Shwezigon Pagoda

Scholars opine that the name Shwezigon is derived from "Zeyabon", In a poem on "NineWonders of Shwezigon" composed by Inwa Mingyi, Shwezigon Pagoda is mentioned as"Zeyakon". In line 16 of the inscription on the bell which King Bayint Naung dedicated toShwezigon Pagoda it is mentioned as "Zeyabon".

It was King Anawrahta who began building Shwezigon Pagoda. In the sakarit year 452 (ie. AD1090) his son King Kyanzittha enclosed it with stone bricks hewn at the Tuyin Taung quarries.Some say that King Anawrahta left it unfinished and it was King Kyanzittha who completed it.There are 43 enclosed pagodas in Bagan of which Shwezigon Pagoda is one. A close study ofShwezigon structure will show us that from the base to the upper section of the bellshapeddome where the motifs of down-turned and up turned lotus petals adorn, the whole body is builtof stone bricks, it is said that on the site of present Nan Gyi Kon, was set up a royal residencewhere King Kyanzittha stayed to supervise the transportation of stone bricks by hand from theTu Yin Taung quarries to the construction site.

Nan Gyi Kon is one of well known historical sites in Bagan on the south of Shwezigon Pagoda.

In architecture Shwezigon is a prototype of Myanmar Zedi. There are several plaques adorningits terraces. They are glazed stone plaques on which scenes from 550 Jatakas (Buddha's birthstories) are depicted. The colour of glaze is mostly green.

The Nine Wonders of Shwezigon Pagoda

1. The Hti (umbrella) on the top has no iron buttresses, 2. The shadows of the enclosure walls do not change position. 3. Papers holding gold foils are dropped from the height of the Pagoda after gilding, but they

1 / 19

Shwezigon Pagoda

never land outside the precinct. 4. The precinct can accommodate any number of visitors and pilgrims. 5. There is always an early morning offering of steamed rice to the Pagoda. 6. The sound of the beating of a big drum on one side of the Pagoda cannot be heard on theother side. 7. The Pagoda gives you an illusion of it being on a ridge. 8. Regardless of heavy rainfall, no rain water remains in its compound, and 9. The Khayey trees and Chayar trees in the precinct bloom all the year round.

A close-up view of Shwezigon Pagoda from the precinct

A night view of Shwezigon Pagoda glittering in the electric lights

2 / 19

Shwezigon Pagoda

There are four image houses called "Kyey Gu Taik,"each on one side of the Pagoda. In theeastern house is the statue of Konagamana Buddha, in the western house is the statue ofGotama Buddha, in the northern house is the statue of Kakusanda Buddha, and in the southernhouse is the statue of Kassapa Buddha. These Buddha statues were cast in alloy and heavilygilt. On either side of the eastern causeway is an inscribed stone slab recording the biographyof King Kyanzittha and political,economic and cultureal conditions of the time. The inscription iscomposed in old Mon language.

Originally there was an inner enclosure wall built of wooden posts and bars. There were fourarched entrances in the inner enclosure wall, facing four cardinal directions. Two zedis at eachentrance, big iron rings fixed on them and stone bars at the entrances survive till to day. Oneither side of the inner wall, leaning against the entrance zedis are two Dwarapala figures eachon one side, representing the guardian deities. On either side of the arched entrance of theouter enclosure wall are a pair of Dwarapala devas figures and a pair of lion figures eachsculpted out of a monolithic. On both sides of the southern arched entrance are found stonefigures of ten handed deva, Naya and Lion.

Orginally there were four Panet The Gus, each at one corner of the precinct. Now only tworemain, one at the north east corner and the other at the north west corner. Panet The Gus arebrick spires

There is a large wooden doorleaf on display in the Pagoda museum. It is one of the original 8wooden door leaves from the entrances of the inner wooden enclosure wall. Fortunately at leastone door leaf survives. It is over nine centuries old. On it are carvings of musicians, dancers,floral designs, and patterns artistically executed. Another art work of Bagan period is a woodenstatue of Bodaw Thagya (Sakka deva) at the shrine of 37 Nat spirits in the southeast corner.

