It was built by King Utkalapa enshrinijg the sacred hair relies of the sord Buddha in this life time, brought by the two young trader brothers Tapuss a and Balirea who went to Buddha gaya to trade and came to see the sord Buddha in his early days of Enlightenment. The original stupa was only 66 feet, and now becomes 326 feet after many renovations by successive ruears of Myanmar.

The Shwedagon is now the second tallest religious structure in the country whereas the first tallest one in the Shwemawdaw pagoda in Bago having the height of 373 feet. It is the most beautiful and magnificient structure in the world. It is a touring spire of Shimmering gold. It is the world's richest pagoda, with its geittering crown embeded with inestimable treasure of precious gems and weight of gold beyond enumeration. The whole stupa is not gieted but covered with gold peatesall over. It is one of the madern wonders of the world.

Many people in the country contributes funds for tue reparing wover and a great number of people pay homage every day. There are many festivals throughout the year. The pouring water to the sacred Bo-tree, the overnight weaving contest for the yellow robes, the donation of goldleaves in a buck and many others are unnoticed festivals in each occasion.

The greatest festival is that of Tabung festival. The renovation works were greatly done and the escalator on the western stairway and the elevators in all others are beautifully firced and the elevators in all others are beautifully firced and the spires are rebuilt. Even the camopy is removated with modern techniques.

The name of the pagoda was originally Kyaik-de-att or Sandaw Shin as it is emshrined with the sacred hair of the sord Buddha. Kayaik - de - alt is the name in Mon Language.

It was built almost in the same time as Sule Pagoda and Shwedagon Pagoda over, 2500 year ago. The name Botahtaung mear a thousand army chiefs which frointed out to the supervisors in the organization for and building of that Pagoda.

The Pagoda overloohed the pleasant water front of the Rangon River, but it was rebuilt in modern adaptation after it had been demolished by Allied bomling during the World War II. It rives on the circular base and expecially its unbralla or country at the top of the spire in quite defferent from the conventional desiggn.

The relics excavated during the time of repalr are enshrimed in the visible showcase on the interriar corridor walls. Together with the relics are silver, bronge and alabaster images of Buddha in a Pagoda- shaped casket serving as a reporitory of the sacred Hair and relics of the two great Diciples.

After the removation works on the pagoda a seire of new Temples and other religious ellificas are constructed on the frecincts of the pagoda. The area of the site is limited because of the liver front on one side, but the necessary buildings including monarlries can be build in the premises.

During the festival, one of the thearical troupe usually performs thoughout the night to entertain the audience. The usual food stalls are also at the entance way as a complement to the festival traditions.

There is an old pagoda on that point which dates bach to the lifetime of the lord Buddha. The two merchant brothers Tapussa and Balika who carried the sacred hairs of the lord to Okalapa for the present Shwedagon Pagoda, on their way back, had granted a few strands of the sarced hair out of their coton the request of the Naga King dvselling at that place. The sacred hair was encshrined in the stupa which until today exists there in the name of Mawtin Pagoda. The devotees from all pasts of the country visit to that place and much reverence is made to the stupa.

There is a pagoda festival during the Myanmar calender month of tabaung (february) every years. The pilgrims go there via Pathein by a small steamer specially arronged for the festival. The Inland Water Transport department arranges the trips for the visitors. On the way they have to stop at Highgyi island in the Pathein outlet.

The visitors, as the souvenirs for the trip, usually buy the dried fish, dry prowns and the sea products. The collectors can look for various sea shells on the shelf or can huy them at the stalls setup for that particular wares. They can rebush on turtle eggs which are aloundant there. The boat-trip to the delta and out to sea is very pleasant having fresh sea freeze. The trip is for both benefits namely to get merit for their reverance and to enjoy the charms adn beauty of the sceme which the people cannot get elsewhere. The fanciful rocks of every design decorate the beachs all around.

The Shwe-maw-daw pagoda was originally build by two merchant brothers Maharala and Culla sala at about 2500 odd years ago at teh time of the lord Buddha. It collapsed during the major earthquake lately in 1930 and it was left unrapaired for a few years. Only in 1953 it was left unropaired for a few years. Only in 1953 it was reconstructed as an earth quahe- proof structure with the new design of Canopy.

The height of the pagoda is a little higher than the Shwe-Dagon Pagoda in Yangon. Its height of 373 feat can be compared with that of Shwedagon Pagoda which is only 326 but in all. The sacred hair of the sord Buddha was enshrimed there. The festival of that pagoda is annually celebreated amids great rejoicuings.

There is another shrine, an image of large reclining Buddha to the west of Shwe mawdaw Pagoda. The length of the great image is 180 feet and the height in 52.5 feet. It is regarded as one of the largest reclining images in the wored. The other similar ones are at Monyua and at Myaik.

The image was ruined for many years covered totally with undergrouths. It was originally duilt by King Miga dippa in 944 A.D. and it was called Shinbin thar lyoung and eater Shwe Tharlyaung up to this day. It has been removated and covered with a temple of modern building wares. The glass mosiac work was beautifully added to its decoration.

To the west of Shwetharlyaung exists Maha Zew, the great Skypa, criet by King Bayinnaung in 1560 A.D. It was also completed and renovated later. The pagoda festivals of those pagodas are seperately organized in each site on different dates.

