Swe Taw Myat Pagoda, Yangon Overview

Swe Taw Myat is a Buddhist Pagoda located in the city of Yangon in Myanmar. It is one of the new temples in the town known for the sacred tooth relic of the Buddha, which is enshrined. If you are traveling in Yangon, it is worth checking out this simple yet lovely pagoda for its architecture and the history of the tooth relic.

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What to wear

Women need to cover their shoulder at all times and wear knee-length attire. Sleeveless shirts and shorts are not allowed for both men and women.

Before entering the temple grounds, you need to remove shoes and socks.

Swe Taw Myat Pagoda History & Significance

The Swe Taw Myat Pagoda is also called the Buddha tooth relic pagoda.

The sacred tooth relic, which is believed to be of the Buddha, was brought to Burma from China in 1994 and was enshrined in The Swe Taw Myat Paya. It is kept inside the stupa, which is worshipped by the people. The construction of the temple was entirely funded by the locals and various monastic organizations and is still run by volunteers that maintain the functioning of the pagoda.

Architecture

The architecture of the temple is influenced by the Ananda temple, an 11th-century Pagoda in Bagan city. The walls of the pagoda on the exterior are white, and the interiors are painted in golden colour, which are adorned with murals.

The pagoda is symmetrical in structure and has four entrances. All the stairs leading to the temple have the Burmese lions guarding, which are ornamentally decorated. The temple has four tall supporting columns that hold the painted ceiling. All of these are in gold, making the interiors gorgeous. The walls are adorned with murals depicting mythological and social scenes, and several images of the Buddha are placed in rows. The sacred tooth relic is placed in a glass cylinder in front of a giant Buddha statue and is decorated with multi-tiered Pyatthat, and surrounded by smaller Buddha images adorned with jewels.