Uppatasanti Pagoda

What this pagoda is

Uppatasanti Pagoda is the defining religious monument of Naypyidaw. Its name is commonly understood as protection against calamity, and the pagoda is also known as the Peace Pagoda. The central stupa rises 99 metres and deliberately echoes the bell form, tiered base and umbrella-shaped hti of Shwedagon Pagoda in Yangon; it is slightly shorter than that older model.

Construction began in 2006 and the complex was completed and consecrated in 2009. This is a working place of worship as well as a national-scale architectural statement, so treat it as a religious site rather than a museum set.

Read the structure

Start outside. The wide terraces and the stupa’s clean, symmetrical silhouette make the architecture easiest to grasp from the open platform. Look up from the broad base through the rising rings to the gilded hti; this vertical sequence is the essential view.

Unlike many solid Burmese stupas, Uppatasanti has an accessible interior. Inside are four jade Buddha images and the Maha Hsutaungpyae Buddha image in the Maha Pasadabhumi Gandhakuti chamber. A Buddha tooth relic is enshrined here, making the pagoda a destination for devotion as well as sightseeing.

Allow time for the wider precinct rather than treating the stupa as a quick roadside stop. Its religious buildings and landscaped elements include:

• the Bodhi Tree Garden, with images of the 28 Buddhas;
• a garden of 108 bodhi trees;
• Mālinī Maṅgala Lake and the Shin Upagutta chamber;
• an ordination hall, museum, scripture building and religious archive.

Getting there and moving around

The pagoda stands on Rajadhani Road in Pobbathiri Township, within Naypyidaw’s dispersed urban layout. Arrive by taxi, hired car or arranged hotel transport; the capital’s long distances and broad roads make walking from hotel districts impractical. Have the Burmese name, ဥပ္ပါတသန္တိစေတီတော်, saved on your phone for drivers.

Parking is available around the precinct, but expect a walk from the vehicle area to the stupa. The grounds are expansive, level in many places and exposed to the sun. Give the visit at least an hour; longer if you want to explore the ancillary buildings at an unhurried pace.

Visiting respectfully

Dress conservatively: cover shoulders and knees. Remove shoes and socks before entering sacred areas, and keep footwear with you in a bag. The pale paving can become extremely hot, particularly from late morning onward, so visit early or late in the day if you prefer cooler surfaces.

Walk clockwise when circling the stupa, avoid pointing feet toward Buddha images, and keep voices low indoors. Ask before photographing worshippers or monks. Major Buddhist observances can bring ceremonies and restricted movement within parts of the compound; follow directions from site staff.