Mahazedi Pagoda
| Mahazedi Pagoda | |
|---|---|
မဟာစေတီ | |
 | |
| Religion | |
| Affiliation | Buddhism |
| Sect | Theravada Buddhism |
| Region | Bago Region |
| Location | |
| Municipality | Bago |
| Country | Myanmar |
  Shown within Myanmar | |
| Geographic coordinates | 17°20′21″N 96°27′15″E / 17.339151°N 96.454237°E |
| Architecture | |
| Founder | Bayinnaung |
| Groundbreaking | 15 November 1559 (original structure) Wednesday, 2nd waning of Nadaw 921 ME[note 1] |
| Completed | 2 January 1561 (original) Thursday, 2nd waning of Pyatho, 922 ME[note 2] |
Mahazedi Pagoda (Burmese: မဟာစေတီ) is a prominent Buddhist pagoda in Bago, Myanmar.
History[edit]
The pagoda was built by King Bayinnaung to house a gold and jewel-encrusted tooth relic of the Buddha.[3][4] The tooth relic was a replica from Dharmapala of Kotte, the king of the Kingdom of Kotte, who gifted the tooth, along with an alms bowl and his daughter.[5][6][4] The construction of the pagoda began in November 1559, and was completed six months later in May 1560.[1] The footprint of the pagoda was 100 taung (45.72 m (150 ft)) in diameter, and the height was 150 taung (68.58 m (225 ft)), without the hti ("umbrella spire").[1] The hti spire was raised atop the pagoda for the first time on 2 January 1561.[2]
The relics arrived in 1576.[4] In 1599, King Anaukpetlun conquered Bago and removed the relics to Taungoo.[4] In 1636, King Thalun removed the relics to Inwa, enshrining them at the Kaunghmudaw Pagoda in Sagaing.[4] Throughout its history, the pagoda has been destroyed by several earthquakes on the Sagaing Fault, on 13 September 1564, 1583, and 8 October 1888, and completely leveled in 1930.[7][3] Mahazedi Pagoda was rebuilt in the 1950s.[6]
Notes[edit]
- ^ The relic chamber was dedicated on Wednesday, 2nd waning of Nadaw 921 ME (Wednesday, 15 November 1599).[1]
- ^ The construction of the pagoda was completed in May 1560 (six months after the relic chamber dedication ceremony).[1] The hti umbrella raising ceremony was held on 2nd waning of Pyatho 922 ME (Thursday, 2 January 1561).[2]
References[edit]
- ^ a b c d Maha Yazawin Vol. 1 2006: 254
- ^ a b Maha Yazawin Vol. 1 2006: 259
- ^ a b Guides, Insight (2015). Insight Guide: Myanmar (Burma). Apa Publications (UK) Limited. ISBN 9781780058849.
- ^ a b c d e Thabrew, W. Vivian De (2014-03-11). Buddhist Monuments And Temples Of Myanmar And Thailand. AuthorHouse. ISBN 9781491896228.
- ^ DK (2016). DK Eyewitness Travel Guide Myanmar (Burma). Penguin. ISBN 9781465459824.
- ^ a b Wojciehowski, Hannah Chapelle (2011-08-22). Group Identity in the Renaissance World. Cambridge University Press. ISBN 9781107003606.
- ^ Thein, Maung (2009). "EARTHQUAKE AND TSUNAMI HAZARD IN MYANMAR". Journal of Earthquake and Tsunami. 3 (2): 43–57. doi:10.1142/S1793431109000482.
Bibliography[edit]
- Kala, U (2006) [1724]. Maha Yazawin (in Burmese). Vol. 1–3 (4th printing ed.). Yangon: Ya-Pyei Publishing.
- Maha Sithu (2012) [1798]. Kyaw Win; Thein Hlaing (eds.). Yazawin Thit (in Burmese). Vol. 1–3 (2nd ed.). Yangon: Ya-Pyei Publishing.
- Royal Historical Commission of Burma (2003) [1832]. Hmannan Yazawin (in Burmese). Vol. 1–3. Yangon: Ministry of Information, Myanmar.
