“Super Size Me” Myanmar Style at the Mahamuni Buddha Temple
Mahamuni Buddha Temple, also known as Mahamuni Pagoda in Mandalay is a major pilgrimage site with a fascinating history. The Buddha image is huge and growing… say what? And its not due to eating too many burgers so let me explain!
Every day, people visit to pay their respects and make offerings of gold leaf which the apply to the huge Buddha image. Over the scores of years, the Buddha is increasingly getting larger as layer upon layer of gold leaf is applied.
There are some fascinating old photos of the Buddha through the decades which clearly show how much the image has increased in size.
There are TV screens around the pagoda so you can see the gold leaf being applied. Also its men only so close to the Buddha as in most Myanmar pagodas.
Monks and pilgrims applying their gold leaf offerings
Photos of how the Buddha looked in 1901 and in 1935
and in 1984 and again in 2010
These bronze images came from Thailand to Myanmar, but its believed they were originally from Angkor Wat in Cambodia. Pilgrims come and touch the parts of the human figures body to cure what ails them.
Redecorating the walls around the temple complex – painting over the gold leaf
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