A Religious State Affair – The Story of the Kyauk-taw-gyi Pagoda in Insein

A 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.