Botataung Pagoda

MYANMAR, Yangon

Botataung means One Thousand Military Officers. This pagoda received its name from a 2,000 year old legend that a thousand military officers formed a guard of honor for eight Indian monks when they brought the Buddha relics to Myanmar. The relics were venerated at this location. The original pagoda was destroyed in 1943 during World War II. A golden stupa-shaped reliquary containing the Buddha’s relics and precious treasures were found among the ruins. The Botataung Pagoda was reconstructed in 1948 based on its original design.
The pagoda is 40 m high and is made of reinforced concrete and then gilded. It has a multi-layer base with multiple corners. The bell-shaped body is decorated with Bodhi leaf motifs at the top. Above the body there is a spire consisting of stacked rings, two rows of lotuses, a bud, a multi-tier canopy, a vase, and finial. The interior of the pagoda is hollow and is filled with numerous cells, like a beehive. The cell walls are made of glass mosaic tiles. There are Buddha images in gold, silver, bronze, and terracotta enshrined in the display cabinets on the corridor walls. The Buddha images from the original pagoda are also preserved and venerated.