Shwemokhtaw Pagoda
# Shwemokhtaw Pagoda

Shwemokhtaw Pagoda (Burmese: ရွှေမုဋ္ဌောစေတီ) is a Buddhist pagoda in Pathein, Myanmar (formerly Bassein, Burma). The pagoda is bounded by Merchant St, Strand, Mahabandoola and Shwezedi Roads. At the southern pavilion of the pagoda is a revered image of the Buddha, Thiho-shin Phondawpyi (သီဟိုဠ်ရှင် ဘုန်းတော်ပြည့် ဘုရား). The pagoda is home to a pagoda festival during the full moon of Kason (April/May), marking Visakha.

According to tradition, the pagoda was founded by King Asoka of India in 305 BC. Bagan's King Alaungsithu raised the height of the stupa to 11 metres (36 ft) in 1115 AD, and the Mon King Samodogossa raised it to 131 feet (40 m) in 1263 AD. The stupa is now 153 feet (47 m) tall, with the topmost layer made of 13.9 pounds (6.3 kg) of solid gold, the middle tier of pure silver, and the third tier of bronze, with some 829 diamonds, 843 rubies, and 1588 semi-precious stones.

