40YANGON
means leader, usually in a military sense, and
tataung means 1000). For one six-month pe-
riod this paya is said to have harboured all
eight strands of the Buddha’s hair before
they were distributed elsewhere. It’s not as
breathtaking as the Shwedagon, or as strik-
ing for being so out of place like Sule Paya,
but Botataung’s spacious riverfront location
and lack of crowds give it a more down-to-
earth spiritual feeling than the other two.
Its proximity to fresh air and the Yan-
gon wharves were less fortuitous when a
bomb from an Allied air raid in November
1943 scored a direct hit on the unfortunate
paya. After the war the Botataung was re-
built in a very similar style to its predeces-
sor, but with one important and unusual
diff erence: unlike most zedi (stupa), which
are solid, the Botataung is hollow, and you
can walk through it. There’s a sort of gold-
leaf-coated maze inside the stupa, with glass
showcases containing many of the ancient
relics and artefacts, including small silver-and-gold Buddha images, which were sealed
inside the earlier stupa. Reconstruction also
revealed a small gold cylinder holding two
small body relics and a strand of hair, said
to belong to the Buddha, which is reputedly
still in the stupa. Above this interesting in-
terior, the golden stupa spire rises to 131ft.
To the western side of the stupa is a hall
containing a large gilded bronze Buddha,
cast during the reign of King Mindon Min.
At the time of the British annexation, it was
kept in King Thibaw Min’s glass palace, but
after King Thibaw was exiled to India, the
British shipped the image to London. In 1951
the image was returned to Myanmar and
placed in the Botataung Paya. Also on the
grounds is a nat pavilion containing images
of Thurathadi (the Hindu deity Saraswati,
goddess of learning and music) and Thag-
yamin (Indra, king of the nat) fl anking the
thoroughly Myanmar nat Bobogyi.
There’s also a large pond full of hundreds
of terrapin turtles. Most are fairly small butYAN GO N IN ...Two Days
Start the morning with a traditional Myanmar breakfast of mohinga (soup of thin rice
noodles and fi sh broth). Before the heat becomes oppressive, take a walk around the
city centre following our suggested walking tour. Allow yourself plenty of time to play in
the markets, dawdle in the temples and fawn over the rickety architecture. Rest your feet
before the day’s highlight: the Shwedagon Paya at sunset. End your day with dinner at a
nearby restaurant such as SK Hot Pot.
Dedicate your second day to exploring the sights outside the city centre. After a
teahouse breakfast, take the ferry to Dalah, on the other side of the Yangon River, to
provide a taste of delta life. Back on dry ground, the Botataung Paya near the jetty is
the next logical stop. For lunch, take a taxi to Aung Thukha and try authentic Burmese
food. Spend the remainder of the afternoon cruising around temples north of the city
centre, including the Chaukhtatgyi Paya and nearby Ngahtatgyi Paya. Then, if time
allows, take a stroll around Kandawgyi Lake, and maybe stop in for a drink at one of the
lakeside restaurants or hotels.Four Days
The sensible should try to give themselves more time to devote to the city, and if you’re
one of the lucky blighters able to do this, Yangon has some treats in store! Spend the fi rst
two days following the Yangon in Two Days suggestions and then, after another teahouse
breakfast on day three, head to the National Museum to swoon over treasures that
would make Aladdin jealous. Wander around the embassy district until you arrive at
your lunch destination, Feel Myanmar Food. In the evening, hit up Chinatown and the
incense-clouded temple Kheng Hock Keong, and fi nish with a streetside grilled feast
on 19th St. By day four you’ll probably feel the need to stretch your wings a little, so
choose from one of three easy day trips out of the city. The fi rst involves fl oating temples
and off -beat adventure around Thanlyin and Kyauktan. The second involves more water
with a slow ferry ride and temple tour of Twante. The third is for those for whom one
Buddha is never enough: temple-packed Bago is where you’re off to today.