Hpaung Daw U Pagoda, Buddhist temple on Inle Lake, Myanmar
Hpaung Daw U is a Buddhist temple built on the water of Inle Lake in Myanmar, sheltering five small Buddha figures that have been covered in so many layers of gold leaf by devotees over centuries that their original shapes are no longer visible. The temple sits in the middle of the lake and is surrounded by water on all sides, with the main shrine reached by wooden walkways.
According to tradition, King Alaungsithu, a 12th-century Burmese king, brought the five sacred Buddha figures to Inle Lake during his travels through the region. Over the following centuries, the site grew into one of the most visited places of worship in the area, drawing devotees from the surrounding villages who came to venerate the figures.
The name of the sanctuary refers to the five gilded Buddha figures, which travel by decorated boat across the lake each year to visit communities along the shore during the Hpaung Daw U Festival. One of the five figures always stays behind in the temple to watch over it while the others travel.
The temple can only be reached by boat, and visitors can arrange a ride from the surrounding lake villages. Women are not permitted to access the main platform where the figures are kept, a rule that applies throughout the site.
In the 1960s, one of the Buddha figures fell into the lake during a barge accident and was not recovered from the water. Shortly after, the figure was found back inside the temple, with no one able to explain how it had returned.
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