Monywa Buddhas
In the hills South
East of Monywa is the Maha Bodhi Ta Htaung, a Burmese monastery known for its
two giant images of the Buddha. The images on top of a hill dominate the area
and can be seen from far away. The large grounds at the foot of the hill is
dotted with thousands of seated Buddha images under Bodhi trees.
Standing Buddha image
A standing image of the Buddha is the Laykyun Setkyar Buddha
dressed in a golden robe. The stairs to the platform where the image is on is
guarded by two large white Chinthes, mythological creatures resembling a lion. The
31 storey image measures 116 meters high (129 meters including pedestal). It
was completed in 2008. The image is hollow; visitors can climb to nearly the
top. The ground floor exhibits a number of Buddha images in several mudras.
On the walls of the image’s interior are murals depicting scenes
from Buddhist hell and the punishments received by those who stay there. Some
rather graphic scenes show the punishments for every type of sin. From the top
of the image visitors have great views of the surrounding country side with the
mountains in the background.
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