Maelamu Pagoda

A wonder land of spire pagodas and sculptured figured located in North Okkalapa, a satellite town about 20 minutes drive from the city centre. Maelamu Pagoda is famous for the giant images depicting Buddha’s earlier lives. Maelamu Pagoda is located in suburban town, North Okkalapa, Yangon.It has a spacious ground where visitors love to stroll around. Known for it's wonderland of spired pagodas and sculptured figures located in a sub-urban town, North Okkalapa. It is famous for the giant images depicting Buddha's earlier lives.

Legend

Maelamu meaning the Maid of the Mangrove descended from a legend. A long time ago, a hermit came upon a mangrove tree bearing an abnormally large bud. He took the bud and later the bud produced a little girl. The child was brought up by the hermit who named her Maelamu after the Mangrove tree. She grew up into a beautiful girl and Sakkra or Indra who monarch the celestial divinities, fell in love with her. He asked the permission of the hermit to marry his daughter. The hermit agreed for their nuptial. Afterwards a child was produced who became the King of Okkalapa. He was the person who had enshrined Buddha's hair relics and built the Shwedagon Pagoda. A pagoda was also built and was named as Maelamu Pagoda in South Okkalapa. The site near the creek of Nga Moe Yeik, was found in the 1950's and the Pagoda was built. Near the entrance the figure of Mai Lamu can be seen. There is a huge figure of reptile into whose belly you can walk in. There is also a figure of crocodile with wide-open jaws. The Maelamu Pagoda had a legendary association with another tragic story. The legendary crocodile played an important role in a tragic romance between a prince of Yangon and a princess of Dalla, on the other side of the Yangon river. In the legend, the crocodile carried the prince in his jaws and swam across the Yangon river to meet the princess of Dalla. Therefore, the figure of the crocodile shows an important image for this pagoda.

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