walked barefoot on this earth. In addition, the stupa can be traversed only clockwise.
How to get there?
Getting to Shwedagon Pagoda in Yangon is most comfortable by taxi. By the way, taxi drivers in Myanmar guys are enterprising, and bargaining with them will never be superfluous. Near the temple complex there are also two Shwedagon Pagoda North Gate Bus Stop and Shwedagon Pagoda East Gate Bus Stop, which can be reached by public transport . Not far from Shwedagon Pagoda is another important landmark of the city - the Maha Vizaya Pagoda .
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