Shwedagon pagoda

The origins of Shwedagon are very old, its age unknown. Long before the pagoda was built, its location on Singuttara hill was already an ancient site because of the buried relics of the three previous Buddhas. According to one legend, nearly 5000 years had passed since the last Buddha walked the Earth. In order that such new relics might be obtained, King Okkalapa of Suvannabhumi spent much time atop the hill, meditating and praying. A series of miracles ensued and eight hairs of the historical Buddha were, somewhat magically, brought to the hill. Much of the continued construction of Shwedagon was actually reconstruction following disastrous earthquakes. During the 17th century the pagodawas hit by earthquake damage on at least eight occasions. A bad quake in 1786 brought the entire top half of the pagoda to the ground and its current shape and height date from the reconstruction of that time.