Mahamuni Buddha Temple
The Mahamuni Buddha, (lit. The Great Sage) also known as the Maha Myat Muni Paya, Rakhine Paya, Payagyi, is a major Buddhist pilgrimage site in Mandalay, Myanmar. The Greate Image was originally from Rakhine (Arakan). According to Rakhine Chronicles, the Buddha in his lifetime, visited the city of Dhanyawadi in 554 BC. King Sandar Suriya (Sun Moon) requested the Buddha to leave an image of Himself. After casting the Great Image Maha Muni, the Buddha breathed upon it which resembled the exact likeness of the Blessed One.
In 1784, the Burmese, under Bodawpaya invaded Mrauk U and conquered the Rakhine kingdom. The religious relics of the kingdom were stolen from Rakhine (Arakan), most notably the Mahamuni Buddha image, and taken into central Burma where they remain today. It is 4 metres high, and the image is made of bronze, weighing 6.5 tonnes. Gold leaf is regularly applied to the face of the Mahamuni Buddha, and monks wash the face and teeth of the image each morning. The Buddha is housed under a pagoda built in the 1800s. Adjacent to the Buddha is the Mahamuni Museum, which contains displays of Buddhism throughout Asia.
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21°57′6.76″N 96°4′43.05″E / 21.9518778°N 96.0786250°E
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