The Image is said to have been cast in the life-time of the Gautama
Buddha and that the Buddha embraced it 7 times thereby bringing it to
life. Consequently, devout Buddhists hold it to be alive and refer to it
as the Maha Muni Sacred Living Image. Revered as the holiest pagoda in
Mandalay, It was built by King Bodawpaya in 1784. The image in a sitting
posture is 12 feet and 7 inches (3.8 m) high. As the image was brought
from Rakhine State it was also called the Great Rakhine Buddha. The
early morning ritual of washing the Face of Buddha Image draws a large
crowd of devotees everyday. The Great Image is also considered as the
greatest, next to the Shwedagon Pagoda, in Burma. A visit to Mandalay is
incomplete without a visit to Maha Muni Pagoda.
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