Shwedagon Pagoda

Description:

While roaming around the city of Yangon a very tall golden pagoda may have caught your eye. This is the most famous pagoda, Shwedagon, in all of Myanmar. Built in the 6th century B.C. Shwedagon is said to hold eight strands of Buddha’s hair. It is a place of worship for the local people and an amazing site for non-locals. With thousands of Buddha images and hundreds of monks wondering around the temple, it is surely to touch your heart and soul. The pagoda also provides and excellent view of the city and its surroundings. You can easily spend a few hours gazing up at the gold covered tower, as well as exploring the different and lavishly decorated buildings within the complex. Shwedagon also has a lot of history within its walls.

No visit to the Union of Myanmar is complete without a visit to the 2,500 years old Shwedagon Pagoda, which enshrines strands of Buddha’s hair and other holy relics. Located west of the Royal Lake on 114 -acre Singuttara Hill in Yangon, Shwedagon Pagoda is the most sacred and impressive Buddhist site for the people of the Union of Myanmar. From a humble beginning of 8.2 meters, the Shwedagon Pagoda today stands close to 110 meters. Shwedagon Pagoda is covered with hundreds of gold plates and the top of the stupa is encrusted with 4531 diamonds; the largest of which is a 72 carat diamond. It is clearly one of the wonders of the religious world. Shwedagon Pagoda is a repository of the best in Myanmar heritage – architecture, sculpture and arts. The Shwedagon Pagoda consists hundreds colorful temples, stupas, and statues that reflects the architectural era spanning almost a 2,500 years. To understand this monumental work of art and architecture, visitors will experience an insider’s view of this magnificent symbol of Buddhism to the lives of the Myanmar people. Shwedagon Pagoda forms the focus of religious as well as community activities – the bustling of devotees and monks washing the statues, offering flowers, worshiping, and meditating. Shwedagon Pagoda is administered by the Board of Trustees of Shwedagon Pagoda.