Monday, March 12, 2012

Shwe Inn Dain Pagoda



With a tour of the village scrapped due to the weather, we headed towards the Shwe Inn Dain Pagoda. According to a sign partway up the covered corridor, the pagoda dates back to the reign of King Thawka (273-232BC). Many of the 1,054 stupas dotting the grounds date back to the 14th-18th century. With bricks partially exposed and greenery taking hold on their sloped “chimneys,” the stupas had a decaying beauty to them. Some of the stupas, particularly those nearer to the pagoda, had been recently fixed up and given a gold paint job, but they looked out of place in what reminded me of a forlorn cemetery. Although I was taking a slight risk bringing out my SLR in the inclement weather, the beautiful sculptural creations of the Shwe Inn Dain Pagoda beckoned to be photographed.


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