Shwethalyaung Buddha, A Majestic Reclining Buddha, Lost and Rediscovered
50 meters south from the intersection of Maha Zayde Rd and Ma Zin Rd
4.3
Introduction
The Bago Buddha is a form of Buddhist art that depicts the scene of the Buddha's nirvana. It is said that this reclining Buddha statue was built in 994 and is 55 meters long and 16 meters high, and is known as the "most beautiful reclining Buddha in all of Myanmar." However, in 1757, Bago was invaded by an army and the Buddha statue was buried deep in the forest. It was not until 1881, when the British colonial government planned to build a railway in Bago, that it was rediscovered. After restoration work in 1948, it became the site we see today. Due to its long history, the Buddha statue is widely loved and respected by worshippers, even more so than the Chaukhtatgyi Buddha in Yangon. The "pillow" of the statue was later donated by worshippers and is decorated with colorful glass and gemstones. A closer observation of the reclining Buddha reveals that its style is different from that of modern Burmese art, with a leaner and more elongated face, features, body, and limbs. In the Bago language, "Shwe" means gold, "Tha" is an honorific, and "Lyaung" means reclining, pronounced "Shwe Tha Lyaung." Address 50 meters south from the intersection of Maha Zayde Rd and Ma Zin Rd
