Botataung Pagoda

Botataung was destroyed in 1943 and rebuilt afterwards, and the rebuilding took an unusual decision: the new stupa is hollow. Inside is a maze of mirrored gold-panelled passages lined with glass cases of relics and donated objects, so instead of circling a solid mass you walk through the middle of it. A hair relic is displayed in a chamber at the centre. The compound sits on the river, there is a large pond of turtles and fish that visitors feed, and a nat shrine to Bo Bo Gyi stands beside the water.

History

Local belief holds that the Mon first built the pagoda, as Kyaik-de-att, at about the same time as the Shwedagon, over 2,500 years ago. Its name means "1000 military officers", after the thousand officers of the king said to have stood here as a guard of honour to welcome relics of the Buddha brought from India (Wikipedia, Botataung Pagoda).

What's there

• The hollow interior - mirrored gold passages inside the stupa itself, walkable rather than solid.
• The relic chamber - the central display, with the objects recovered when the old stupa was destroyed.
• The Bo Bo Gyi shrine - a large nat figure by the river, heavily attended.
• The pond - turtles and fish fed by worshippers on the compound's river side.

When to go

November to February for the weather; the riverside catches whatever breeze there is. Late afternoon and early evening are the busiest and the best lit. Full moon days fill the compound.

Before you go

Shoes and socks off at the entrance, as everywhere. The interior passages are narrow and get crowded, and the mirrored gold is more overwhelming than beautiful to some visitors. The foreigner fee applies.

Nearby

The Yangon riverfront and Strand Road run west from here into the colonial grid.

Key facts