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| I originally thought this was the Shwedagon Pagoda, but now I'm not sure, we were not on the other side of the river to Schwedagon but I can find no details of another pagoda this size |
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This is the Eastern Entrance to the Shwedagon Pagoda, there is
an entrance at each cardinal point. The Pagoda which sits on a 58
metre high hill, is 99 metres high.
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The main platform is inlaid with marble slabs, and at each of the four corners are sphinxes surrounded by chinthe (half lion, half dragon) There is large zedi (stupa) at each cardinal point. In the centre is the great gold zedi, the octagnal base has eight small zedi on each side. Around the terrace are numerous shrines, pagodas, planatery posts, statues of Buddhas, two bodhi trees, two bells (weighing 24 tons and 42 tons)..... There are stupa umbrellas - hti- (the gold spires) everywhere you look.
The Umbrella of the Shwedagon weighs 5
tons, it is 13 metres high, 5
metres circumference at its widest, covered with half a ton of gold.
It has 4,016 small gold bells and 83,850 diamonds, rubies, sapphires and other
precious stones. On top of this is the Vane which turns with the wind, it is
130cms long, 76cms breadth and weighs 924lbs. At the very top of the spire is
the Diamond Orb, it is 56cms high with a diameter of 27cms, this alone has
4,351 diamonds totaling 1,800 carat, with a single 76 carat diamond
at its apex. (per the map issued by the Shwedagon Pagoda) Check out the
close up photographs on line.
