Nay Pyi Taw November 12
Work of carving Maravijaya Buddha Image, which will become world’s tallest Buddha stone statue, explained
Chairman of State Administration Council Prime Minister Senior General Min Aung Hlaing explained the work of carving and placing the Maravijaya Buddha Image for public obeisance at the Buddha Park, Dekkhinathiri Township, Nay Pyi Taw, Union Territory, to State level officials this morning at the Mingala Maha pavilion at the park.
Also present at the ceremony were SAC members, the Union Chief Justice, the chairman of Constitutional Tribunal, the chairman of Union Election Commission, Union ministers, the chairman of Nay Pyi Taw Council, senior military officers of the Office of the Commanderin- Chief, the commander of Nay Pyi Taw Command and officials.
After opening the ceremony by reciting namotasa three times, the Senior General said the Buddha Image is being built with four purposes – to show the world that Theravada Buddhism is flourishing in Myanmar, for peace and tranquility of the country, to generate regional development through the visits of local and foreign pilgrims, and to support the national development. Angelo Mining Co.Ltd. donated a marble boulder to the Shwe Foundation in 2013. Tatmadaw has sponsored the work of building the marble Buddha Image for public obeisance in accord with the task transferred by the Shwe Foundation. The massive marble rock wasmined in different phases and carried part by part. Under the Ovada of State Ovadacariya Sayadaws, the marble Buddha statue will be carved according to the design of the Yadanabon period. The parts of the marble stone were conveyed from the Sakyin Hill to Nay Pyi Taw by boat and road in different stages. First a canal which was 120-foot wide at the surface and 90-foot wide at the bottom and had a 40-foot high levee was built from Sakyin Hill to Myaung river to convey the parts, and from there they were carried to Hsimeegon port in Myingyan Township along the Ayeyawady River. From the port, the parts were conveyed by Modular Trailers to the Buddha Park through different phases on Yangon- Mandalay expressway. As the canal had already been refilled, farmers have resumed their work in the area. Moreover, 84 places along the expressway where bypasses were set up have already been restored. The work of conveying the parts both by waterway and by road set a global record in distance. And the weight of the parts also set a world record. They were conveyed amidst a lot of difficulties. When completed, the Maravijaya will become the tallest stone Buddha Image in the world. The Images will be carved in accord with the 32 major characteristics and 80 secondary characteristics of Buddha as guided by the State Ovadacariya Sayadaws. It will be in Bhumiphassa Mudra. The park will be aided with Gandakuti chambers, worshipping places, archives, public rest houses, the lake by the name “Mucalinda”, Mingala bridge and fountains that will be built in accord with find architectural designs of Yadanabon period for the convenience of local and foreign pilgrims. All the buildings will be based on Yadanabon period designs. In the conceptual design phase, the designers will explore the designs of Atumashi monastery and Shwesigon of Myanmar and designs of the world’s manmade wonders.
The walls of Gandakuti chambers will be decorated with marble carvings depicting the past lives of Buddha. The parts 1 and 2 of the throne have already been placed at their designated sites. The work of carving the four parts of the body is underway, and the parts 1 and 4 are being carved with CNC Machines. A foundation with the capacity to bear 20,000 tons was laid for the Image to withstand the natural disasters including climatic calamities. It is also reinforced with steel rebars to withstand 120-mph wind, the recorded wind speed in Myanmar during the Cyclone Nargis in 2008, and an earthquake of Magnitude 8.7 or 8.8. Moreover, the composite technology, a combination of convention and modern methods, was applied in locating the Image. The total height of the statue will be 81 feet high, including the 63-foot tall Image and 18- foot high throne. The weight of the Image will be 1,782 tons and that of the throne, 3,510, totaling 5,292 tons.
The State Ovadacariya Sayadaw gave council for keeping the Three Pitaka treatises as records for the future. In the past, Athakahta and Htika treatises of the Pitakat were only in Myanmar. Now, they have been printed in Romanized Language under the guidance of the former rector of International Theravada Buddhist Missionary University Agga Maha Pandita Abhidhaja Agga Maha Saddhamma Jotika Bhaddanta Ashin Silanandabhivamsa and supervision of five State Ovadacarira Sayadaws in order to internationalize the treatises. Now, arrangements are underway to record the treatises in Romanized Language Pali on marble slabs with the use of modern machines. The stone inscriptions of Mahalawka Marazein Kuthodaw Pagoda in Mandalay will be taken as a model. The stone inscriptions of Kuthodaw, which holds the Guinness World Record for the Largest book, was recorded during the Fifth Buddhist Synod. The treatises on the teachings of Buddha will be placed in front of the Image. Trees and plants will be grown in the park to make it an ever pleasant place for the pilgrims. The Senior General used powerpoints and 3D animations in explaining the work of carving and locating the Maravijaya Buddha Image. The ceremony ended with three times the recitation of Buddha Sasanamciramtitatu.
The Senior General and those present at the ceremony observed the scale models of the Image, park and buildings to keep stone inscriptions, samples of stone inscriptions, location of the parts 1 and 2 of the throne, and carving of the part 1 and 4 of the Image with CNC Machines.
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