Showing posts with label Myanmar. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Myanmar. Show all posts

WW: Shwedagon Pagoda, Yangon, Myanmar

Welcome to Shwedagon Pagoda, Myanmar

Here comes more photos from my previous trip to different parts of the world.
This time, I have Shwedagon Pagoda which is located in Yangon, the former capital city of Myanmar. I actually visited this place back in 2013, in one of the senior-official meetings of the bilateral consultation between the two countries.

READ: Myanmar, the Land of Gold: Shwedagon Pagoda


I suddenly came across this folder as I rummaged my external hard disk looking for "untouched photos". And trust me, I got tone of them LOL.

Well, as you can see, Myanmar is rightly coined as the land of Gold. At least as you stroll around in the famous temple of Shwedagon, which is known for its gold-plated domes and gilded stupas. Impressive. 
Despite the political situation and conflicts that happen in some part of the country, I do believe Myanmar has the potential to be a wonderful destination.

Here are some snaps I took in Shwedagon Pagoda, Yangon, Myanmar.










Our entourage.. late in the evening




Join us on (almost) Wordless Wednesday (click for the link) and have fun with the linky party 

Myanmar, the Land of Gold: #Shwedagon Pagoda..

Beberapa waktu yang lalu, saya sempat berbagi cerita tentang pengalaman mengunjungi Myanmar, salah satu anggota paling muda ASEAN.

Dan seperti biasa, banyak sekali yang ingin diceritakan. But again, baru sempat menulisnya setelah jeda sekian lama :D..tidak ada maksud lain selain sharing pengalaman berinteraksi dengan penduduk asli seraya menikmati keindahan alam di sana.

So....No excuses, I said to myself. Ayo kita menulis dan lanjuuuut kita mengunjungi Myanmar :D.

After finishing a fruitful Bilateral Dialogue between Indonesia and Myanmar at ministerial level, I finally got a chance to see more of Yangoon..

As always (hiks), I only have a very limited time and of course I managed to visit the famous Shwedagon Temple although I just got a chance to visit it at night.


Myanmar is indeed potential in terms of tourism .
And visit to Shwedagon Pagoda is indeed a must when you come to Yangon, Myanmar.
Coined as the landmark of Myanmar, the Pagoda is situated in Singuttara Hill..no wonder you can easily spot this jewel-studded pagoda even from afar...

Built firstly by King Okkalapa looong long time ago, a shrine believed to house the holy hair pieces of Buddha, has continuously  expanded into one of the holy places for Buddhists.

one of the Buddha statues in Shwedagon.... 
It is incredible.

As you stepped in, you would line up for tickets, took off your shoes and went through a 'tunnel' before welcoming yourself in a huge courtyard full of beautifully adorned temples, statues, and relics. As it is a highly sacred ground, no shoes, socks, and sandals are allowed.

It opens from 4 AM in the morning (definitely for monks and those devoted prayers) until 9 PM, but I guess the foreigners can only visit this place starting from 6 AM.

Here are some photos I took during my visit there.


lines of golden Buddha statues...



send a little prayer here...


gold gold and more gold...
everything is beautifully gold...






sleeping Buddha in one spot...

It was a great visit indeed.


Apalagi setelah tau bahwa stupa yang ada di Pagoda ternyata terbuat dari lebih dari 8000 batang emas!  Ada sekitar 10 ribu batu mulia, mulai dari berlian, safir,merah delima, giok dan topaz! Another wooow indeed. No wonder this stupa is incredibly famous for beautifully capturing the ray of the sun, particularly during sunrise and sunset... too bad I missed it.





Many people were flocking..and the Temple itself is more like a huge Buddhist  complex with so many temples with different sizes, details and adornment...as most of the temples were covered with gold (originally as well as plated :D), it was very grandeur and flashy at the same time.



locals and tourists, young and old...all gathered in Shwedagon...

Coming there with some friends, we stayed around to see people praying as well as gathering cheerfully with families..some of them even had a picnic. 

In one spot, people devotedly prayed, they burnt incense, followed the monks and chanted.


While in another corner, people were happily chatting, eating, sitting and enjoying the surroundings, spending some quality time with family, with one another.

gold...gold...and gooold....

It was a mixed feeling for me.

Knowing that this is a holy ground as well as public space where people spend time relaxing.

I myself try to observe and respect the holiness of this site, including by refraining myself from talking aloud and laughing, as well wearing modest clothes.

   
Well, as you can see in the pictures, it was quite a crowd we have here.




I was trying to communicate with local people while visiting the temple...asking here and there, trying to get more information on some details or asking for help in translating the scripts written on the wall. Well, most of them returned back to me with huge smiles and said 'no English"...some have been kind enough to talk to me in their local English..some of them were flocking near me and saying nothing but local lingo, and some even asked their friends to take pictures with me hehehe....never mind, I still enjoyed my conversations with them :D.



solemnly praying....


more Buddha....


with friends....it was an enjoyable visit indeed....


I really love the details on the roof...


one part of the roofs....


ceramic depicting the story of Buddha...


Burmese elephant :D...












































All in all, it was quite an experience.
I guess I need to go back to explore more of this ASEAN  fellow member country and enjoy  more of the beauty of Myanmar..


enjoying Thai food in Yangoon...well well....


while waiting for my flight to Yangoon :D...monks are the priorities :D...



Anybody wants to take me back there?