Shwedagon Pagoda guide – structures in the North East

Just to the north of the Northern Devotion Hall is the Mahabodhi Temple (31). This is the replica of the Mahabodhi Temple in Bodhgaya, which is the place where Gautama Buddha attained enlightenment. Mahabodhi Temple at Shwedagon takes only the general architectural structure of the original temple in India, and the details were varied greatly. The temple was built Dagon Khin Khin Lay, who was a famous Myanmar writer in early 20^th century. She started her literary career in 1917 when, at the age of 13, she wrote a price winning short story.

A short distance to the north of Mahabodhi Temple is the Hall of Wizards (32). There are two wizards guarding the entrance of this hall. The wizard on the left is the wizard of iron, and the one on the right is the wizard of incantations. According to popular Myanmar believe, wizards practice the occult art of alchemy, casting of magic items and collection of magical plants. Their ultimate goal is to attain an ever-youthful body and superhuman ability, and to obtain supernatural powers. Although outside Buddhism, many Myanmar people believe in these wizards (or Bodaw) and put the shrines for these wizards in many Myanmar pagodas.

To the north of Wizards’ Hall is the pagoda known as Saw Lapaw’s Pagoda (33). Saw Lapaw is the chief of Kantarawaddy in the eastern Kayah (Karenni) State. The Kantarawaddy is a semiautonomous state between British Burma and the Burmese independent kingdom. He built this pagoda in 1879.

To the east of the Maha Bodhi Temple is the Strand Market Two Pice Hall (34). It was named Two Pice Hall because, like the western stairway entrance hall, it was built in 1914 with the daily donation of two pices (1/32 of a rupee) by the shopkeepers from the old Strand Market in Rangoon. The Buddha image in this Tazaung has a reputation of granting one’s wish. There is a magic stone in front of the Buddha image. After praying and asking your wish, the devotee lift the stone, saying “May this stone seem light to me, if my wish is to be fulfilled.” If the stone feels light, it is a sign that his or her wish is granted. If it is still heavy, it means your wish is not successful.

North of this Tazaung is the Shin Ajagona (Shin Itzagawna) Tazaung (35). Inside is a Buddha image with two different sized eyes. According to legend, Shin Ajagona was a monk from early Bagan era who practiced alchemy. He tried to find the Philosopher’s Stone, which he believed would have the ability to turn anything into gold. In his experiment, he dipped the metal stone into acid, but failed to produce the desired Philosopher’s stone. Admitting his failure, he poked out both of his eyes to appease the king of Bagan. The metal stone was also thrown into the toilet pit. However, to everyone’s amazement, the stone was turned into the Philosopher’s Stone as the final element to be added was feces. With the Philosopher’s stone in hand, he asked his novice to go and buy a pair of eyes, wither bull or goat, for him. However, the novice could buy only one eye of goat and one eye of bull. With the help of the Philosopher’s stone, the monk used these two eyes to restore his eyesight. However, his eyes were different from each other, and from that time on, the monk were known as Ajagona or “Ram-Bull”.

Just north of Shin Ajagona Tazaung is Naungdawgyi (Elder Brother) Pagoda (36). According to legend, the pagoda was built on a site where Eight Sacred Hair of Gautama Buddha was first placed on their arrival. King Okkalapa later built a smaller version of Shwedagon Pagoda at this site. Another legend says that Tapussa, the elder of the two brothers who got the Buddha’s Hair from Gautama Buddha, travelled to India again and received another hair of Buddha. He later enshrined the hair here and built a smaller pagoda. However, there is no archeological evidence to support either of these stories. A possible explanation for theorigin of Naungdawgyi Pagoda would be that this is indeed a small model by the architectures of Shwedagon Pagoda when Queen Shin Sawpu did the extensive renovation of the main stupa in 15^th century AD.

To the north east of Naungdawgyi Pagoda, near the north east corner of Shwedagon terrace are Shwedagon Inscriptions (44). Originally located near the upper end of the Eastern Stairway, these were later moved to the North East corner of the Shwedagon Pagoda. Inscribed by Dhammazedi, King of Hansawaddy (1472 – 1492), in 1485, the inscriptions describe the origin and history of Shwedagon Pagoda since the time of Gautama Buddha up to the time of major renovations done by the kings and queens of Hansawaddi (Hanthawaddy). The inscription was written in Burmese, Pali and Mon languages, written in both front and back.

Near the Naungdawgyi Pagoda is the King Tharwaddy’s Bell (37). Officially known as Mahatisaddaghanta Bell, this bell was the donation of King Tharwaddy of Ava (1838 – 1846) after his visit to Rangoon in 1841-42. The bell was cast on 19 February 184 and bears the Pali name Mahatisaddaghanta, “Great Bell of Three Sounds”. It is the second largest bell in Myanmar (the first being the Mingun Bell near Mandalay). It weighs 42 tons and 14 feet 3 inches in height, 7 feet 2 inches in width at the mouth and 15 inches in thickness. The bell has an inscription of 100 lines in Burmese and Pali. This inscription is the longest bell inscription in Myanmar.

South of the Great Bell, near the north east corner of the main stupa is the replica of the hti (38) originally donated in 1774 by King Tharyarwaddy, and replica of the apex of the pagoda, donated by King Mindon in 1871.

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

Related posts:

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