Burma / Myanmar: A wedding party in procession to the Maha Muni Pagoda (Great Sage...

The Mahamuni Buddha Temple, also called the Mahamuni Pagoda, is a Buddhist temple and major pilgrimage site, located southwest of Mandalay, Burma (Myanmar). The Mahamuni Buddha image (literal meaning: The Great Sage) is deified in this temple, and originally came from Arakan. It is highly venerated in Burma and central to many people's lives, as it is seen as an expression of representing the Buddha's life. Ancient tradition refers to only five likenesses of the Buddha, made during his lifetime; two were in India, two in paradise, and the fifth is the Mahamuni Buddha image in Myanmar. According to legend, the Buddha visited the Dhanyawadi city of Arakan in 554 BCE. King Sanda Thuriya requested that an image was cast of him. After casting the Great Image, the Buddha breathed upon it, and thereafter the image became the exact likeness of the Mahamuni. Photographer: David Henley