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Mahazedi Pagoda

Coordinates: 17°20′21″N 96°27′15″E / 17.339151°N 96.454237°E / 17.339151; 96.454237
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Mahazedi Pagoda
မဟာစေတီ
Religion
AffiliationBuddhism
SectTheravada Buddhism
RegionBago Region
Location
MunicipalityBago
CountryMyanmar
Mahazedi Pagoda is located in Myanmar
Mahazedi Pagoda
Shown within Myanmar
Geographic coordinates17°20′21″N 96°27′15″E / 17.339151°N 96.454237°E / 17.339151; 96.454237
Architecture
FounderBayinnaung
Groundbreaking15 November 1559 (original structure)
Wednesday, 2nd waning of Nadaw 921 ME[note 1]
Completed2 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

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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

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  1. ^ The relic chamber was dedicated on Wednesday, 2nd waning of Nadaw 921 ME (Wednesday, 15 November 1599).[1]
  2. ^ 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

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  1. ^ a b c d Maha Yazawin Vol. 1 2006: 254
  2. ^ a b Maha Yazawin Vol. 1 2006: 259
  3. ^ a b Guides, Insight (2015). Insight Guide: Myanmar (Burma). Apa Publications (UK) Limited. ISBN 9781780058849.
  4. ^ a b c d e Thabrew, W. Vivian De (2014-03-11). Buddhist Monuments And Temples Of Myanmar And Thailand. AuthorHouse. ISBN 9781491896228.
  5. ^ DK (2016). DK Eyewitness Travel Guide Myanmar (Burma). Penguin. ISBN 9781465459824.
  6. ^ a b Wojciehowski, Hannah Chapelle (2011-08-22). Group Identity in the Renaissance World. Cambridge University Press. ISBN 9781107003606.
  7. ^ Thein, Maung (2009). "EARTHQUAKE AND TSUNAMI HAZARD IN MYANMAR". Journal of Earthquake and Tsunami. 3 (2): 43–57. doi:10.1142/S1793431109000482.

Bibliography

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