Shwedagon Pagoda guide – structures on south and southwest terrace

From south, which is the stairway used by most foreign visitors to Shwedagon, you first arrived at the Southern Main Shrine (or) Southern Devotional Hall (5). There is an image of Konagamana Buddha in the shrine. Konagamana Buddha is the second Buddha of this world. (There were 4 Buddhas in this world, with the fifth and the last to come in the future). The hall was renovated in 1947 and again a few years ago. There are a number of ancient Buddha images in this shrine which differ markedly from other images on Shwedagon. The hall has iron tracery in the spandrels, donated in 1957 by the family of land owners, U Ba Yi and Daw Than May. The motif (design) of this tracery is floral, but there are a number of pyinsarupa, which is a mythical animal with different forms combined – trunk and task of elephant, horns of mythical deer, legs and hoofs of horse, wings of a bird and tails of a carp (large fish). This is the same animal used by Yangon Airways as the logo.

Southern Devotion Shrine

The proper way to tour Shwedagon Pagoda is to turn left and walk clockwise. This is the proper way for the visitors to tour the pagoda. Walk a little clockwise and to the west of the southern shrine is the Chinese Merited Association Tazaung (6). Here, there are 28 Buddha images that represent all Buddhas who have lived since the creation of time. To the west of this tazaung is the Hall of Gold and Silver Hills (7). It was originally built by U Tin Ya and his wife Daw Nu in the style of a Chinese temple. It was later renovated and the Chinese style roof was replaced with a Burmese style roof with several tiers. However, there are still a number of Chinese style structures inside the Hall. The Golden and Silver Hills, which give the hall its name, are characteristically Chinese, and are at the corners of the hall.

Shrine of Sun and Moon

To the west of this Golden and Silver Hills Hall is the Shrine of Sun and Moon (8). There, you will see a lot of believers who believe the two Buddha images can grant your wish. There are always devotes at this shrine.

Walk behind the Sun and Moon Shrine, and you will arrive at the famed Monument of the University Boycotters (9), situated at the south-west corner of the terrace. This monument was erected in a place of an old resting place where eleven student leaders from Rangoon College and Judson College met secretly in 1920 to boycott the Rangoon University Act. The boycott spread to all over the country, and marked the first of a series of student movements in the history of Burma. There are inscriptions of the names of these eleven students in Burmese, English, French and Russian.

A short distance to the north of this monument is the Shrine of the guardian spirit of Shwedagon Pagoda (or) Shwedagon Bo Bo Gyi (10). This is kept behind the glass together with Thagyamin (or) the King of heaven.

Note: The Shwedagon floor plan indicating these places can be viewed atShwedagon Floor Plan.

Related posts:

1. Shwedagon Pagoda Guide – South East of the terrace
2. Shwedagon Pagoda Guide – Floor Plan and Map
3. Shwedagon Pagoda Guide – Structures on the north
4. Shwedagon Pagoda Guide – Structures on western terrace
5. Shwedagon Pagoda Guide – Structures in north west corner