Chaukhtetkyee reclining Buddha image's unique eyes draw Chinese pilgrims

 

According to Sayadaw U Vannita, one of the resident Sanghas at Chaukhtetkyee Pagoda in Bahan Township, Yangon Region, the reclining Buddha image, particularly its eye painting, has been attract­ing Chinese pilgrims annually.

 

The Sayadaw explained, "Each eye of the Buddha im­age measures five feet and seven inches wide and one foot and nine inches high. My­anmar and Chinese artisans collaborated on crafting them back in the early 20th century."

 

The process faced nu­merous challenges due to technological limitations at the time. However, a team from the Nagar Glass Factory, led by renowned glassblow­er U Mya Kyaw, successfully heated imported glass slabs to mould them into concave glass eyes.

 

Once formed, the artisans encountered difficulty find­ing someone skilled enough to paint the eyes. With the assis­tance of residents from Latha Township, they approached a bottle-painting artist visiting from Guangzhou. This artist graciously painted the eyes free of charge.

 

Sayadaw U Vannita con­cluded, "So, Chinese visitors come and observe the eyes of the reclining Buddha since they are the works of their national artist."

 

The reclining Buddha, formally known as Shweth­alyaung Pagoda, was com­missioned by rice merchant Sir Bo Tha and his wife Daw Sein Yin in 1907. The pagoda housing the Buddha image was constructed on a six-tier hill, hence the name "Chauk", which means "six" in Myan­mar.

 

Initially, the Buddha im­age stood at 235 feet in length and 101 feet in height. Howev­er, in 1957, a team of artisans reduced the size of the Bud­dha image to accommodate a 65-foot-tall iron pavilion. Following the reconstruction of the Buddha image on 25 November 1977, the original statue was reduced to 216 feet in length and 58 feet in height. — ASH/NT