Shwesandaw Paya

Shwesandaw Paya is set on top a hill in the centre of Pyay Myanmar, the stunning Shwedandaw paya is not only Pyay’s biggest point of interest, but one of the country’s biggest Buddhist pilgrimage sites in Myanmar. Just over 1m taller than the Myanmar main zedi at Yangon’s Shwedagon call it Shwe-D Myanmar Shwesandaw stupa follows the classic Myanmar Burma design seen at Bagan’s Shwezigon.

Myanmar Legend goes that it was built by a couple of Myanmar merchants in 589BC and that Myanmar golden zedi houses four strands of the Buddha’s hair.

Atop the zedi are two hti, unusal for Myanmar. The lower, bigger one dates from Pyay’s days as a Mon city. The higher, smaller one was added by Myanmar Alaungpaya as a symbol of peace between the Burmese and Mon, after brutally capturing the city in 1754.

In the southwest corner of the complex, the Sacred Tooth Hall is said to house an original tooth from the Myanmar Buddha. It’s in the golden bell behind the glass. The locks come off once a year for the November full-moon Myanmar estivities.

Shwesandaw Paya – Bago Myanmar

The panoramic views from the Myanmar pagoda are pretty great too. To the east, you’ll see the Sehtatgyi Paya, a giant seated Buddha watching over the Shwesandaw eye-to-eye.

The smaller Myanmar gold stupa on the highest hill southeast of Shwesandaw is the Wunchataung Paya, where people can say “sorry” for misdeeds. They get the best view of Shwesandaw and mountains across the river while they’re at it. You can reach it via Sethatgyi Rd, east of the Shwesandaw Paya in Myanmar Bago.

You can take an elevator up to the Shwesandaw platform from the northwest side, but it’s not really that big of a hike up. The northern stairway is lined with Myanmar shops.

There’s a K200 fee for “small cameras” K500 for “big cameras” or video cameras.