Along with having great views of the famous Shwedagon Pagoda, there are a few pagodas close to where I live. When I first arrived, it was Chinese New Year and one particular pagoda close to where I'm staying churned out an impressively long and loud amount of chanting and singing all through the weekend. I can also see some of the tops of some pagodas and monastery complexes from my bedroom window, so I thought I'd spend today seeing what some of them are like.
Its the middle of summer so pretty hot here, but nonetheless I decided to walk the 15 mins or so down to Chauck Htat Gee pagoda. This pagoda has one of the largest reclining buddhas in the country.
Like most religious buildings here, the entrance to the pagoda was very
pretty and elaborate. But it also had a strange architectural
juxtaposition with a European style clock in the background.
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| entrance to Chauck Htat Gyee Pagoda |
After going through the main entrance, there's the obligatory removal of the shoes before walking up a long stepped walkway to the main pagoda. And then, there's the massive reclining Buddha, serenely gazing at entrants to the pagoda.
He was truly massive, but because he is housed in a spacious building there is a good opportunity to get a good sense of his overall scale. He is 66 meters long, with a 7.3 meter long face.
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| blue eyeshadow? |
The buddha is housed in a very serene complex, on an elevated bit of land which meant that it captures a nice breeze. All along the back of the reclining buddha are a number of other smaller buddhas and shrines for all different purposes.
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| a shrine with some of the smaller buddhas in the background |
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| buddhas lining the back of the larger reclining buddha |
The soles of the buddha's feet contain 108 segments in red and gold colors that
show images representing the 108 lakshanas or auspicious characteristics
of the Buddha.
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| the Buddha's ornate feet |
Having just started exploring some of Myanmar's religious pagodas and complexes I've noticed that there seems to be a liking to decorating the buddhist status and other monuments with colourful flashing lights. And this place was no different. On one side of the structure a long row of buddhas, each had their own colourful backdrop of flashing lights.
All in all it was a great place to visit and the peacefulness of the complex made it calming and conducive to contemplative thinking.
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| silly kitty - can't you read the sign? |
He was truly massive, but because he is housed in a spacious building there is a good opportunity to get a good sense of his overall scale. He is 66 meters long, with a 7.3 meter long face.
All in all it was a great place to visit and the peacefulness of the complex made it calming and conducive to contemplative thinking.
Looks really amazing.
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