Skip to main content

The Shwedagon Pagoda: First glimpse



A trip to Yangon is not complete without a visit to the glittering golden Shwedagon Pagoda. It is the pride of Myanmar. Even if you don't see anything else in your trip to Myanmar and spend all day lazing at your hotel, at least do not miss the Shwedagon.

The Shwedagon Pagoda is a Buddhist temple built on a hill. The Burmese say it is more than 2000 years old, and contains some of the Buddha's relics. It is an important place of worship for Burmese Buddhists and a popular tourist destination as well. It is a complex with many ornate shrines, Buddha statues, and a giant stupa (Buddhist shrine) in the centre covered with gold and precious stones. The pagoda rests on a hill in Dagon township, and is easily reached by public transport and taxis.

We took YBS bus #12 from Sule Pagoda to Shwedagon pagoda. It cost us 200 Kyat (0.20 SGD) per person and it was a short 15 minute ride. We asked the locals which stop to get down at. The walk from the bus stop to Shwedagon took another 10 minutes. We passed by houses, juice shops, tailors for monk robes, and street vendors.

We bought some beautiful printed longyi 9sarong) cloth from a few street vendors. The prices weren't too expensive, about 3500 Kyat (3.5 SGD) for 2.5 metres of cotton cloth. Some traders allow bargaining, some don't. We noticed that traders with shops sold the same materials at more than three times the price. The markets near Sule Pagoda also sell similar cloth for street vendor prices or even lower. Once my mum had her fill of shopping, we headed to Shwedagon. 

I will never forget my first glimpse of the pagoda as it rose above the buildings. The image of a gleaming golden pagoda shining like a beacon through the Yangon smog is imprinted in my mind.

We took the Eastern entrance. It is lined with shops and street vendors selling all sorts of knick-knacks. My mum was interested in shopping, while I was itching to go inside the temple. So I left her to finish her shopping and went up on my own. 

The entrance to the pagoda is flanked by two giant stone lions. The security guard asked me to remove my shoes as I entered the complex. I put my shoes in a plastic bag and went up. Turns out, the pagoda is all the way on top of the hill. I had to first pass through a big hall with shops on both sides. Then there was a security screening area where they scanned my bags and then let me in.

I read in travel blogs that it costs 10,000 Kyat (10 SGD) to go inside the Shwedagon pagoda. For some reason none of the guards or staff at the entrance even gave me a second glance. The entire time I was there, nobody asked me to buy an entry ticket. Maybe they only ask if you look very obviously foreign!

I was a little peeved about having to walk barefoot all the way to the top, especially seeing how dirty the floor was. But I guess it is all part of the experience. The atmosphere inside the pagoda totally made up for the icky feeling of walking barefoot!

Check out my next post where I talk about my time inside the Shwedagon complex.

First glimpse of the Shwedagon rising through the fog

Eastern entrance to the Shwedagon

Visitors have to walk through this hall to the top to enter the complex

Ornate gates at the Eastern Entrance

Labels:

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Street food and Markets in Yangon

Hot milk at a street stall Stalls selling Indian style meat and fish dishes are abundant Freshly made Naan in a Tandoor Piping hot Pooris Street food in Yangon is delicious and cheap. I stayed in the downtown area of Yangon. This area is cheaper and has more street food options than slightly more upscale neighbourhoods like Bahan or Dagon. A lot of hostels, money changers, and travel agents are also located in downtown Yangon. Apart from that, downtown Yangon is where you can see different ethnic groups living side by side. This area is old, dirty, and shabby but it is a fascinating place. The food in Burma is heavily influenced by Indian and Thai cuisine, and to some extent Chinese cuisine too. There is a good balance of meat dishes and also vegetarian food. I prefer to eat vegetarian as much as possible, especially while travelling. I had no trouble finding vegetarian food options in Myanmar. Anawrahta road, Latha township, and Strand Road are some popular p...
2 comments
Read more

Stories from Bagan- Part 1

My mum and I spent only a day in Bagan. It was my first time there and I wanted to make the most of it with the limited time we had. We arrived by flight in the morning. It was a very comfortable flight. I don't know what type of plane it was, but it flew low enough that I could make out farms below on the ground. I imagined farmers were just getting ready for their day. Myanmar is a dusty place. Even from up in the skies it was evident the amount of soil degradation that was happening there. I could make out clouds of dust blowing about, rivers stained permanently brown, and the lack of tree cover. I suppose the hills are more forested, but the plains are little more than dust bowls. This was confirmed two days later when I travelled overland by train from Mandalay to Yangon. I spent the hour lazily watching the turbines of the plane. It was almost meditative, setting a tone for my entry into Bagan. The descent into Nyaung U airport (Bagan's nearest airport) was sp...
Post a Comment
Read more

Inside the Shwedagon Pagoda - a collection of photos

Mid--day sun over the Shwedagon I have created three blog posts for the Shwedagon Pagoda itself. I found it utterly mesmerizing, and simply could not stop staring at it. I am probably not the only one who thinks this way. Many visitors who have been there report being dazzled by the Shwedagon. I took many photos of the place, and this post will have more photos than text! Little shrines to the Buddha everywhere you turn  This tree was grown from a cutting from the original Bodhi tree that the Buddha gained enlightenment under The Singu Min Bell There is an interesting story associated with the Singu Min Bell. This bell is more than 300 years old and weighs about 25 tons. It is said that in 1825, the British took it from the Pagoda as spoils of war during the first Anglo-Burmese War. But the bell was so heavy, that the British ship which was carrying the bell sank! Any attempts to salvage the bell by the British ended up being unsuccessful. A Burmese group ...
Post a Comment
Read more