Uppatasanti Pagoda

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Uppātasanti Pagoda
ဥပ္ပါတသန္တိစေတီတော်
Naypyidaw -- Uppatasanti Pagoda.JPG
Religion
AffiliationBuddhism
SectTheravada Buddhism
Location
LocationNaypyidaw
CountryMyanmar
Uppatasanti Pagoda is located in Myanmar
Uppatasanti Pagoda
Shown within Myanmar
Geographic coordinates19°46′16.14″N 96°10′58.76″E / 19.7711500°N 96.1829889°E / 19.7711500; 96.1829889Coordinates: 19°46′16.14″N 96°10′58.76″E / 19.7711500°N 96.1829889°E / 19.7711500; 96.1829889
Architecture
FounderState Peace and Development Council
CompletedMarch 2009
Thai delegation led by PM Abhisit Vejjajiva circumambulates Uppatasanti Pagoda

Uppātasanti Pagoda (ဥပ္ပါတသန္တိစေတီတော်, pronounced [ʔoʊʔpàta̰ θàɰ̃dḭ zèdìdɔ̀]; officially called ဥပ္ပါတသန္တိစေတီတော်မြတ်ကြီး, also called the "Peace Pagoda") is a prominent landmark in Naypyidaw, the capital of Myanmar. The pagoda houses a Buddha tooth relic from China.[1] It is nearly a same-sized replica of Shwedagon Pagoda in Yangon and stands 99 metres (325 ft) tall.[2]

History[]

Construction of Uppatasanti Pagoda began on 12 November 2006, with the stake-driving ceremony, and completed in March 2009, built under the guidance of Than Shwe, head of Burma's ruling State Peace and Development Council.[2] The invitation card for the stake-driving ceremony opened with a phrase "Rajahtani Naypyidaw" (the royal capital where the president resides).[3] The pagoda is 30 cm shorter than the Shwedagon Pagoda.[4]

"Uppātasanti" roughly translates to "protection against calamity". It is the name of a sūtra prepared by a monk in the early 16th century. It is to be recited in time of crisis, especially in the face of foreign invasion.[5]

Structure[]

The massive base of the Pagoda which may be mistaken for a large hill is completely man-made.

The pagoda precinct also comprises:[2]

  • Maha Hsutaungpyae Buddha Image in Maha Pasadabhumi Gandhakuti Chamber
  • Four jade Buddha images in the pagoda's hollow cave
  • 108 feet high flagstaff
  • Bo tree Garden with Maha Bo Tree and the images of the 28 Buddhas
  • Garden of 108 Bo Trees
  • Marlini Mangala Lake with the chamber of Shin Uppagutta
  • Withongama Ordination Hall (thein)
  • Cetiyapala Chamber
  • Sangha Yama hostels
  • Sasana Maha Beikmandaw Building
  • Pagoda museum
  • Pitakat Building and Religious Archive

According to The Irrawaddy, 20 people died during a ferris wheel accident at a festival marking the pagoda's consecration in March 2009.[6] The consecration of the pagoda, which involves the hoisting of the htidaw (sacred umbrella, ထီးတော် [tʰí dɔ̀]) and the seinbudaw (diamond lotus bud, စိန်ဖူးတော် [sèɪɰ̃ bú dɔ̀]), took place on 10 March 2009.[1]

Gallery[]

  • Closeup of the pagoda's hti

  • Uppatasanti Pagoda-02.jpg
  • Uppatasanti Pagoda, Naypyidaw.jpg
  • Uppatasanti Pagoda-01.jpg

  • Inside the dome

  • View from a corner

  • Plaza at sunset

  • A shrine off the main plaza

  • Main plaza looking east

References[]

  1. ^ a b "Than Shwe's New Pagoda Hides More than a Buddha Relic". The Irrawaddy. March 10, 2009. Archived from the original on August 11, 2010. Retrieved December 10, 2015.
  2. ^ a b c "Signs of rapid development in Nay Pyi Taw". MRTV-3.
  3. ^ Steinberg, David (2009). Burma/Myanmar: What Everyone Needs to Know. Oxford University Press. p. 133. ISBN 978-0-19-539068-1.
  4. ^ "Naypyidaw's Version of Shwedagon Pagoda Nears Completion". The Irrawaddy. March 6, 2009. Archived from the original on August 11, 2010. Retrieved January 6, 2010.
  5. ^ Weekly Eleven News Journal. 1 (44): 9. 16 August 2006. {{cite journal}}: Missing or empty |title= (help)
  6. ^ "20 Reported Dead in Naypyidaw Funfair Disaster". March 10, 2009.
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