Description of the attraction
The main attraction of the Chauk Khtat Gui Pagoda, located near the Shwedagon Stupa, is a huge statue of the Buddha lying on its side. Some sources claim that the Buddha was depicted by the sculptor at the moment of enlightenment before death. The locals are sure of something else: Buddha is just resting in this position. If he was lying on his back, then we could talk about his death.
According to urban legends, a large statue of the reclining Buddha was created a long time ago. She was the only survivor during the barbaric robbery of the city of Yangon. Over time, it, abandoned and forgotten by all, was hidden by the growing tropical forest. The 55-meter-long sculpture was discovered by accident. A railway was laid near Yangon and came across a hill in which it was decided to build a tunnel. It turned out that the workers wanted to make the passage right through the mouth of the reclining Buddha. The statue was dug up, reconstructed and installed in the Chauk Khtat Gui Pagoda.
The current statue of Buddha was created in 1966 to replace the old image made in 1907 by the master Hpa Tareya. The previous reclining Buddha figure was damaged by improper storage. In 1957 it was destroyed and could only be restored after 9 years. The statue has been increased by 5 meters. Now it is 65 meters long and 16 meters high. The statue of Buddha is supported by a metal structure. Above it is a six-layer corrugated metal roof. When decorating the image of the Buddha, very bright colors were used: the face is porcelain white, the lips are made bright red, and the eyes are highlighted with blue shadows.
