Sand pagodas (; , also known as sand stupas), are temporary
pagodas or
stupas
In Buddhism, a stupa (, ) is a domed hemispherical structure containing several types of sacred relics, including images, statues, metals, and '' śarīra''—the remains of Buddhist monks or nuns. It is used as a place of pilgrimage and m ...
erected from mud or sand as a means of cultivating
Buddhist merit. The practice is common to
Theravada Buddhists
''Theravāda'' (; 'School of the Elders'; ) is Buddhism's oldest existing school. The school's adherents, termed ''Theravādins'' (anglicized from Pali ''theravādī''), have preserved their version of the Buddha's teaching or ''Dhamma'' in th ...
throughout mainland Southeast Asia, primarily in
Myanmar
Myanmar, officially the Republic of the Union of Myanmar; and also referred to as Burma (the official English name until 1989), is a country in northwest Southeast Asia. It is the largest country by area in Mainland Southeast Asia and has ...
(Burma), Laos, and
Thailand
Thailand, officially the Kingdom of Thailand and historically known as Siam (the official name until 1939), is a country in Southeast Asia on the Mainland Southeast Asia, Indochinese Peninsula. With a population of almost 66 million, it spa ...
.
History
The earliest extant reference to the sand pagoda building tradition is in Burmese literary works, namely a
''pyo'' verse poem composed by
Shin Maha Silavamsa
Shin Mahāsīlavaṃsa (, variously transcribed Shin Maha Silavamsa, Shin Maha Thilawuntha or Rhaṅʻ Mahāsīlavaṃsa) was a Theravadan Buddhist monk and a classical Burmese poet who lived in 15th century Ava Kingdom (now modern-day Myanmar ...
during the
Kingdom of Ava
The Ava Kingdom (, ; INN-wa pyi) also known as Inwa Kingdom or Kingdom of Ava was the dominant kingdom that ruled upper Burma (Myanmar) from 1365 to 1555. Founded in 1365, the kingdom was the successor state to the petty kingdoms of Myinsa ...
era (c. 1500s).
However, Burmese oral tradition attributes the custom of building sand pagodas to the arrival of Ayutthayan royals, advisors and their retinue in the
Konbaung Kingdom, which occurred two centuries later, following the fall of
Ayutthaya
Ayutthaya, Ayudhya, or Ayuthia may refer to:
* Ayutthaya Kingdom, a Thai kingdom that existed from 1350 to 1767
** Ayutthaya Historical Park, the ruins of the old capital city of the Ayutthaya Kingdom
* Phra Nakhon Si Ayutthaya province (locall ...
in the
Burmese–Siamese War (1765–1767)
The Burmese–Siamese War of 1765–1767, also known as the war of the second fall of Ayutthaya () was the second military conflict between Burma under the Konbaung dynasty and Ayutthaya Kingdom under the Siamese List of Thai monarchs#Ban Phlu ...
.
The custom was practiced throughout the Burmese kingdom, including by the royal court.
Regional celebrations
Myanmar
During
Māgha Pūjā, known as the Full Moon Day of
Tabaung, Burmese devotees in
Upper Myanmar
Upper Myanmar ( or , also called Upper Burma) is one of two geographic regions in Myanmar, the other being Lower Myanmar. Located in the country's centre and north stretches, Upper Myanmar encompasses six inland states and regions, including M ...
construct sand pagodas in honor of the Buddha. The festivities are collectively called sand pagoda festivals (သဲပုံစေတီပွဲ). The
Rakhine people also build sand pagodas during this season, in a festival called ''Shaikthaunghmyauk'' festival (သျှစ်သောင်းမြှောက်ပွဲ), held on the seabanks of cities like
Sittwe
Sittwe (, ), formerly Akyab (), is the capital of Rakhine State, Myanmar (Burma). Sittwe is located on an estuarial island created at the confluence of the Kaladan, Mayu, and Lay Mro rivers emptying into the Bay of Bengal. As of 2019 the cit ...
.
Mandalay
Mandalay is the second-largest city in Myanmar, after Yangon. It is located on the east bank of the Irrawaddy River, 631 km (392 mi) north of Yangon. In 2014, the city had a population of 1,225,553.
Mandalay was founded in 1857 by Ki ...
holds two major sand
pagoda festivals, at the Mont Tisu and Maha Walaku Pagodas.
Burmese sand pagodas are typically of graduated five tiers, tapering to the top, with each tier flanked by bamboo masts.
The five tiers represent five layers of
Mount Meru
Mount Meru (Sanskrit/Pali: मेरु)—also known as Sumeru, Sineru or Mahāmeru—is a sacred, five-peaked mountain present within Hindu, Jain and Buddhist cosmologies, revered as the centre of all physical, metaphysical and spiritua ...
, the legendary peak of Buddhist cosmology.
Devotees offer fruits, flowers and other offerings, and circumambulate the sand pagoda thrice before
paying homage.
On the full moon day of Tabaung, the sand pagoda's umbrella crown or ''
hti
''Hti'' (, ; ; Shan language, Shan: ), a Burmese language word meaning umbrella, is the name of the finial ornament that tops almost all Burmese pagodas. The chatra umbrella or parasol is an auspicious symbol in Buddhism and Hinduism.
As re ...
'' is removed.
In 1961, Burmese president
U Nu
Nu (; ; 25 May 1907 – 14 February 1995), commonly known as Burmese names#Honorifics, U Nu and also by the honorific name Thakin Nu, was a prominent Burmese people, Burmese statesman and the first Prime Minister of Union of Burma. He was ...
performed a ''
yadaya
Yadaya (, ; from Sanskrit ; variously spelt yadayar and yedaya) refers to Superstition, superstitious Magic (supernatural), magical rituals done to delay, neutralize or prevent misfortune, widely practiced in Myanmar (Burma). These rituals, which ...
'' ritual to avert disaster in the country, by ordering the construction of 70,000 sand pagodas.
Thailand
In Northern Thailand, sand pagodas are constructed during
Songkran. The largest such festival in Chiang Mai is held at Wat Chetlin; the resulting pagoda has five tiers, stands about tall, and uses of sand.
See also
*
Buddhism in Burma
*
Burmese pagoda
Burmese pagodas are stupas that typically house Buddhist relics, including relics associated with Buddha. Pagodas feature prominently in Myanmar's landscape, earning the country the moniker "land of pagodas." Several cities in the country, incl ...
*
Cetiya
Cetiya, "reminders" or "memorials" (Sanskrit ''caitya''), are objects and places used by Buddhists to remember Gautama Buddha.Kalingabodhi jātaka, as quoted in John Strong, ''Relics of the Buddha'' (Princeton: Princeton University Press, 2004), ...
*
Māgha Pūjā
*
Pagoda festival
Pagoda festivals (; ''paya pwe'') are regular festivals found throughout Myanmar that commemorate major religious events in pagoda's history, including the founding of a pagoda and the crowning of the pagoda's hti (umbrella). Pagoda festivals are ...
*
Stupa
In Buddhism, a stupa (, ) is a domed hemispherical structure containing several types of sacred relics, including images, statues, metals, and '' śarīra''—the remains of Buddhist monks or nuns. It is used as a place of pilgrimage and m ...
*
Vessantara Festival
References
{{Religion in Myanmar
Pagodas in Myanmar