Joe Louis visits Sule Pagoda
Although not as large or as majestic as the Shwedagon Pagoda, the Sule Pagoda stands tall as an iconic Burmese structure. The temple literally sits at a crossroads in Yangon, beating as the heart of the city at the center of its major avenues and cross streets. In addition to being a religious sight dating back over a thousand years, it has plays an important role in modern day politics, acting as the host of several significant protests against the Myanmar military regime.
The pagoda is actually more photographic from the outside rather than from the inside. The juxtaposition of the religious temple amidst the hustle and bustle of the city streets reflects Burma’s push to modernize while staying true to its historical culture. Still, carefully cross the crowded roads to visit the temple. Although I read of ways to use side entrances to avoid paying an entrance fee, it wasn’t worth it to save a couple of dollars.
After removing my shoes and walking up the stairs I watched as two woman washed one of the statues surrounding the central stupa. A man approached me and started talking to me. I wasn’t in the market for a tour guide and told him so, but he was persistent and seemed to want to work on his English. I pretended to be Canadian and told him of my fondness for ice hockey. Unfortunately I was unable to add to his collection of world currencies, because I was fresh out of Canadian loonies.
The man did teach me something interesting and informative though. There are eight animallike statues around the pagoda. Each one represents a different day – Wednesday has two statues, one for the morning and one for the evening. It is customary to pray and to wash the statue corresponding to the day you were born. I saw a similar practice at the Shwedagon Paya and now better understood why people chose specific stations to pray at.
See what other blogs are saying about the Sule Pagoda:
“For the first time in years I was wholly caught in the moment. Sule Paya glinted gold against the distant black sky. The deep rumble of chanting echoed from the pagoda’s loud speakers, combining with the excited screech of children reaching the apex of the nearby Ferris wheel—pure joy.”
–A Little Adrift
