A Religious State Affair – The Story of the Kyauk-taw-gyi Pagoda in Insein
A Case Study on Buddhism and Politics in Burma/Myanmar from Royal Times until Today
von Hans-Bernd ZöllnerA must-see for any visitor to Yangon is the Kyauk-taw-gyi (Great noble stone) Pagoda, the site of the
country’s largest marble Buddha image – 37 feet high and weighing more than 500 tonnes. This book
tells the story of the creation of the massive statue at the beginning of this century, placing the project in
the context of Myanmar’s history, from royal times to the military coup of 1 February 2021. The colourful
and richly illustrated story of the marble Buddha and its precursors and successors provides insight into
the composition of Burmese-Buddhist society, while also shedding light on the legitimation of power in
the predominantly Buddhist country and at the same illustrating the sensitive and often underestimated
relevance of Buddhism in Myanmar politics.
country’s largest marble Buddha image – 37 feet high and weighing more than 500 tonnes. This book
tells the story of the creation of the massive statue at the beginning of this century, placing the project in
the context of Myanmar’s history, from royal times to the military coup of 1 February 2021. The colourful
and richly illustrated story of the marble Buddha and its precursors and successors provides insight into
the composition of Burmese-Buddhist society, while also shedding light on the legitimation of power in
the predominantly Buddhist country and at the same illustrating the sensitive and often underestimated
relevance of Buddhism in Myanmar politics.
