Uppatasanti Pagoda

Uppatasanti Pagoda is a prominent landmark in Naypyidaw, the new capital of Burma. The pagoda houses a Buddha tooth relic from China. It is nearly a same-sized replica of Shwedagon Pagoda in Yangon and stands 99 metres tall.

Construction of Uppatasanti Pagoda began on 12 November 2006, with the stake-driving ceremony, and completed in March 2009, built under the guidance of Than Shwe, head of Burma’s ruling State Peace and Development Council. The invitation card for the stake-driving ceremony opened with a phrase “Rajahtani Naypyidaw” (the royal capital where the king resides). The pagoda is 30 cm shorter than the Shwedagon Pagoda.

“Uppatasanti” roughly translates to “protection against calamity”. It is the name of a sūtra prepared by a monk in the early 16th century. It is to be recited in time of crisis, especially in the face of foreign invasion.