Description of the attraction
The pagoda that started the city of Naypyidaw, the current capital of Myanmar, is called Uppatasanti, which translates as "Protection from disasters." The pagoda is an exact copy of the famous Shwedagon temple in Yangon, although it is less tall. Its spire shot up into the sky for 99 meters. Shwedagon Pagoda is only 30 centimeters higher. The new pagoda was deliberately made smaller than Shwedagon: its founders and builders strove to remain humble and respectful to the ancient shrine. Officially, the temple in Naypyidaw is called the Peace Pagoda. The word "Uppatasanti" roughly translates as "Protection from natural disasters." This is a sutra written by a monk in the early 16th century. It should be read in times of trouble, especially when there is a threat of foreign invasion.
The construction of the Uppatasanti Pagoda began on November 12, 2006 with a solemn ceremony and was completed in March 2009. Construction work was supervised by Than Shwe, head of the State Peace and Development Council in Burma. The invitation card to the opening ceremony of the pagoda began with the phrase: "This is the capital where the president lives."
The Uppatasanti Pagoda was erected on a hill, so it offers an excellent panorama of the surroundings. It is better to visit the sights of Naypyido, including the Uppatasanti Pagoda, during sunrise or sunset, when there is no heat of the day. The pagoda is adjoined by a fence, where white elephants are kept. To visit the pagoda, you need to take off your shoes. Men at the entrance are given local traditional clothes - longzhi, which resembles a skirt. The massive base of the pagoda, which can be mistaken for a large hill overgrown with grass, was made artificially. A large staircase leads to the weather. The main treasure of this Buddhist temple is the tooth of the Buddha, brought from China. Inside, you can also see four jade images of the Buddha. The pagoda has a museum dedicated to the history of this building.
