Mahamuni Buddha Temple, Buddhist temple in Mandalay, Myanmar
Mahamuni Buddha Temple is a Buddhist temple in Mandalay, Myanmar, housing one of the country's most revered statues. The bronze Buddha image sits on a tall platform within a main chamber surrounded by pillars, its gilded surfaces reflecting the flickering light of oil lamps and candles.
King Bodawpaya ordered the temple built in the late eighteenth century to house the Mahamuni image brought from the Arakan Kingdom. The bronze image itself is believed to be centuries older, originating from a region now part of Myanmar.
Male worshippers may touch the statue and apply gold leaf directly to its surface, while women pray from a separate area behind a low barrier. The daily morning procession of monks at five o'clock draws hundreds of local residents who kneel on the cool marble floor and light candles.
The temple opens in the early morning and closes in the evening, allowing visitors to follow the rhythm of prayer times. Taxis and rickshaws run from the city center directly to the entrance, and covered walkways on the grounds provide shelter during hot days.
The statue now wears a thick coating of gold leaf that has blurred its original facial features. In a side hall stand bronze Khmer figures also brought from Arakan, and worshippers rub them seeking relief from pain.
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