On the sides of the eastern entrance are a bronze bell cast and dedicated by U Myat Baw thegovernor of Bagan and a big bronze bell of about 2000 viss and a smaller bronze bell cast in thesakarit year 919. (i.e A.D. 1557). The incriptions on these bells of 1557 tell us that they werecast and dedicated to Shwezigon Pagoda by King Bayint Nyuang of Hamthawaddy Kingdomand that he gilt Shwezigon Pagoda from the base to the top.

{tab=Architecture}

3 / 19

Shwezigon Pagoda

Ground Plan of Shwezigon Pagoda

Ground Plan of Shwezigon Pagoda

4 / 19

Shwezigon Pagoda

Drawing of Shwezigon Pagoda East elevation

The Cross Sectional Drawing of Shwezigon Pagoda

5 / 19

Shwezigon Pagoda

Two square stone inscriptions set up each on either side of the entrance of the eastern causewa. They bear King Kyanzittha's royal order in which he pro claims "with my right hand I will give rice ration, with my left hand I will give clothing".

Frescoes on the Inner Walls of Htidaw Gu

{tab=Gallery}

6 / 19

Shwezigon Pagoda

Shwezigon Pagoda viewed from the terrace of Thuhtay Mok Gu Pagoda

A picturesque view of Shwezigon Pagoda seen from the southern side

7 / 19

Shwezigon Pagoda

A big stone statue of stylisted Lion at the south-east corner (Tuesday direction). If it is viewed from the side it appears a single lion but the front view reveals its double seats squatting at the corner.

A relief floral design adorning the second terrace of Shwezigon Pagoda

8 / 19

Shwezigon Pagoda

A view of the uppe section of the third terrace of Shwezigon Pagoda

Stone alms bowls

Shwezigon Pagoda viewed from the east entrance of the causeway

9 / 19

Shwezigon Pagoda

A stone steed standing in the eastern image house

The interior of the causeway at the south entrance of Shwezigon Pagoda

A lacquerware shop in the eastern causeway of Shwezigon Pagoda

10 / 19

Shwezigon Pagoda

A toy shop selling Myanmar traditional toys and dolls

A reclining Buddha Statue on the south precinct

Big stone alms bowls to keep cooked rice, belonging to the early Bagan period, found on the east face of Shwezigon Pagoda

11 / 19

Shwezigon Pagoda

A relief floral design adorning the second terrace of Shwezigon Pagoda

A big causeway at the south entrance of Shwezigon Pagoda

12 / 19

Shwezigon Pagoda

Some stone plaques adorning the second and third terraces of Shwezigon Pagoda. They depict scenes from 550 jatakas (Buddha's birth stories)

Stone bricks brought by hand through a human chain from the quarries of Tuyin Taung Hill were laid from the base to the top of Shwezigon Pagoda. The photograph shows some stone bricks of the pagoda left unplastered to prove that the structure was built of stone. Stone bricks were laid and glued in such a way that no needle can pierce their seams.

13 / 19

Shwezigon Pagoda

Painted wood carvings of the same building depicting the story of Nyidaw Min Nan

Painted woodcarvings adorning the Yokeson Tazaung building on the south precinct, depicting Prince Siddhartha's renunciation of his mundane life.

14 / 19

Shwezigon Pagoda

Myanmar artworks adorning the upper portion of Shwezigon Pagoda

Painted wood curvings of the same building depicting scenes from Suvamnasama jataka and Ma Bada and Ko Dasa jataka

15 / 19

Shwezigon Pagoda

Kaukusanda Buddha image in the eastern image house

Kaunagamana Buddha image in the southern image house

16 / 19

Shwezigon Pagoda

The Su Taung Pyi Pagoda (The Pagoda that fulfills your prayers) on the south-east of the precinct

A big lion statue at the eastern entrance of Shwezigon Pagoda

17 / 19

Shwezigon Pagoda

Images of two guardian nat spirits Father Shwe Nyo Thin and son Shwe Saga housed in a brick building on the south-west corner of Shwezigon Pagoda

A wooden door leaf of the Bagan Period kept in a brick house on the eastern precinct. Ornate carvings adorn the surface of the door leaf

18 / 19

Shwezigon Pagoda

A small bell cast and dedicated to the Pagoda by King Bayint Naung. It is hung on the southern precinct.

Panet The Gu on the north-west corner of Shwezigon Pagoda {/tabs}

19 / 19