Work on this image started in 1899, the donor named U Hpo Thar being fired by his ambition to make it a model edifice not only in this country but in the whole world as well. By 1907, the image of the Buddha half reclining on a royal couch on his flank, one hand propping up his upper torso was completed. From afar one might have mistaken it for an image in the seated posture. Top Top
Yangon, the capital city is the gateway to Myanmar. Having many shady parks and beautiful lakes, Yangon has earned the name of " the Garden City of the East".
When King Alaungpaya captured the riverside village of Dagon from the Mons in 1755, he renamed it Yangon - " the end of war". In 1851, the British annexation of Yangon resulted in getting the town refounded and became the capital. The new city was remodelled and constructed by Lieutenant Fraser, a British Officer of the Engineering Corps who also designed and constructed Singapore.
Shwedagon Pagoda
In the capital city of Yangon, you will find the magnificent fabulous Shwedagon Pagoda. The Shwedagon Pagoda sits upon holy Singuttara Hill, visible from miles away. Shwedagon is the most sacred pagoda as it enshrines the relics of the three earlier buddhas and the eight hairs of Gautama Buddha. It rises 99.4 metres (326 feet), with the perimeter measuring 432.8 metres (1,420 feet) and glittering in gold. The very top is tipped with a 76-carat diamond. Legend has it that the Shwedagon Pagoda is 2500 years old.
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Sule Pagoda
The Sule Pagoda is an excellent landmark. It is said to be over 2,000 years old and contains a hair given by the Buddha to two Burmese merchants. Located on a roundabout in downtown Yangon. The golden pagoda is unusual in that its octagonal shape continues right up to the bell and inverted bowl. It is surrounded by small shops and all the familiar non-religious services such as of astrologists, palmists, and so on .
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Karaweik Hall
The floating Karaweik Restaurant on Kandawgyi (Royal) Lake is one of the landmarks of Yangon. This modern architecture of a mythical creature Karaweik Hall was constructed in 1972. This whole building was gilded with gold about 20 years ago. Karaweik Hall will serve lunch and dinner with Myanmar, Chinese, Eastern and Western cuisine at moderate prices. It is also an excellent idea to examine the beauty of this royal barge and the stunning view of the Shwedagon. Traditional dance performances are normally held here in the evenings.
TopKandawgyi Garden
Kandawgyi Garden is a popular recreation centre of the capital of Yangon. The area of the Garden is 110 acres, water areas is 150 acres, which makes it a total of 260 acres. You can find a variety of beautiful flowers, the natural scene of the lake water and large shady trees. There are also an orchid garden, the children play-ground, the souvenir shops and many restaurants. The playgrounds and picnic areas are favourite spots for children and teenagers. The beauty of Karaweik Hall also shows a unique work of art to be explored in the heart of Kandawgyi Lake. Kandawgyi meaning "the great lake" in Myanmar is a well-known place in Yangon. Top
Chauk Htat Gyi Reclining Buddha Image
The Six-storeyed Pagoda surpasses the nearby Five-Storeyed Pagoda in name only as, the great image is in a reclining posture while the latter is in a sitting posture. This curious way of applying multi-storey qualifiers to places of Buddhistic worship seems to be an indigenous development which began during the second Innwa period.
The image then had a length of 195 feet (59.28m) and a height of 100 feet (30.4m) from the surface of the couch to the halo round the head with the height of the couch itself 5 feet 6 inches above the platform. Extensive reconstruction completed in 1973 extended the length of the image to 216 feet (65.85m) with the height of the couch however, reduced to 4 feet (1.22m). Originally the axis of the head turned towards the west and the visage faced the south, but the reconstructed image has the head aligned towards the east and the visage facing north.
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Kabar Aye Pagoda( the World peace pagoda)
Unlike other pagodas found all over the country, the Kabar Aye Pagoda was built in 1952, as it name implies, it is dedicated towards the realisation of global peace. The circular platform around the main stupa is enclosed in the manner of a cave-temple and there are five porches decorated in the traditional style of flamboyant arched pediments, lotus flowers, lotus buds and the swastika motif in carved stucco. In passing it might be pertinent to explain why and how the swastika came to be associated with Buddhism. As some dictionaries of the English language will point out, the origin of the term swastika is svastika from Sanskrit denoting "well being"-the device being associated with sun worship and veneration of the wheel originating with the ancient Aryans. To Buddhists however, it is in the context of its association with Dhammacakka (the Wheel of Law), the first sermon preached by the Buddha after attaining enlightenment, that this rotating wheel motif is employed on religious structures. Top
Mahapasanna Cave
The main stupa is 117 feet 6 inches (35.82m) high, with subsidiary stupas on the five porches each 8 feet (2.4m) high. North of the World Peace Pagoda, there is a great man-made cave 455 feet (138.32m) in length, 375 feet (114m) wide and having an internal dimension of 220 feet (66.88m) x 140 feet (42.56m) made in the shape of the "Sattapani Grotto" near Rajagaha city of India where the first Buddhist Synod or Great Council was held just some months after the Buddha went through Parinivarna, the Decease. The name of the Kabar Aye Cave is "Maha Pasana", meaning "Great Cave of Stone" and was built in 1953. It was in this great cavern that the Sixth Buddhist Synod was inaugurated in the year 2498 of the Buddhist Era (1954 AD) with 2500 venerable monks convening to recite and verify the words of the Buddha in Pali, the entire Tipitaka, which in printed form would take up about 40 volumes.
Botathaung Pagoda
The Botathaung Pagoda was named after the thousand military leaders who escorted relics of the Buddha brought from India over two thousand years ago. It is situated way downtown beside the Yangon River. The Bothataung Pagoda was a famous Land-mark on Yangon's waterfront. Pagoda is hollow inside and you can walk through it.
Bogyoke Aung San Market
The market was first built and inaugurated on the present premises in 1926. It was named Scott Market after Mr. C. Scott, the then Municipal Commissioner. Nowadays, it is called Bogyoke Aung San Market in honor of our national leader General Aung San.
It is known for its colonial architecture and inner cobblestone streets. It has the largest selection of Myanmar souvenirs you can find under one roof. You can buy a variety of interesting Myanmar lacquerware, gems and jewellery at this market.
Monday, October 09, 2006
The Garden City of the East - Yangon
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