A Large Golden Pagoda

We awoke way too early on Wednesday to be driven to the famous Shwedagon Pagoda. Casey's friend was nice enough to drive us and she assured us that this was the best time to visit since there would be hardly any other visitors except for the locals on their daily/weekly pilgrimage to pray. We arrived at approximately 5:30 am and were immediately struck by the extremely large gold and white lions that guarded the entrance.

We removed our shoes and made our way up the many stairs barefoot. There were not quite as many stairs nor were they as steep as the temple on Doi Suthep in Thailand, but the pagoda is still equipped with an elevator and escalators for those who are unable to make the trek on foot.

When we arrived at the foot of the pagoda we were again struck by how brilliantly it shone. Like Sule Pagoda, this giant gilded structure is lit up under the morning light like nothing we'd ever seen. After paying for a guide, we understood why. According to our guide, the pagoda is covered in golden plates that are nailed together to create a giant multi-ton sheath surrounding the pagoda.

Our guide was a nice elderly man who worked for some government agency that has some connection with the pagoda. He learned English from Americans in Shan State many many years ago and they must have been good teachers because he spoke excellent English. He is 68 years old and is only allowed to act as a tour guide in the very early morning. He also claimed that his employers are trying to make him retire, but he has no desire to. His speed was not what one could call quick and he drooled as he spoke, but he was a nice man with a gimmick.

The Gimmick
The gimmick was probably my favorite part about him. He kept telling us he'd show us something that no other tour guide would show us (whether this is true or not, I don't know) and he kept muttering the words "seeing is believing." Well, near the end of the tour, he takes us to a corner of the grounds where the smaller "Elder Brother" pagoda blocks the view of the giant pagoda. He explained that the Elder Brother pagoda was where the 8 hairs of the Buddha were kept while Shwedagon Pagoda was being built. Because of this grand honor, the Elder Brother Pagoda is also important and it tells us that by hiding Shwedagon from view if you stand at precisely the correct spot. Then he takes us even further into the corner where both pagodas are once again in view but this time Elder Brother Pagoda looks like it may be the same size of slightly larger the Shwedagon. He also exclaimed that this reinforced the idea that indeed, the Elder Brother Pagoda is also important. He was very happy to have shown us this little trick and with that he ended the tour.

History of Shwedagon Pagoda
Shwe is Burmese for "gold" and thus describes the largest and most revered pagoda in the Yangon area. As legend has it, 2 brothers traveled to India to meet with the Buddha. When they knelt before him he plucked 8 hairs from his head and offered them to the brothers. Ecstatic, the brothers came home to Burma where they presented their present to the king who immediately began to build Shwedagon Pagoda to house these "relics" of the Buddha.

While the shrine was being built, the hairs were stored in the Elder Brother Pagoda and after it was completed they were transferred by elephant via an underground passageway that connects the two pagodas.

A few members of royalty donated their weight in gold to the pagoda, so it could be plated as we see today. At the very top of the umbrella (or hti) on the pagoda is a small golden ball that is encrusted in diamonds and other precious jewels. There are said to be no less the 4351 diamonds weighing a total of 1800 carats on this orb, which is topped with an impressive 76-carat diamond. There are a few large binoculars around the pagoda to allow one to view the jewels, however the power isn't very good and it just looks like a ball with something shiny on top.

Other Interesting but Random Sites in the Pagoda Compound
As we walked around the Pagoda we saw a few other statues that I felt are worth mentioning. Near one entrance along a wall are two statues of men. To me, they look like fat Italian men with thick beards. They are wearing a longyi that is checkered blue and white and one thigh of each man is exposed to reveal an elaborate banded tattoo. I have no idea who they are or what they represent, but they are definitely worth a look.

To point the way to many of the small pagodas and Buddhas are various statues pointing the way up the steps, just in case you missed them.

There are two very large bells within the compound. One of them was taken by the British in order to make a canon but dropped in the Yangon River (not on purpose, to my knowledge). There are paintings around the bell that tell the story of its retrieval, which sounds quite difficult as the bell is very large and heavy.

One Buddha was also stolen by the British and taken back to Queen Victoria, who immediately began having headaches after taking possession of the statue. She finally decided that the Buddha should be sent home and as soon as it was gone, her headaches vanished. The Buddha is enshrined in the compound and is still inside the wooden cargo box thus proving that it once made the return trip to England.

One of my favorites is a small statue of Brahma (a Hindu god) holding a baby. It was explained to us by the guide that couples who wish for a child come to this statue to pray and their prayers are generally answered.