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The Shwezedi Monastery ( my, ရွှေစေတီကျောင်း ; ) is a famous Theravada Buddhist monastery in Sittwe, Rakhine State,
Myanmar Myanmar, ; UK pronunciations: US pronunciations incl. . Note: Wikipedia's IPA conventions require indicating /r/ even in British English although only some British English speakers pronounce r at the end of syllables. As John C. Wells, Joh ...
. Founded in 1903, the monastery is one of the main Buddhist monasteries in the city.


Importance

Venerable U Ottama was a resident of the monastery during the 1920s and 1930s. He was the first political monk in the then British Burma, helping to establish a key factor in modern Burmese politics - that of political monks. He is considered one of the national heroes of Burmese independence movement. The monastery is seen as a focal point of Burmese and Arakanese politics and the birthplace of political Buddhism in Myanmar. The monastery now runs a gratis school and an Arakanese cultural school to help the local residents. The monastery has been visited by Indian prime ministers Jawaharlal Nehru and
Indira Gandhi Indira Priyadarshini Gandhi (; Given name, ''née'' Nehru; 19 November 1917 – 31 October 1984) was an Indian politician and a central figure of the Indian National Congress. She was elected as third prime minister of India in 1966 ...
, and in 2002 by Aung San Suu Kyi.Time (magazine)
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References

Buddhist temples in Rakhine State Sittwe Buddhist monasteries Monasteries in Myanmar 20th-century Buddhist temples Religious buildings and structures completed in 1903 {{Burma-struct-stub