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Thanboddhay Pagoda is the major tourist attraction of Monywa. The main stupa contains 582363 Buddha images of all sizes row upon row in ascending tiers in niches both interior and exterior walls.

Unlike many other temples in Myanmar, the entrance is not guarded by lions. Instead, two imposing white elephants stand out against their shimmering backdrop. The length of each elephants is 36 feet (almost 11 metres) and the heigh to the diamond bud is 48 feet (almost 15 meters).

Thanboddhay is the only pagoda with this unique shape in the whole country.

Thanboddhay Pagoda is said by locals to be an extremely lucky site. During WWII many bombs were dropped in the area but never exploded on this building. During the second World War thousands of people trying to get away from the war lived on the temple grounds.

The pagoda compound is very wide and contains many pavilions, rest houses and a large square pool where fish and turtles are allowed to live free. There are also a few old wooden pavilions with beautiful and colourful stucco figures, flowers and animals. One pagoda with a tower is called the Arlain Nga Sint, or the Five Stages Spiral Tower.

Jataka scenes

The Vessantara Jataka is one of the most popular avadānas of Theravada Buddhism. The Vessantara Jataka tells the story of one of Buddha's past lives, about a compassionate prince, Vessantara, who gives away everything he owns, including his children, thereby displaying the virtue of perfect charity. It is also known as the Great Birth Sermon.

Several pavilions enshrines Buddha images, among them a large reclining Buddha image wearing a golden robe

Traditional games - climbing a greasy pole to retrieve the prize at the top

Thanboddhay Pagoda was dedicated to the 512028 Buddhas who became enlightened during Gotama Buddha births in the cycle of Samsara.

Phenomenon of reincarnation and infinity are defined and expressed explicitly in Myanmar literature throughout the ages as understood by authors, artistically expressed in Thum-Buddhay Stupa, in the form of statues and statuettes. Total number of 512,028 various sized Buddha images was enshrined in this stupa.

Historical Buddha still known as Gautama

Buddha has accumulated ten principal

virtues in three fold efforts to

attain Buddhahood.

Reincarnated from one life form to another, striving to attain such state without verbal expression is, unimaginable; yet imagine, that during this time span 387,000 Buddhas has attained their goals.

After that, continuance of striving forward see to it that another 125,000 Buddhas achieved while this Bodhisattva is verbally expressing the Destiny. Adding these two numbers comes to 512,000. Then explicit prophecies of attaining ultimate achievement were taken from 27 successive Buddhas.

The ten principal virtues are generosity, self-restraint, solitude, learning, effort, true expression, forbearance, cherishing, detachment and resolution. Role playing in literally all walks of life, these virtues were accumulated

Buddhist temples in Myanmar believe that more Buddha images are better. Hundreds of thousands are not uncommon. At Thanboddhay Paya Buddhas are carved into every nook and cranny.

Text: InternetPictures: Sanda Foişoreanu & InternetCopyright: All the images belong to their authors

Presentation: Sanda Foişoreanu www.slideshare.net/michaelasanda

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