BOTAHTAUNG PAGODA
APOLOGY FROM BLOGGER
Dear fans and friends. Yes, it has been couples of month that I could not update my blog. My very standing of this blog space is to share photos taken around Burma (Myanmar). For the sake of surviving, I am out of Burma for 5 months. And honestly, I have been way too busy to update my blog on regular basis. More importantly, I do not want to share photos without description and background. On the other hand, I could not invest enough time to write those stories and facts. Bagan photos are ready but not the descriptions.
I have been receiving new fans and came across with their appreciating comments. Some fans even sent me personal mails to upload new photos. So today is for you, my friends. Some photos did not hit my norms, but then… it’s just another fool proof of me. Thanks for visiting my blog and I will try to do more. Enjoy!!!
BACKGROUND
According to Burmese tradition, it was on a hillock at this site that one thousand military officers of the king were drawn up as a guard of honor to welcome the landing in Burma of the relics of the Buddha brought over from India more than two thousand years ago. An account from ancient histories of the building of the Pagoda states that the Buddhist King Sihadipa gave one of his ministers a sacred hair from the Buddha’s head and two body relics and this minister, renowned for his goodness and faith, consulted a famous religious leader and, on his advice, chose the Botahtaung Mount on the bank of Yangon River at a distance one thousand tars (7,000 cubits) in a South-Easterly direction from the Shwedagon Pagoda and there enshrined the sacred relics.
WORLD WAR II
The pagoda was completely destroyed on 8 November 1943 when the RAF, which was bombing the nearby Yangon wharves also hit the pagoda. The pagoda was left in “blackened ruins“.
REBUILDING
Rebuilding of the pagoda started on the same day that the country gained independence from the UK: 4 January 1948. Part of the excavation process, a relic chamber was discovered. The chamber in size 20′ x 20′ and 6 in height gradually decreasing in size towards the top and appearing like a huge pot placed up-sided down to cover completely what lay inside.
In the very center of this treasure vault was discovered a wonderful stone casket in the shape of a pagoda with a diameter of 23 ins, and 39 ins, high. Encircling this stone casket were figures of nats carved out of literate and evidently placed there to act as sentinels.
One of the terracotta plaques excavated from the relic chamber bears an image of the Lord Buddha and though affected by age and moisture it is exceptionally important. On the reverse side are inscribed characters which are very close to the ancient Brahmani script which came from Southern India.
When the gold Pagoda was lifted up, a tiny gold cylinder of 3/4 ins. length with a diameter of 5/12 ins. was found and in this tiny cylinder were found two small body relics each the size of a mustard seed and what is believed to be a Sacred Hair of the Buddha. This hair was coiled round and fastened with a little lacquer on which were traces of gold plaster.
STRUCTURE
The new pagoda is of original design and in height 131 ft. 8 ins, on abase of 96 ft. x 96 ft. The main attraction is the stupa’s hollow inside, which has a mirrored maze-like walkway lined with glass showcases containing many ancient relics and artifacts that were sealed inside the earlier pagoda.
These fruit basket are so common in Burmese tradition. People pay homage to Lord Buddha with Banana, Coconut (prepared with gold foils), scented water, candle and joss sticks… In Burmese, we call it SHWE OHN PWE…
That’s the main entrance to the Botahtaung Pagoda…
The Buddha statue at the main entrance…
The treasure vault which houses the Buddha relics…
Like other pagodas in Burma, Botahtaung Pagoda stands on the spacey land and there is a big religious function hall (Dha-Ma-Yone) on the southern corner of the compound…
It is famous Botahtaung Pagoda of Yangon (Rangoon). It was taken back in 2009 June, I few days before I came to Singapore…
A lady offering water and flower to the Buddha image around the pagoda…
It is very common to see these spiritual statues (guards) at the entrance of pagodas and stupas in Burma. It is believed that these spirits can hinder bad luck…
i like ogre photo… the last one