Maha Satkya Atulamanaung Ngarhtatgyi — Attraction in Yangon

Buddha Images which devout Myanmar Buddhists built in the early days of British rule is the commonly known Nga Htat Kyi Buddha Image. About a mile east of Shwwedagon Pagoda is an enormous Buddha image in a sitting position housed in an iron Tazaung(pavilion) build on the summit of a wooded hillock in Bahan Township of Yangon. Third largest sitting Buddha Image in Yangon it bearsthe Pali name "Maha Thetkya Atula Man Aung " meaning "Great Thetkya Peerless Victor of all enemies". Thetkya was the name of the race to which Gotama Buddha belonge. Built of brick and cement concrete, the image takes the style of bhumiphasa siparsa mudra (earth touching posture) indication that the Buddha was calling upon Earth to stand witness to all his wholesome deeds. A big stone slab bearing 80 lines of inscriptions on its front and back and a huge bell of 13 feet and 8 inches high, weighing 5000 viss bearing 63 lines of inscriptions on its body are found in the pavilion. These inscriptions tell us the history of the Image and biography of the donors. Where the image now is situated was previously called "Ashey Tawya" (the great Eastern Forest Recules). A place where Buddhist monks of forest dweller type resided to pursue the path of a solitary holy life of forest monks meditation and practicing the teachings...

Warning!!! There was a monk persuading my friend and me to go see inside parts of the pagoda’s area. He cooperated with an old glassed guy. Their tour took around 20 minutes and they asked for money at the end of the tour. They have not informed us about this and they said they just wanted to show us more about hidden colonial building. What they shown were not that interesting and they took us very far from where other people/tourists were. We felt like a fool since we did not expect any situation like this to happened in a temple/pagoda where people should not commit things like this. Even though they asked us for 5 US, we paid 550 KYAT and told them we were running out of money. They were obviously upset, so we left as soon as possible. If they wanted to be a guide, then there should be an official guide for this pagoda, not just did this for...

I visited after Chaukhtatgyi Paya. It is just opposite to it. The long walk before entering the temple might let you give up, just keep walking you will find it is a nice and peaceful place to take good rest. And there are also come Thai buddha images there. I would recommend to add more English translations on the introduction of the history and buddha stature. Watch it with not much background story is not satisfied to the tourist I think. There is no entrance fee but a donation box in front writes "FOREIGNERS ARE REQUESTED TO CONTRIBUTE US AS YOUR WISH FOR RENOVATION OF THE PAGODA", I have donated but with uncomfortable feeling that I got a kind of force since I am a foreigner. As for me, I think a reasonable entrance fee is much better than this kind...