Mingun Pahtodawgyi

Mingun Pahtodawgyi မင်းကွန်းပုထိုးတော်ကြီး
File:Mingun Pahtodawgyi from the southeast.JPG Mingun Pahtodawgyi from the southeast
Mingun Pahtodawgyi Location within Burma
Information
Denomination	Theravada Buddhism
Founded	1790 (1790)
People
Founder(s)	King Bodawpaya
Location
Address	Mingun, Sagaing Region
Country	Myanmar

The Mingun Pahtodawgyi (မင်းကွန်းပုထိုးတော်ကြီး, IPA: [mɪ́ɴɡʊ́ɴ patʰóu dɔ̀ dʑí]) is an incomplete monument stupa in Mingun, approximately 10 kilometres (6.2 mi) northwest of Mandalay in Sagaing Region in central Myanmar (formerly Burma). The ruins are the remains of a massive construction project begun by King Bodawpaya in 1790 which was intentionally left unfinished. The pahtodawgyi is seen as the physical manifestations of the well known eccentricities of Bodawpaya. He set up an observation post on an island off Mingun to personally supervise the construction of the temple.

Incompletion

File:Pon Daw pagoda.jpg

Pon Daw Pagoda (ပုံတော်စေတီ) situated near Mingun Pagoda is the 15 feet completed model of Mingun Pagoda.

Bodawpaya used thousands of prisoners of war from his expansionist campaigns and slaves working on the construction of the stupa. The construction was also seen as having a heavy toll over the people and the state, thus a prophecy was allegedly created, to stop the project. The approach in conveying the dissatisfaction was allegedly to utilize the King's deep superstition. The prophecy went "as soon as the building of the pagoda was over, the country would also be gone".

A variation states that king would die once the project was completed. Thus, construction was slowed down to prevent the prophecy's realisation and when the king died, the project was completely halted.

A model pagoda nearby, typical of many large pagoda projects like the Shwedagon Pagoda and Thatbyinnyu Temple, offers a small scale of what would have been a 150 metres (490 ft) tall temple.

However, it holds the record of being the largest pile of bricks in the world.

Current condition

File:Mingun-Pagoda-Myanmar-04-Chinthe.jpg

Remains of giant Chinthe

By the time the construction project was abandoned, the pagoda had attained a height of 50 meters, one third of the intended height. An earthquake on 23 March 1839 caused huge cracks to appear on the face of the remaining structure. The temple serves more as an attraction than a religious site. However, a small shrine with a Buddha image still serves its purpose as a place of worship and meditation. Pondaw paya or a working model of the stupa can be seen nearby.

Mingun Bell

Main article: Mingun Bell

King Bodawpaya also had a gigantic bell cast to go with his huge stupa. The Mingun Bell, weighing at 90 tons, is today the second largest ringing bell in the world. The weight of the bell in Burmese measurement, is 55,555 viss or peiktha (1 viss = 1.63 kg), handed down as a mnemonic "Min Hpyu Hman Hman Pyaw", with the consonants representing the number 5 in Burmese astronomy and numerology.

Accessibility

Mingun can be reached by a ferry across the Irrawaddy river from Mandalay and then by bullock cart from the river jetty.

• Burma08.jpg

  Hsinbyume or Myatheindan pagoda in Mingun

• Mingun-nun-alms.jpg

  Nun on alms round, Mingun Paya, Myanmar Courtesy: http://www.whileseated.org

• 

  River Irrawaddy at Mingun

• Myanmar Irrawaddy Minguin 200302130104.jpg

  Looking westward from the Irrawaddy River

• Mingun 105.JPG

  Mingun view

• Mingun Pagoda.JPG

  Mingun pagoda

• Mingun Bell 2016.JPG

  Mingun Bell

• Assend to top of Mingun Pahtodawgyi northeast corner.JPG

  There is a path to reach the top of the pagoda

• East portal Mingun Pahtodawgyi, small shrine inside.JPG

  There is a small shrine with a Buddha inside the east portal of Mingun Pahtodawgyi

• Irrawaddy River from atop Mingun Pahtodawgyi.JPG

  Climbing to the top of Mingun Pahtodawgyi, a small platform for a great view of the Irrawaddy River

See also

• Hsinphyumae Pagoda
• Bodawpaya
• Mingun