Uppātasanti Pagoda (, pronounced ; officially called, also called the "Peace Pagoda") is a prominent landmark in Naypyidaw, the capital of Myanmar. The pagoda houses a Buddha tooth relic. It is nearly a same-sized replica of Shwedagon Pagoda in Yangon and stands 99 m tall.

History

Construction of Uppatasanti Pagoda began on 12 November 2006, with the stake-driving ceremony, and completed in March 2009, built under the guidance of Than Shwe, head of Burma's ruling State Peace and Development Council. The invitation card for the stake-driving ceremony opened with a phrase " Naypyidaw" (the royal capital). The pagoda is 30 cm shorter than the Shwedagon Pagoda. The name "" roughly translates to "protection against calamity". It is the name of a sutta prepared by a monk in the early 16th century. It is to be recited in time of crisis, especially in the face of foreign invasion. On 4 March 2009, 20 people died during a ferris wheel accident at a festival marking the pagoda's consecration. The consecration of the pagoda, which involves the hoisting of the htidaw (sacred umbrella, ) and the seinbudaw (diamond lotus bud, ), took place on 10 March 2009.

Structure

The massive base of the pagoda which may be mistaken for a large hill is completely man-made. The pagoda precinct also comprises:

Captive white elephants

Seven captive white elephants are kept at the pagoda grounds, under the custody of the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environmental Conservation's Forest Department. They are kept in inhumane conditions, shackled for 22 hours a day and housed in small open-air pavilions.

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