All that glitters is gold
May 27, 2016 CHITRA
RAMASWAMY The
Hindu
Shwedagon Pagoda of Yangon has pavilions with
intricately sculpted interiors and doorways, stupa completely
covered by golden plates and encrusted with thousands of diamonds,
and much more
Myanmar’s Yangon’s skyline dazzles with the towering
golden stupa of its iconic monument, Shwedagon Pagoda, which graces
the city and is visible from almost anywhere. No visit to the city
would be complete without a visit to the edifice for the sheer
architectural and sculptural brilliance, which is a visual feast
for the eyes.
It is claimed to be Myanmar’s holiest Buddhist
pagoda as it is believed to enshrine relics associated with four
previous Buddhas of the present aeon: the staff of Kakusandha, the
water filter of Konagamma, a part of Kassapa’s robe, and eights
strands of hair of Gautama.
Covered stairways
Four covered stairways lead to the main terrace or
platform on Singuttara Hill. A pair of 9m-tall lions flanks the
entrance of each walkway. Elevators and escalators facilitate
visitors who would rather avoid climbing the steps.
The eastern and southern entrances are lined with
vendors selling a wide array of souvenirs and objects, many of
which are associated with offerings at the altars of the
Buddha.
Also known as Shwedagon Zedi Daw and the Great Dagon
Pagoda, the temple, a repository of the country’s rich heritage, is
a cluster of innumerable shrines, stupas and statues laid out on a
sprawling terrace.
The main bell-shaped stupa made from solid brick is
completely covered by golden plates, and encrusted with thousands
of diamonds that glitter and reflect beams of sunlight.
Above the base which covers a perimeter of 1,500
feet, is the turban, on top of which is an inverted alms bowl,
inverted lotus petals, a banana bud, and finally the umbrella crown
which boasts a 76-carat diamond at the very tip of the
stupa.
Encircling the pivotal stupa, there are several
sculpture-enriched altars with small statues of Buddha before which
people stop to pray, wash the figurines, offer flowers and light
incense.
Exquisite carvings
Pavilions with intricately sculpted interiors and
doorways have statues of Buddha in various poses which are
themselves exquisitely carved and decorated, the reclining Buddha
being one of the most striking.
Many of these pergolas have monks sitting in quiet
contemplation, individuals seeking respite from the scorching sun,
or families relaxing in their shade and partaking of a simple meal,
often accompanied by a few domestic felines.
Since its original construction, the pagoda complex
witnessed severe damages, especially on account of earthquakes
between 1564 and 1919. Needless to say, it has been rebuilt a
number of times and enhanced by successive kings, growing from the
original 66 feet to its present height of 99 feet.
According to legend, the Shwedagon Pagoda was
constructed more than 2,600 years ago, making it the oldest
Buddhist stupa in the world. While folklore attributes its origins
to 600 BC, historians and archaeologists attribute its construction
to the Mon people somewhere between the 6 and 10 century
CE.
Highest in the world
A spiritual heart for the majority of Myanmar’s
Buddhist population, the Shwedagon is an architectural marvel for
its magnitude. Tourist brochures deem it as the highest pagoda and
the largest golden monument in the world.
The complex defines a high point in the development
of Buddhist architecture in Southeast Asia.