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| Wednesday, 24 December 2003 |
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Shwedagon Pagoda : The gilded stupa in Rangoon by Aryadasa Ratnasinghe Among the most magnificent and famous Buddhist monuments in the world is the Shwedagon pagoda at Yangon (old Rangoon) in Myanmar (old Burma). The word pagoda is derived from the Persian but-kadah (idol house), similar to the stupa in Sri Lanka. A pagoda is a many storeyed tapering tower, and each storey has a projecting roof and looks like an ornamented edifice. This gilded pagoda rises above the skyline of the ancient city, dwarfing other buildings in the vicinity. Pagoda is not only a place of Buddhist pilgrimage but also a place visited and honoured by the people of Yangon with faith and devotion, as an edifice built in the name of the Buddha. Shwe means gold and dagon is the Burmese word for old Rangoon (named Yangon in 1989). The story behind this stupa is that two Burmese brothers offered the Buddha with honey-cakes and, in return, the Buddha gave them a few hairs from his head to be kept as a relic, which they deposited in a reliquary and placed it in a vault, upon which was built the Shwedagon pagoda and raised it to a height of 66 ft.
The great terrace surrounding the central stupa was the work of queen Shinsawba of Pegu (1455-1462), which she gilded with solid gold equal to her own weight. During her last illness, the pious queen retired to the stupa, and placing her couch facing the great monument and its gilded pinnacle, breathed her last with clapsed hands in obeisance. Orthodox Buddhism In 1774, king Shinbyushin of Burma (now Myanmar), raised the stupa to its present height. This king devoted much of his time and life for the cause of orthodox Buddhism (Theravada) which prevails in Sri Lanka. In old classical treatises, Burma is named as Swarnabhoomi (land of gold). In 1586, Ralph Fitch arrived in Pegu, and having visited Rangoon, and seeing the great stupa, wrote: "About two days journey from Pegu, there is a pagoda attended by pilgrims from Pegu. It is of a wonderful bignesse, and all golded from the foot to the toppe. It standeth very high, and there are foure wayes to it, and many goe in the shade of fruite trees. To get to the shrine-encrusted hill, one has to climb a hundred and foure steps by the south gate". The summit of the hill on which the stupa stands has been levelled to form a platform for the convenience of pilgrims. It is 900 ft. from North to South and 700 ft. from East to West. The outer perimeter of the platform has shelters housing seated Buddha statues in the posture of meditation. The bronze bell, weighing about 16 tons, was a gift made by king Sinbyushin in 1778. During the Burmese war, it was taken away by the British and was found under the sea. It was recovered in 1926, and stands in its former place. To maintain the sanctity of the place, pilgrims and visitors are required to remove their shoes and socks before entering the sacred place where stands the stupa in full glee. As dusk falls and the sun descends behind the forest of little spires towards the west of the terrace, there appears a magical time of short duration, when the sky is lit to incandescence and the space between the outer structures on the platform and the great dull gold uprising of the stupa turns into a misty bluish canyon in which little candles flicker and some worshippers still meander around, as darkness covers the beauty of the place. Richness The richness of the whole structure is obvious to the eye, but the real richness of this deeply revered stupa, can be counted in material terms as seen in the gold plate that covers much of the upper parts to some considerable thickness most entertaining to the eye. Down the steps lie two huge white leogryphs (formalised lions), one on either side at the base. In Myanmar, these beasts are called chinthe. These lions appear to bid farewell to pilgrims and visitors, on their return from the stupa. As one ascends the hill to get to the stupa, the air becomes thick with heavy, pungent, but sweet smells of incense smoke surrounds the area, partly enhanced by the dim filtered daylight in the covered stairway, to emerge, at last, into the brilliant dazzle of gold, white stucco and a scattering of flower offerings that could be seen on all sides. Burmese, in their colourful lunghis, the old ladies wearing gauzy white blouses, and children mostly in western dress could be seen moving about most delightfully. The Shwedagon pagoda has stood the test of time receiving the homage and benefactions of devout Buddhists all over the world, and it is fortune to visit the holy place for anyone, at least once before his death. |
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In 1372, the king of Pegu, visited Yangon, and seeing the ruinous state
of the stupa, repaired it at great cost. Later kings contributed much for
the maintenance of the stupa, and it was finally raised to a height of 326
ft., towering high and shining gold by the reflection of sunlight. Today,
the stupa offers a grand view over the landscape, drawing the attention of
everyone whose eyes catch the panorama of the glittering edifice.
