Built on a crest of the holy Thainguttara Hill, housing relics of The Buddha and three Buddhas that preceded him, encased in gold and in jewels, the Shwedagon pagoda is a wonder to see. the Shwedagon looms over the Yangon skyline. Erected more than 2500 Years ago and enshrining eight hairs of the Buddha placed in a treasure chamber deep under its base. The wide, marble-paved platform is ringed with shrines and pavilions built in the best designs of religious architecture and embellished with ancient carvings of master artisans. No matter how many lovely places you visit, though, your trip will not be complete until you view the Shwedagon Pagoda. The beauty if the architecture and design will take your breath away, as will the sparkling, light catching jewels. This wondrous holy place, filled with history and legend, is not to be missed on your journey.

It is evident that, over the centuries, the Shwedagon Pagoda has survived difficult times. It has withstood earthquakes, invasions, pillaging, foreign occupation etc.

The five small gilded images of Buddha, which have been covered in gold leaf to the point that their original forms cannot be seen. The gold-leaf application to such excess is relatively recent. Although the monastery is open to all for veneration, only men are permitted to place gold leaf on the images.

Another part of the ritual for pilgrims is to place a small robe or thingan around the images, and to take the robe back to their houses and place it on their own altar as a token of respect for the Buddha and his teachings.

The images are of differing sizes, range from about nine to eighteen inches tall. Being essentially solid gold, the images are extremely heavy. It is believed that the Buddha images were brought to Inlay Lake by King Alaungsithu.

Annually, during the Burmese month  of Thadingyut (from September to October), an 18-day festival is held, during which four of the Buddha images are placed on a replica of a royal barge designed as  a hintha bird and taken throughout Inlay Lake.

One image always remains at the temple. The elaborately decorated barge is towed by several boats of leg-rowers rowing in unison, and other accompanying boats, making an impressive procession on the water. The barge is towed from village to village along the shores of the lake in clockwise fashion, and the four images reside at the main monastery in each village for the night.