Maravijaya Buddha

Māravijaya Buddha (Burmese: မာရဝိဇယဗုဒ္ဓရုပ်ပွားတော်) is a 81 feet (25 m) marble statue of the Buddha being constructed in Dekkhinathiri Township, Naypyidaw, the national capital of Myanmar.[1] The statue, which features the bhumiphassa mudra, will become the world's largest marble Buddha statue upon its completion.[2] The statue weighs 2,100 tons, built using marble quarried from Sagyin, near Mandalay.[3][4] Construction of the Buddha was announced in state-run newspapers in the aftermath of the 2021 Myanmar coup d'état.[5]

For the Buddha's pose, see Maravijaya attitude.
Māravijaya Buddha
မာရဝိဇယဗုဒ္ဓရုပ်ပွားတော်
Religion
AffiliationBuddhism
SectTheravada
RegionNaypyidaw Union Territory
Location
LocationNaypyidaw
CountryMyanmar
Maravijaya Buddha is located in Myanmar
Maravijaya Buddha
Shown within Myanmar
Geographic coordinates19.700954926140046°N 96.05990090948225°E / 19.700954926140046; 96.05990090948225
Architecture
FounderState Administration Council
Specifications
Length81 feet (25 m)
MaterialsSagyin marble

The project has been criticised for being a "vanity project" of Min Aung Hlaing, the junta's leader, and seen as a way for him to gain public legitimacy, as a protector and promoter of Buddhism.[6][5] Previous military juntas have constructed similar temples, including the marble Kyauktawgyi Buddha in Yangon.[7] Min Aung Hlaing specifically constructed a new road to visit the construction site, in order to bypass Naypyidaw Prison, which is also on Naypyidaw Ring Road.[8] In March 2023, the Buddha's image was reportedly seen "crying," as stripes appeared beneath the statue's eyes, prompting the junta to cover its face and bar visitors and photographs of the statue. Ongoing construction has been overseen by allies of the military junta, Ashin Chekinda and Sitagu Sayadaw.[9] State-run media has also been used to solicit donations from the public for the ongoing project, which is estimated to cost US$9 million.[10]

References
  1. "Part 4 Of Maravijaya Buddha Image Conveyed Onto Jewelled Throne Successfully". Global New Light Of Myanmar. 2023-02-14. Retrieved 2023-03-31.
  2. "The Tatmadaw's Buddhism". Insight Myanmar. 2021-04-26. Retrieved 2023-03-31.
  3. "Auspicious Ceremony to Convey 4th Part of Maravijaya Buddha Image on Top of Jewelled Throne Held". Info Sheet. 2023-02-13.
  4. "Carving Of Maravijaya Buddha Image Which Would Be The Highest Stone Sculptured Buddha Image In The World And Plans To Build It Explained". Global New Light Of Myanmar. 2021-11-13. Retrieved 2023-03-31.
  5. "Myanmar junta goes big on giant Buddha statue in midst of crisis". Nikkei Asia. 2021-05-12. Retrieved 2023-03-31.
  6. "Junta Watch: Monument to Dictator's Colossal Vanity Rises; Regime Wedding Veils Violence; and More". The Irrawaddy. 2023-02-18. Retrieved 2023-03-31.
  7. "Junta Watch: Min Aung Hlaing's Statue Cries; Regime Woos Students with Recruitment Propaganda; and More". The Irrawaddy. 2023-03-18. Retrieved 2023-03-31.
  8. "Analysis | Naypyitaw: Myanmar Junta's Last Fortress Against Rising Resistance". The Irrawaddy. 2023-02-02. Retrieved 2023-03-31.
  9. "ASEAN's Envoy on Myanmar Urges Suu Kyi's Return to House Arrest From Solitary Confinement". The Irrawaddy. 2022-06-27. Retrieved 2023-03-31.
  10. "As Myanmar Burns, Junta Pours Money Into 'World's Tallest' Buddha Image". The Irrawaddy. 2022-06-27. Retrieved 2023-03-31.
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