Mandalay, until today the last royal city is the actual cultural and the greatest religious centre of the country. Because by the Buddhism university and the numerous meditiation centres and monasteries (more than 1500!), there live more than 60% of all monks of Myanmar in and around the city. Everywhere in the streets, you can see them in their red-brown robes.
The most famous attraction of the city is holiest Buddha statue of the country, the Mahamuni Buddha. It is over and over covered with gold foil and you can admire it in the Mahamundi monastery.

The Maha Muni Buddha is a celebrated huge sculpture of Lord Buddha in the Maha Muni Pagoda, called Payagyi (The great Buddha) by the Buddhist devotees with reverence and veneration. Maha Muni is meant the exalted sage and saint.
This great image was brought from Myohaung in the Rakhine state during the reign of King Bodawpaya in 1784 over difficult terrain of high overhanging mountain ranges and Ayeyarwady River and enshrined in a imposing building in Amarapura.
Though the building that housed the great image caught fire, the image was saved. Originally, the great image was made of alloy but now being heavily gilded with gold, increasing day by day; it is estimated to weigh more than one ton of gold. The golden crown of the great image is studded with several precious stones and gems, rubies, sapphires, emeralds, jade, diamonds, etc. donated by pious devotees.

The great image is in a sitting posture with legs folded under the body in Bhumi Phatha Mudra and resting on a pedestal, 6 ft-10 in high. Its dimensions taken in 1917 are as follows:-
1. Height 12 ft-7 in
2. The waist 9 ft-6 in
3. The arms 4 ft-11 in
4. Breadth from shoulder to shoulder
6 ft-1 in
5. Breadth at base 9 ft- 0 in
Continuous gilding with gold leaves has decidedly changed the said dimensions.

Legend: This great Maha Muni image of Buddha is the most revered and venerated amongst all Buddhist Myanmars and other devotees alike. They firmly believed that the great image is blessed and hallowed by Buddha himself due to the undying legend that transfix in their memories.
In the Maha Sakarit year 97, Dinnyawaddy Rakhine Kingdom was ruled by the King, Canda Thuriya. He was a devout Buddhist and ardently desired to worship the living Buddha and listen to his sermons. He repeatedly pleaded Buddha to pay a visit to his state. During the occasion of his 26th anniversary of his reign, Buddha, accompanied by Shin Arahan and 500 disciples, came through air and alighted on the summit of Salagiri Hill near Kyauktaw town. The Rakhine King was overwhelmed with delight and he readily and promptly attended Buddha with his Chief Queen Sandra Mala (Sandramala) with her 1600 ladies-in-waiting, and a retinue of ministers, generals and officials. They paid homage to Buddha and listened to His erudite teachings. When Buddha prepared to return to Thawuthi (Sravasti) the King supplicated Buddha, “My Lord, while you are away to distant lands, performing religious itinerary, we will have no opportunity to pay homage to you. For our benefits kindly leave your image for that purpose”. Buddha obliged with the King’s request and immediately called upon two celestial beings, Sakra and Indra and Visva-karman, the celestial architect to mould the Image with the treasures donated by the King and his people. Buddha asked them to produce an Image with the very likeness of His body and even the breath of his hair. When the Image was completed in an instant, Buddha breathed into the Image. Lo and behold! The Image was exactly like the living Buddha in minute details and measurements that all the people were awe-struck to see two Buddha sitting side by side. They could hardly differentiate between the two Lords and made out who the real living Buddha was. Until now, Buddhist devotees believe this legend to be true.

King Bodawpaya of Amarapura happened to see the image of Maha Muni Image in his dreams. He sent his son, the Crown Prince, Maha Upara Raja and other two sons, Prince Saku and Prince Kama to bring Maha Muni Image to his capital. The mission was achieved, overcoming great hardships on the journey and the Image reached its destination in 1785.
During the reign of King Thibaw, a fire broke out, devastating seven-tiered wooden spire on the brick temple and devotional halls and arches of the causeways and others. However, gold weighing 5450 ticals were recovered and made into a robe that now adorned the sacred Great Image. In 1887, Minister Kinwun Mingyi U Kaung took charge of the management of the Great Image. In 1896, Kinwun Mingyi and Western architects constructed the present temple, encircling the Image building formerly built by King Bodawpaya.

In the precints of the Maha Muni Pagoda there are stone slabs and copies of inscriptions recorded under the command of King Bodawpaya near the western entry, one will find six bronze figures, two men, three lions and a three-headed elephant placed in a square building. These were brought from Rakhine state together with the great image. In fact, these statues original from Cambodia were taken away by Thais during the war they won. Again, Myanmar King Bayinnaung seized and carried them to his capital, Hanthawaddy, Bago during his triumphal return from Thailand.

In the year 1660, King Razagyi of Rakhine State removed them to his capital, Myrauk Oo. From there, these figures finally reached their destination to Amarapura. This is the interesting and exciting story of the figures. People believe that whatever ailment one suffers, it can be remedied by rubbing the organic sections of the said statues. For example, if you have stomach trouble, you rub the navel of the figure. Hence, you will now witness those parts shining where the people rub most.
There is a big tank of turtles in the south-east of the pagoda. During the conveyance of the great image, many captives were brought along and they were settle around the precincts. If you wish to know the detail of the said conveyance, you can study the stone inscription that lie in the north-east of the shrine.

Face-washing ceremony: Myanmar Buddhist people have strong and staunch belief that the great image personified the living Buddha. They must do something in honor of Buddha and they initiate a ritual of washing the face with fragrant scented water and cleaning the teeth of the great image. In February 17, 1988, the current Ven. Sayadaw Buddhanta Pannya Vamsa of South Htilin monastery, Pitaka Kyaung, commenced his daily routine of washing and cleaning the face of the great image at dawn.
The washing and cleaning ceremony starts at early 4.30 a.m. every day. The towels are offered by lay devotees and after the ceremony, the towels are given to the worshippers to be honored at their home shrines. Only the male devotees are permitted to apply gold leaf on the image. For female worshippers, the said kind of donation is carried out by pagoda officials on their behalf.

Copyright Jean-Marc Michel. Use of any image is strictly forbidden without my explicit written permission.

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