Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
in order to accommodate a fifth shrine to the future Buddha Maitreya - a design feature
unique in the Buddhist world.
Parts of a pagoda
ThetypicalBuddhistpagodafollowsabasicplanwhichyou'llseerepeatedalloverthecoun-
try. The vast majority are arranged around a central stupa ; these are usually solid, although
there are a few hollow modern pagodas with shrines inside (notable examples including the
Botataung Pagoda in Yangon, the Uppatasanti Pagoda in Naypyitaw and the Lawkananda
Pagoda in Sittwe). Surrounding the stupa there's usually a terrace ringed with subsidiary
shrines containingassortedBuddhaimages,alongwiththeoccasional nat .Pagodasareoften
built in raised positions, with stairways (often covered and lined with shops in larger pago-
das) leading up from the streets below - grander temples typically have four entrances, one
at each of the cardinal points. Larger temples often have a monastery ( kyaung ) attached.
Stupas
The soaring gilded stupas that dot Myanmar's towns and countryside are the country's most
emblematic and memorable sight - vast masses of shimmering gold, dazzling by day, mys-
teriously glowing in the half-light of dusk, magnificently illuminated after dark. The classic
Burmese-style stupa is perhaps the most beautiful in Asia: tall and slender, with a distinctive
shape that seems to blend monumental size and presence with an elegantly simple outline,
softened with organic, almost feminine, curves.
The country's first stupas, at Thayekhittaya , are little more than massive but rather crude
cylindrical towers. These gradually developed at Bagan into the classic design - typified by
the stupas at pagodas such as the Shwezigon and Shwesandaw - with their bell-shaped bod-
ies rising to a delicately tapering spire above.
The massive Shwedagon Pagoda inYangonisperhaps the ultimate Burmese stupa, andtyp-
ifies many standard design elements found across the country, albeit on an unusually grand
scale. The entire stupa sits on a massive square base , surrounded by miniature stupas, and
with shrines to the four Buddhas at each of the cardinal points. Above the base rises a series
of octagonal terraces ( pyissaya ) - access to these is restricted to monks. Surmounting this
is the main body of the stupa, shaped like an inverted almsbowl ( thabeik ), its top decorated
with lotus petals. This provides a base for the stupa spire, culminating in the distinctive “ ba-
nana bud ” ( nga pyaw bu ). At the very top, the stupa is crowned by a latticework umbrella
( hti ), typically decorated with precious stones, hung with bells and topped with a gilded flag.
Shrines
Surrounding the central stupa you'll usually find a ring of shrines ( tazaung ), typically dec-
orated in a riot of colour and ornamentation. Most shrines are topped by a gilded pyatthat ,
a kind of cross between a roof and a spire, with tiers of flamboyantly carved, superimposed
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