MYANMAR: WORLD'S LARGEST MARBLE BUDDHA STATUE SET TO BE HUGE TOURIST ATTRACTION ONCE WORK ON TEMPLE SURROUNDING IT IS COMPLETE

Record ID: 862480

  • Title: MYANMAR: WORLD'S LARGEST MARBLE BUDDHA STATUE SET TO BE HUGE TOURIST ATTRACTION ONCE WORK ON TEMPLE SURROUNDING IT IS COMPLETE
  • Date: 1st May 2001
  • Summary: STILL PHOTO OF SPECIAL RAILWAY LINE THAT WAS BUILT TO TRANSPORT THE BUDDHA
  • Embargoed: 16th May 2001 13:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: YANGON, MYANMAR (BURMA)
  • City:
  • Country: Burma (Myanmar)
  • Topics: Religion,Travel / Tourism
  • Reuters ID: LVAA446JJ11UJGSTRS1S6MX1U8VY
  • Aspect Ratio:
  • Story Text: On a hill overlooking Yangon sits a smiling Buddha made from a huge slab of pure white marble.
    It's the biggest marble Buddha image in the world, according to the government of Myanmar and it's destined to become a major tourist attraction once work is complete on the massive temple surrounding it.
    It has been nearly a year since an elderly Burmese sculpture stumbled across the huge slab of flawless marble north of Mandalay.
    And after months of planning, sculpting, transporting and praying -- a majestic white marble Buddha, given the name "Lawka Chantha Abhaya Labha Muni", now sits on a hill in the nation's capital, Yangon.
    Weighing more than 400 tonnes and measuring 37 feet tall -- the government of Myanmar says it is the biggest Buddha image of its kind in the world, with people coming from all over the country to pray in front of the sculpture.
    Director General of Religious Affairs Dr. Myo Myint, says it was a huge task to move the marble slab from the mountain side north of Mandalay where it was found.
    "We have to make a specially crafted barge because this image is very unusual. It's so heavy you know it's about nearly 700 tonnes (before it was sculpted). The road can't withstand that weight, neither the bridges. so the only possible way is to carry on the Irrawaddy river, floating on the barge," he said.
    Along with the special barge -- two temporary railroads were built to transport the massive slab. More than one hundred thousand locals turned out to witness the moving of the Buddha statue -- the barge stopping at townships along the way so that people outside of Yangon got their chance to pay respects.
    But Dr Myo Myint says the Buddha is not only for the people of Myanmar.
    "The title of the Buddha image is Lawka Chantha Abbhaya Labha Muni. It's not only for us, the whole world, for the whole sentient beings. It will bring 'chantha' means happy, make people happy, 'abhaya' means there will be no danger. No danger to us, to everyone. Also bring good luck to all the people. So according to that title, it means it's good for everyone," he said.
    The government hopes to open the Buddha-site next month, once work is complete on the massive temple surrounding it.
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