Lying exposed to sun and rain for hundreds of years, the image was ravaged by weather and came to be covered with earth and vegetation till at last it came to assume the form of a wooded hilock, when lower Myanmar was annexed.
Its discovery came quite accidentally with the extension of Railways to Bago. An Indian Contractor for the supply of bricks and earth began digging it for earth, when with the appearance of bricks instead, there arose a storm of protests from those who were conversant with the history of image. The work of the contractor was called to a halt and the reconstruction of the holy image was at once taken in hand and by 1881 once neglected decaying image was restored to its original glory and splendour.
DIMENSION
1. | Length | 180 ft 54.88 meters |
2. | Height | 52½ ft 16 meters |
3. | Face | 22½ ft 6.86 meters |
4. | Ear | 15 ft 4.57 meters |
5. | Eye | 3¾ ft 1.14 meters |
6. | Eye Brow | 7½ ft 2.29 meters |
7. | Eye Lid | 7½ ft 2.29 meters |
8. | Nose | 7½ ft 2.29 meters |
9. | Lip | 7½ ft 2.29 meters |
10. | Neck | 7½ ft 2.29 meters |
11. | Shouder to waist | 47½ ft 14.48 meters |
12. | Waist to knee | 47½ ft 14.48 meters |
13. | Knee to foot | 47½ ft 14.48 meters |
14. | Elbow to tip of Finger | 45 ft 13.71 meters |
15. | Little finger | 10 ft 3.05 meters |
16. | Sole of foot | 25½ ft 7.77 meters |
17. | Great toe 6 ft | 1.83 meters |
18. | Palm of Hand | 22 ft 6.71 meters |
1881.A.D | Reconstruction of the holy image |
1903.A.D | Consttruction of main building. |
1909.A.D | Iron railing in front of the image. |
1932.A.D | Laying of Italian marble slabs. |
1937.A.D | Forehead and Foot prints are onamented |
1938.A.D | Great pillows are decorated with mosacic work. Construction of ceiling above the image. |
1955.A.D | GI. Pipe railing around the entire platform. GI. Pipe railing around the entire platform. |
1959.A.D | Extension of iron building on the northen side. |
Myanmar Version