The Shwethalyaung Buddha is one of the largest reclining Buddha images in Burma. It is housed in the Shwethalyaung Paya in Bago, an important pilgrimage site for Buddhists who come here to pay homage to the Buddha.
The image measuring 55 meters long and 16 meters high depicts the Buddha just before death and entering into Nirvana. A similar reclining Buddha, the Chauk Htat Gyi Buddha which is another 10 meters longer can be found in nearby Yangon.
In front of the Shwethalyaung pagoda is another very large reclining Buddha, the Mya Thar Lyaung, a more recent image out in the open, not sheltered by a temple structure.
Large hall with murals leading to the Shwethalyaung Buddha
Entrance to the tazaung housing the Buddha is through a large hall with white pillars. Its walls contain murals depicting several Buddhist stories. At the end of the hall, a stairway leads to the pavilion sheltering the Shwethalyaung Buddha image. On the balustrades is a mythological Naga snake, an animal believed to protect Buddhism, since it was a snake that protected the Buddha under its hood against heavy rainfall during meditation.
The 55 meter long image
The reclining Buddha image is housed in an iron pavilion called tazaung with Italian marble on the floor. On the walls are murals depicting scenes from the Jataka tales, the stories that tell about the previous lives of the Buddha.
On a large pedestal rests a white image of the Buddha with a serene smile wearing a gilded robe, the head resting on a “pillow” of caskets inlaid with mosaics. The soles of the feet are decorated with images representing the 108 lakshanas or auspicious characteristics of the Buddha. Around the Buddha are several guardian Nats, spirits that have been worshipped in Burma for many centuries.