November 12, 2019
With sacred religious objects enshrined into its upper reliquary and a golden umbrella hosted atop it, the Eternal Peace pagoda was consecrated yesterday in Dekkhinathiri Township of Nay Pyi Taw.
President U Win Myint, First Lady Daw Cho Cho and State Counsellor Daw Aung San Suu Kyi attended the ceremony in the compound of the pagoda near Gangaw Roundabout on Yazathingaha Road.
It was also attended by the members of the Sangha led by Chairman of the State Sangha Maha Nayaka Committee, Patron of Bhamo Monastery in Mandalay, Abhidhaja MahaRatthaguru AggaMaha Saddamma Jotika Dr Bhaddanta Kumara Bhivamsa, Vice President U Myint Swe and wife Daw Khin Thet Htay, Chief Justice of the Union U Htun Htun Oo, Constitutional Tribunal Chairman U Myo Nyunt, Union Election Commission Chairman U Hla Thein and wife Daw Aye Thida, Deputy Commander in Chief of Defence Services Vice Senior General Soe Win and wife Daw Than Than Nwe, Pyithu Hluttaw Deputy Speaker U Tun Tun Hein and wife Dr Sein Sein Thein, Deputy Speaker of Amyotha Hluttaw U Aye Tha Aung, the Union Ministers, the Union Attorney-General, Chairman of the Nay Pyi Taw Council, Chairman of the Myanmar National Human Rights Commission, the Chief of General Staff (Army, Navy and Air), Commander of Nay Pyi Taw Command, Deputy Ministers, Members of Nay Pyi Taw Council and wives, donors and invited guests.
Before the ceremony, State Counsellor Daw Aung San Suu Kyi offered alms-food in the emerald bowl, fruits, flowers and water to the Buddha Image in the compound of pagoda.
Then, the President and First Lady, together with the State Counsellor, paid homage to the sacred objects to be enshrined in the pagoda.
Next, the President and the First Lady, the State Counsellor and the congregation took the nine precepts from the Bhamo Sayadaw after which the members of Sangha recited the Parittas.
The President and the First Lady, the State Counsellor, the Vice President and wife, the Chief Justice of the Union, the Chairman of Constitutional Tribunal, the Chairman of Union Election Commission and wife, the Deputy Commander in Chief of Defence Services and Commander in Chief (Army) and wife, Union Ministers and donors donated holy relics of diamond buds with jewelries, pennant-shaped vane, Buddha images and other sacred items to the members of Sangha.
Then, Shwe Parami Forest Monastery Patron Sayadaw Ashin Candadhika gave a brief speech to express his sympathetic joy in connection with the construction of the Eternal Peace Pagoda.
Next, State Ovadacaria and Patron of MahaVisutarama Zaygone Monastery Abhidhaja Maha Ratthaguru Dr Bhaddanta Kavisara gave a sermon extolling the virtues of the good deeds and the congregation led by the President, the First Lady, and the State Counsellor shared merits for the donations thus made.
Union Minister for Religious Affairs and Culture Thura U Aung Ko, as chairman of the Eternal Peace Pagoda Construction Steering Committee, presented certificates of appreciation to Tet Lann Companies Group Chairman U Shein Win, Say Paing Company Chairman U MaungWeik, Architect Dr Toe Toe Win, MORE C.N.C Company Chairman U Moe Oo and San Hteik Than Company’s floral motifs specialist U Kyi Soe, who contributed their works in the construction of the pagoda.
At the enshrining ceremony, the President and First Lady, the State Counsellor, the Vice President and wife and the congregation carried the sacred objects in ceremonial clockwise procession including a small contingent representing devas and another contingent representing royalty. After this lay devotees conveyed these holy objects to the upper reliquary.
Then, Shwe Parami Forest Monastery Sayadaw, the President, the Vice President, the Chairman of Nay Pyi Taw Council and the donors enshrined the relic objects into the reliquary and sprinkled it with scented water.
To hoist the holy umbrella, the First Lady, the State Counsellor, the wife of Vice President and the congregation participated in conveying the jewel studded diamond bud, pennant-shaped vane, layers of golden umbrella and other religious objects to the top of the pagoda by a ceremonial flying carriage that used ropes and pulleys.
Shwe Parami Forest Monastery Sayadaw, the President, and the Vice President attached the sacred objects atop the pagoda after which the Union Ministers, officials and devotees donated other holy items to the surrounding pagodas.
After the consecration ceremony, President U Win Myint, First Lady Daw Cho Cho, State Counsellor Daw Aung San Suu Ky and the congregation donated soon (day meal) to members of the Sangha.
The Shwe Parami Forest Monastery Sayadaw, the President, the Vice President and the Chairman of Nay Pyi Taw Council attached the golden holy umbrella to the top of the ornamented Victory Column or Tagundaing, and sprayed with scented water on it. The State Counsellor also sprayed scented water over the monument of the Victory Column. Then, the President and wife, and the State Counsellor struck the golden bell, and the Vice President and wife struck the golden gong nine times respectively before spraying the scented water on these ceremonial objects.
Finally, President U Win Myint and wife, and the State Counsellor Daw Aung San Suu Kyi scattered ceremonial gold and silver to mark the successful completion of the ceremony.—MNA (Translated by Aung Khin)