They evere connected with the legend of the Nats about the time of King Anawrahta. The ogress was married to a royal altendent, Byatta and bore him two sons. As the brothers grew up into wild, irreprosible youths. They had negleted their duties to supervise the building of Pagoda at Tount youne and were eventually executed. Thus the two sons and the mother were believed to be reborn as Nats. The lady Nat Mei Wunna is worshiped to be reborn as Nats. The lady Nat Mei Wunna is worshiped at her old peace at Mount Popa. A special Nat shrine was built dedicating to her. The Nat festival is celebrated annually there in a grand scale.

Furthermore a Nat-Shrine was built for Maung Tint De, the mighty blacksmith of Tagaung who become Nats. They were sent adrift along the Ayarwaddy rivers by the King of Tagaung and they stranded at a certain bank near Bagon. The king of Bagon owing to a request in his dream, granted the assylum, a Nat-Shrine at Mount Popa.

Therefore Mount Popa becomes one of the centre of Nat-worshipers, and the Nacationalhist join in the Nat festival for a strong belief or for mere fum.

Papa is about 30 miles from Bagan adn there is a molar road to the foot of the mount aim. That Nat Maung Tint De is also worshiped by many houscholds all over the country in their homes as the House guardian Nat.

The filgrimage is comlined with ficknie for young people as the seenery is picturesaue with a full taste of natural atmosphere. One can go there also by Minbu- An Road following brachs lane at 22 miles post. The site is on the river Man.

The festival is held on the fifth waxing moon of the Myanmar calender month, Talodwe (February and March) annually. Many people from different parts of the country gather their and make meritorious deeps singly or colleckively.

On the way from Minbu, the visitors can pay homage to Sanda wood Monastery at Legaing wher the Lord Buddha had visited in this lipetime.

The history of that Footprint Pagoda dated bach to the time of the lord Buddha. Once the Lord Buddha came to that site in the country of Sunapranta. He met the orahat Sicca Vanda and Naga Nammada on his way and on their humble request, the lord granted their reverence. The Foot points were enshrimed ever since. The lower Footprint on the slat is under water during the monsoon months as the river Man is flooded. Therefore the festival is celebrated in the later winter months.

There are series of stalls marketing different things for the pilgrims and villagers nearly. The souventirs can be bought there also.

It is one of the pagoda which has the legend connected with the sord. Buddha while. He came to Legaing in sunapramta country in old days. The emerald cot on which the sord rested was enshrimed in the pagoda. It had been constructed since then. The name derived from the emeraled cot, Mya Thalum in Myanmar Language.

You can have a very beautiful scenery beyound the river from the precicts of the golden stupa. The rivers lies below. Teh town in well known for that Pagoda. Teh hokgrims to the up country always stop at Magave to pay homage to that pagoda and buy famuous brass ware at the pagoda stalls. The scissors adn vetal cutter are the wellknown nandiksafts produced locally.

The festival of the pagoda is usually held in the month of Thadingyut (October) and east for many days. It is beneficial for the visitors and tradespeapre alive, to have conger festival days. The trustee loard holds a series of the atrical performances for the audiencl from all parts of the country.

Magwe can be reached by rail or road adn also by waterways. It is 378 mile distant from Yangon by steamer, and new reailway line has been completed prevellding from Towndwingyi. You can easily fly to Magwe by Myanmar airways. The town is renovated to be a suitable place for the cafital of the division. The town become the centre of travell in up country and the bridge crosing the river from there to Minbu, a starting place to Shwesettaw, will be constructed in course of time.

It was built in 1091 AD. The prototype of this cave is belived to be the Nandamula Cause in India. The original name was A nanta and later it deviated into A-nandar. The ground pean of the structure is somewhat eine a cross and the main hall in the centre is a souare shape hall with proches of arched entrances on four sides. There is a corridor all around and there are riches which contain statues and stone sculptures.

It is well ventilaled, a sign of superiority of the archecture of the time. There are each standing image of Buddha in wood on four sides of the centre trobe, measuring 31 feet in height standing the basement 8 feet high. These represent the four Buddhas previously born eneightened in thus calpa. The images bear the Maha Kruna Mudra arroved in the style of gupta period in India.

There are stalls along the stairway which is the shopping line during the festivals. Bagan is the centre of lacquer ware manufactureing works. There are the statues of King Kyaungitha and Reverand Shin Arahan who introduced Buddhism into Myanmar. Ther is also a mark of Buddha's foot primt inside the hall of the cave. The department of Archaelogy presoved the monument and there is also the trusteeship commitee who under to celebrate the annual pagoda festival. The magnificient edifice is the pride of Bagan for which every Myanmar citizens can share.

Around the terraces of the pagoda enamelled plaqules depicting the scenes from Buddha's stories are set in panels. The fornt bone relie and four tooth of the lord Buddha which were recieved from Sri Lanka were enshrined in it.

On each side of the pagoda, a standing image of Buddha is houesed in a small temple. There are two inscription fillars recording the lifr-story of King Kyanzittha in Mon language on each side of the eastern entrance. The southern stairway is rather long.

The Pagoda festival is celebrated annually in October and November with a usual fair crowded with hugers and strollers. We can buy the handikrafts and especially lacquer wares of different sorts. The Pagoda was started to construct at round about 1084 A.D and completed in 1113 A.D.

In the year 1557 King Bayint Naung of Hanthawaddy regilded the whole surface of the stupa and donated a bell with the deserihtion of his meritorious deeds them and there. There is alos a fillar of inscription which records the aneritourious deept to King Sinbyushin feaced in the North-west corner of the stupa.

Usualy the whole week is devoted to the celebration of the pagoda festival, because a great number of pigiams from all peerts of the country come over to that festival.