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Rising up to a height above 100m, bounded by the Singuttara Hill in Yangon is the most sacred place of Myanmar. Shwedagon Pagoda is a stupa which is covered by golden plates from top to bottom with diamonds encrusted at the top. This 2500 years old Pagoda was a creation by the king Okkalapa and the story behind the Pagoda is also a very interesting one. When Prince Siddhartha became the enlightened one and was meditating at the Rajayathana tree in the seventh week, two merchants named Thapassu and Balluka came across. They offered honey and corn. They were the first two people to follow lord Buddha and Buddhism. So in return Lord Buddha gave them 8 hair strands which they placed in a ruby casket and brought back to Asithanjana near Singuttara Hill. Back there, with the help of King Okkalapa, they built a pagoda placing inside the ruby casket with sacred hair strands as well as other relics from three other previous Buddhas, staff of Kakusandha Buddha, a piece of the robe of Kassapa Buddha and the water filter of Koṇāgamana Buddha.
Covering the sacred relics, a golden pagoda was built and covering that a silver pagoda and a gold and copper alloy pagoda and bronze pagoda were built respectively. Encasing those and iron pagoda and finally a brick pagoda were built. It is also said that the innermost Shwedagon Pagoda was filled half with jewelry and on top of it was a ship full of jewelry and on top of it were the relics.
Since its first construction, Pagoda was renovated and restored with several additions by many kings and queens. In 308 BC King Srimasoka built a enclosing pavilion while around 1360, King Banya-U enlarged the pagoda. Queen Shinsawbu made a retaining embankment with brick along with an enclosure wall. King Dhammazedi gifted gold that matched the weight of himself and his wife for the gliding of the pagoda and placed a huge bell on it. Anaukpetlun donated an umbrella and a bell and he reconstructed the pagoda which was damaged due to an earthquake. Hsinbyushin restored the pagoda to present day height and gave away an umbrella and 77kg of gold for the gliding.
If we look at the basic plan of the site, making Shwedagon Pagoda the center piece, there are 4 smaller stupas at the four cardinal directions. Encircling the main stupa, there are 64 small stupas inline with the cardinal stupas. Main stupa can again be divied into 3 parts as the base, dome and the spire. The base of the stupa consists of a square plinth of 6.4m high, octagonal terraces and an octagonal dais called "eight edges". Dome consists of circular bolts, the bell, the girdle, the inverted alms bowl and the festoon. The spire is again divided into four parts. The lowest part has 7 concentric rings. Above them are the upturned lotus and the inverted lotus. Above them is a tear drop shaped structure. Finally at the top it the umbrella.
Travellers' Guide
If you are planning to visit Shwedagon Pagoda, there are several formalities you should follow. Make sure you wear your bottoms covering your knees and your tops should have sleeves at least up to elbow length. You must remove your shoes and slippers at the entrance. An entrance fee of $5 will be charged. There are food and concession services if you want. Usually the Pagoda is open daily from 4 am to 10 pm and on the waxing day of Tabaung around March and waxing day of Wakhaung around June the pagoda is open 24 hours.
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