Mandalay manufacturing – Buddha statue workshops


Many of the gold leafs produced in Mandalay will be used in the Mahamuni Buddha temple. This temple is one of the most important pilgrim sites in Myanmar. The Buddha itself is not allowed to be approached by women. They have to wait outside while men are allowed to enter the shrine area where the Arakan buddha is waiting for his appraisal. The men climb a platform and stick their gold leafs to the over and over covered representation of the life of buddha. The statue is very much out of shape already.

When you leave the temple on the north exit you will come to an area where a lot of buddha statue workshops are situated. Here you can see buddha statues made from white stone in all stages of their creation process. People shape, polish, drill and paint the statues wherever you look.