lonely-planet-myanmar-burma-11-edition

kind of overwhelming object you would expectto be constructed by an absolute monarchwith a guilt complex – the little fingeralone extends 10ft.Since its original construction the statueunderwent several restorations before thedestruction of Bago in 1757. The town wasso completely ravaged that the huge buddhawas totally lost and overgrown by jungle. Itwas not rediscovered until 1880 and restorationbegan in 1881. The 1930s saw anotherflurry of renovation activity, as a mosaic wasadded to the great pillow on which the buddha’shead rests.Near the huge head of the image standsa statue of Lokanat (Lokanatha or Avalokitesvara),a Mahayana Buddhist deity borrowedby Burmese Buddhism.A Japanese war cemetery, Kyinigan Kyaung,can be seen on the grounds of a monasteryjust north of Shwethalyaung.Shwemawdaw PayaBUDDHIST STUPAeráem;'e/;.urC"A pyramid of washed-out gold in the middayhaze and glittering perfection in the eveningBagoæ Top SightsShwethalyaung Buddha...................... A1æ Sights1 Four Figures Paya................................ B12 Kanbawzathadi Palace........................D23 Kha Khat Wain Kyaung........................ C14 Maha Kalyani Sima (MahaKalyani Thein) ................................... B15 Mahazedi Paya..................................... A16 Naung Daw Gyi Mya ThaLyaung............................................... A17 Shwegugale Paya ................................ A18 Snake Monastery.................................D2ÿ Sleeping9 Emperor Hotel .....................................A210 Gandamar Hotel .................................. D111 Mya Nanda Hotel .................................A212 San Francisco Motel............................A2ú Eating13 Hadaya Café.........................................A214 Hanthawaddy....................................... D115 Three Five Restaurant.........................A2Transport16 Bus Station........................................... D117 Bus Station...........................................B2gloss, the 376ft-high Shwemawdaw Payastands tall and proud over the town. Accordingto murky legend the original stupa was asmall, ramshackle object, built by two brothers,Kullasala and Mahasala, to enshrine twohairs given to them by Gautama Buddha. InAD 982 a sacred tooth was added to the collection;in 1385 another tooth was addedand the stupa was rebuilt to a towering277ft. In 1492 strong winds blew over the htiand a new one was raised.The stupa has collapsed and been rebuiltmany times over the last 600 years;each time it has grown a little taller and thetreasures mounted in it have grown a littlethicker. The last time it was destroyed wasin 1930 when a huge earthquake completelylevelled it and for the next 20 years only thehuge earth mound of the base remained.Today the gaudy golden top of the stupareaches 46ft higher than the Shwedagon inYangon. At the northeastern corner of thestupa, a huge section of the hti toppled bythe 1917 earthquake has been mounted intothe structure of the stupa.The Shwemawdaw Paya is a particularlygood destination during Bago’s annual pagodafestival, in March/April.Hintha GonBUDDHIST STUPAhs¿Ckun'"Located behind the Shwemawdaw, thisshrine was once the one point in this wholevast area that rose above sea level and sowas the natural place for the hamsa to land.A statue of the bird, looking rather likethe figures on opium weights, tops the hill.The stupa was built by U Khanti, the hermitmonk who was the architect of MandalayHill. Walk to it by taking the steps down theother side of the Shwemawdaw from themain entrance. This paya is also a big spotfor nat (spirit beings) worship and festivalsand with a bit of luck you’ll catch the swirling,veiled forms of masculine-looking natdancers accompanied by the clanging andcrashing of a traditional orchestra.Kyaik Pun PayaMONUMENTkYŸik'pân'.urC"The Gautama Buddha and his three predecessorscan all be found hanging out togetherabout a mile south of Bago just offthe Yangon road.Built in 1476 by King Dhammazedi, theKyaik Pun Paya consists of four 100ft-highsitting buddhas placed back to back arounda huge, square pillar. According to legend,87NORTH AROUND OF YANGON SIGHTS BAGO (PEGU) & & ACTIVITIES