Shwedagon Pagoda is a monumental construction in Myanmar, Asia. Myanmar Department of Archaeology gives its chronology as “Consensus c. 6th to 10th century CE.” Its height is listed as 99 m (estimated). Myanmar Department of Archaeology also records: “Buddhist stupa.”
A gilded stupa about 99 m tall.
What makes it extraordinary
Burmese Astrology and Planetary Posts
The octagonal plinth of the stupa is surrounded by eight small shrines known as planetary posts, reflecting Burmese astrology's eight-day week. This system divides Wednesday into two distinct periods: morning (represented by a tusked elephant) and afternoon (represented by a tuskless elephant). Other days are represented by the garuda, tiger, lion, mouse, guinea pig, and nāga. Devotees perform blessing rituals at the post corresponding to their birth day, which involves pouring water over a Buddha image and its associated guardian angel and animal.
Evolution of Stupa Height and Gilding
The pagoda's physical scale has increased significantly through successive royal interventions. While royal chronicles first mention it in 1362/63 CE when King Binnya U raised it to 18 meters, Queen Shin Saw Pu later increased its height to 40 meters and gilded the structure in the 15th century. Following a devastating earthquake in 1768 that destroyed the top of the stupa, King Hsinbyushin reconstructed it in 1775 to its current height of 99 meters, excluding the hti or crown umbrella.
Precious Gemstones and Gold Plating
The exterior of the Shwedagon Pagoda is composed of genuine gold plates attached to a brick core using traditional rivets. The structure's crown, or hti, is exceptionally ornate, featuring 5,448 diamonds and 2,317 rubies. At the very apex sits a diamond bud tipped with a single 76-carat (15 g) diamond. This tradition of maintenance and decoration has been supported for centuries by donations of gold from both the Burmese monarchy and the general public to preserve the stupa's brilliant appearance.
The Great Bells of Shwedagon
The pagoda's history is marked by the loss and recovery of massive ceremonial bells. The 300-ton Great Bell of Dhammazedi was stolen by Portuguese adventurer Filipe de Brito in 1608 but sank into the Bago River and remains unrecovered. In 1779, King Singu donated the 23-ton Maha Gandha Bell, which the British attempted to ship to Kolkata in 1824. It also fell into the river but was successfully salvaged by local Burmese divers using hundreds of bamboo poles to float it back to the surface.
Skyline Prominence and Height Regulations
Standing 112 meters tall at its spire, the Shwedagon Pagoda dominates the Yangon skyline from its position atop the 51-meter-high Singuttara Hill, reaching a total of 170 meters above sea level. To preserve this visual prominence, Yangon's municipal zoning regulations strictly cap the maximum height of new buildings at 127 meters above sea level. This restriction ensures that no modern structure exceeds approximately 75% of the pagoda's elevation relative to the sea, maintaining its status as the city's primary landmark.
Global Replicas of the Shwedagon
The architectural design of the Shwedagon Pagoda has been replicated in several locations worldwide. The Uppatasanti Pagoda in Naypyidaw, completed in 2009, is a near-exact replica but stands 30 cm shorter than the original. Other notable replicas include a 46.8-meter stupa in Berastagi, Indonesia, built with materials imported from Myanmar, and the 29-meter Global Vipassana Pagoda in Mumbai, India. Additionally, a monastery modeled after the Shwedagon was inaugurated in Chisago City, Minnesota, in 2019, demonstrating its international religious and architectural influence.
Enshrinement of Four Buddhas' Relics
The Shwedagon Pagoda is regarded as the most sacred Buddhist site in Myanmar because it is believed to house relics from four previous Buddhas of the current kalpa. These include the staff of Kakusandha, the water filter of Koṇāgamana, a piece of the robe of Kassapa, and eight strands of hair from Gautama Buddha. Legend states that two merchants, Tapussa and Bhallika, received the hair strands directly from Gautama Buddha and presented them to King Okkalapa of Dagon for enshrinement on Singuttara Hill.
British Military Occupation and Fortification
During the 19th century, British forces occupied the Shwedagon Pagoda twice, using it as a fortress. In 1824, during the First Anglo-Burmese War, troops seized the site for two years, with one officer even tunneling into the stupa to assess its potential as a gunpowder magazine. Following the Second Anglo-Burmese War in 1852, the British maintained military control over the stupa for 77 years until 1929. During these periods, significant looting occurred, though some treasures were saved through the appeals of local leaders like Lord Maung Htaw Lay.
The Shoe Question and Nationalist Movement
The requirement to remove footwear at the pagoda became a central flashpoint for Burmese nationalism during the colonial era. While Burmese tradition strictly prohibited shoes in pagoda precincts, European visitors and British troops frequently flouted this rule. The 'shoe question' led to public confrontations, such as U Dhammaloka's 1902 challenge to a police officer. It was not until 1919 that British authorities prohibited footwear, though an exception for government officials continued to stir nationalist sentiment. Today, all footwear and socks remain strictly prohibited on the pagoda platform.
Center for Political Dissent and Strikes
Shwedagon Pagoda has served as a primary staging ground for major political protests in Myanmar's history. In 1920 and 1936, university students used the pagoda's terraces to organize strikes against colonial education acts. In 1938, oilfield workers established a strike camp there during the '1300 Revolution.' More recently, the site was the focal point of the 1988 Uprising, where Aung San Suu Kyi addressed 500,000 people, and the 2007 Saffron Revolution, which saw tens of thousands of monks marching from the stupa to protest the military regime.
