Welcome. Thanks for coming to my blog.The focus is Burma and the posting is dedicated to the Shwedagon Pagoda ရွှေတိဂုံ ဘုရာ also called Shwedagon Paya in Yangon. Glorious and completely over the top, I was stunned by its beauty at sunset and touched by the devotion of the people. I hope you will be too when you see the photos.
Gleaming in gold and decorated with diamonds, it is a spectacular work of Burmese temple architecture and is the holiest Buddhist shrine in Myanmar.
Legend has it that the Shwedagon Pagoda is 2,500 years old, but archaeologists estimate it was first built sometime between the 6th and 10th centuries (i.e. during the Bagan period).
This first photo is one of the 4 entrances to Shwedagon Pagoda. Next time Inlay Lake and it's local markets. See you then. Alan
A close up from the same spot
Beautiful pillars just inside the
southern entrance
The Pagoda is 112 metres high
You can see that part of it is being repaired
Gold everywhere which gleams
in the golden sunlight of late
afternoon
There are shrines as you walk
around the main stupa. Buddhists walk
in a clockwise direction (as do Hindus).
To do this is auspicious and perhaps
comes from the direction the planets rotate
around the sun. You are in harmony
with the energy of the universe
Packed tightly together
Golden and gleaming Buddha
The large platform/terrace that supports the
great stupa contains a variety of other stupas,
prayer halls, sculptures and shrines
Daniela with Magnolia, a Burmese
friend who showed us so much kindness
A number of the shrines are
associated with eight "days"
(Wednesday is divided into
morning and afternoon),
based on one's day of birth.
Each has an associated planet,
direction and animal sign
It is very important for Burmese
buddhists to know which day of the
week they are born, so they
know which shrine they should
pray at
A rather different building. Does anyone know
what it is? A water tank comes to mind but that
can't be right!
The gold seen on the stupa is made of genuine
gold plates, covering the brick structure and
attached by traditional rivets
One of the many shrines
surrounding the main stupa
The Buddha inside in shadow
and light
Awesome!
Myanmar people all over the country, as well
as monarchs in its history, have donated gold
to the pagoda to maintain it. The practice
continues to this day after being started in the
15th century by the Mon Queen Shin Sawbu,
who gave her weight in gold (she wasn't very
heavy, only 40 kg!)
Gorgeous colours and lines
All shapes and sizes!
A cluster of prayer halls
Talk about being in your face!
Fabulous pavilion with images
of the Buddha
Which way to look first!
Bathed in gold
The Pagoda Terrace is one of the most
amazing sights I have seen
Bathing the Baby Buddha of your birth day
is very auspicious
A male monk talking to two female
nuns
It is the ambition of every
Burmese monk to visit
Shwedagon, the holiest Pagoda
in Burma
Devotion
Cleaning
I love this photo
Workers
A forest of stupas!
Steps for refurbishing the main
stupa. Even they seem gold!
The crown (or umbrella) of the main stupa is
tipped with 5,448 diamonds and 2,317 rubies.
The very top, the diamond bud is tipped with
a 76 carat (15 g) diamond.............
More shrines and........
...........more devotion
