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High medieval · Buddhist · Myanmar
Shwesandaw Pagoda
Nyaung-U, Bagan, Mandalay Region · 21.1638°, 94.8660°
Hair relics of Gautama BuddhaPagan—
Sacred since
1057 CE
first attestation / structure
Standing structure
1057 (Anawrahta)
Pagan
History & significance
The tallest pagoda at Bagan, raised in 1057 by King Anawrahta to enshrine hair relics of the Buddha brought from Thaton. Five receding terraces, once faced with terracotta Jataka plaques, carry a cylindrical stupa whose jewelled hti was thrown down by the earthquake of 1975.