On our 2nd day in Yangon, before a quick return to Thailand, we absolutely had to visit THE monument of the city, a true symbol of the country, the Shwedagon Pagoda. We had time during the day to wander around the old city of Yangon again but I grouped that in the main article.
The relics of Shwedagon Pagoda
Located on the small hill of Singuratta 2 km from the city center, it is the most important pagoda in Burma. It is said to contain, in addition to 8 hairs of Buddha Siddhartha Gautama, several other relics of other Buddhas (there are 28 recognized). Let us recall that Buddha is a title for one who has "attained enlightenment" (deliverance from the cycle of reincarnations on earth) and therefore does not designate a particular person.
Siddhartha Gautama is known for being the founder of Buddhism as we know it today, and he is also the one who, during his lifetime, will carry his words and considerably develop Buddhism throughout the regions of South and Southeast Asia. Other Buddhas preceded him, including Dipankara who inspired Prince Siddhartha Gautama to follow the path of the Buddha.
It was during his era that he took a vow to become a Buddha in the future; Dipankara assured him that he would achieve his goal.
Shwedagon Pagoda, the symbol of Yangon
Some monastic texts indicate that the main pagoda was founded during the lifetime of Gautama Buddha. Archaeologists place the construction date between the 6th and 10th centuries and the stupa was originally much smaller.
The fact remains that the site had to undergo a first facelift in the 20th century which brought its height to around 98 m, still far from the current XNUMX m. The current appearance dates from the end of the 18th century., after repairs following the collapse of the summit due to an earthquake in 1768.
Today it is a set of 72 other pagodas, pagodas, prayer rooms at the four cardinal points and other religious buildings with typical Burmese architecture. As we wandered around the city a bit after getting up a bit late, we arrived at the temple when the sun was already setting (well, but it must be said that he is an early riser too).
We arrive by the southern entrance where these two enormous lions (chinthes, mythical lions) guard the entrance. They were offered by King Tharrawaddy (who reigned from 1837 to 1846 in Burma) during his visit in 1841. We had just enough time to enjoy the last light of the day to visit, and it was in the dark for the most part that we discovered this sparkling pagoda.
There is a real fervor there, every day, thousands of faithful come to pray, to meditate (At the time, without really any tourists)
Improvised or official guides (we don't really know) offer their services. Because we were forced a little, we ended up being accompanied by one of them, learning a lot about the place all the same. The whole visit was done under the well-lit eye of the moon.
Located on the spire of the pagoda, the hti, typical of Burma, is a kind of ornamental umbrella that crowns almost all the stupas in the country. The hti is often decorated with gold bells and adorned with precious stones. Its summit, the seinbu, a small gold sphere generally contains diamonds.
The one exhibited here is the previous hti, offered by the penultimate king of Burma Mindon Min. The current hti has between more than 1000 bells, thousands of diamonds and notably a 76 carat emerald no less.
The bells of the Shwedagon Pagoda
Several bells can be seen in the pagoda grounds. One of them, a large 24-ton bell dating from 1778, was stolen by the British during the First Anglo-Burmese War (1824-26), but it sank into the Hlaing River. It was not refloated until 1926.
Another 30-ton bell, this one dating from 1485, suffered a similar fate before, being stolen by the Portuguese adventurer Philippe de Brito in 1608 who pillaged the site.
Brito intended to melt it down to make cannons to defend his stronghold at the time located in Syriam (today Thanlyin). It sank near Pegou during its transport on the river, it is still there today because it was never recovered… if you have the soul of an adventurer here is a great opportunity!
4 Comments
Hello Romain,
The Schwedagon Pagoda is a must-see in Yangon, indeed. I also went there at sunset. I really liked the place and the atmosphere that emanated from it. On the other hand, I found that all the little flashing lights were a bit kitsch and took away some of the charm. Didn't you find that it was a bit "Disney" all that?
I must admit that these little lights had confused me at the time, I also found it kitsch and particularly out of place with the serene atmosphere of the place...
Oh a new design for the blog 🙂 Well it's not bad at all, congratulations Romain!
ahah, thanks, yes the blog really needed it, I had the previous one for 3 years already, it was time to renew it, I still have lots of ideas in mind, the main thing for now was to lay the foundations!