Maha Muni, the most venerated temple - pagoda in Mandalay

The Maha Muni Buddha is a celebrated huge sculpture of Lord Buddha in the Maha Muni Pagoda - called PAYAGYI by the Buddhist devotees with reverence and veneration.

MAHA MUNI is meant THE EXALTED SAGE AND SAINT. This GREAT IMAGE (picture below )was brought from Myohaung in the Rakhine state during the reign of King Bodawpaya in 1784 over difficult terrain of high overhanging mountain ranges and Ayeyarwady River and enshrined in a imposing building in Amarapura.

Though the building that housed the great image caught fire, the image was saved. Originally, IT was made of alloy but now being heavily gilded with gold, increasing day by day; it is estimated to weigh more than one ton of gold. The golden crown of the Maha Muni is studded with several precious stones and gems, rubies, sapphires, emeralds, jade, diamonds, etc. donated by pious devotees.

The Great Image is in a sitting posture
with legs folded under the body in Bhumi Phatha Mudra and resting on a pedestal, 6 ft-10 in high. Its dimensions taken in 1917 are as follows:

1. Height 12 ft-7 in
2. The waist 9 ft-6 in
3. The arms 4 ft-11 in
4. Breadth from shoulder to shoulder6 ft-1 in
5. Breadth at base 9 ft-0 in

Continuous gilding with gold leaves has decidedly changed the said dimensions.