On the Waso full moon day of the Myanmar calendar year 1387 (Dhammasetkya Festival Day), large numbers of pilgrims gathered at the sacred Maha Muni Pagoda in Mandalay Region.
U Myo Win, Chairman of the Maha Muni Pagoda Trustee Board, explained: “Today the pagoda is open from 7 a.m. to 4 p.m. Only the east entrance is open; the others are still under repair because of structural weakness. Today, quite a lot of people have come to the pagoda. The face of the Buddha image itself cannot yet be re-gilded. Once the structural repairs are fully completed and we receive permission after an official blessing ceremony, we’ll be able to do it. On other days, the gates are closed but pilgrims can still come to pay respects. On every Uposatha (observance) day, men can offer gold leaf directly onto the statue, while women may place gold leaf into offering boxes to be applied on their behalf.”
The Maha Muni Pagoda suffered approximately 70 percent damage as a result of the earthquake that struck around noon on March 28, 2025.
Many Buddhist devotees were seen engaging in acts of merit inside the temple grounds, such as washing the sacred statue, offering flowers and fruits, making wishes and prayers, and feeding fish and turtles.
The Waso full moon day is regarded by Buddhists as a deeply sacred and significant day: it commemorates the day Prince Siddhartha was conceived, the day he renounced worldly life to become an ascetic, and the day he delivered his first sermon as the Buddha.
