Buddha facts

Windows. The Laykyun Setkyar in Myanmar is the second tallest statue in the world at 116 meters (381 ft), plus 13.5 m (44 ft) for the throne. All top three tallest statues in the world depict Buddha.

None. By tradition, Gautama Buddha is said to have been destined by birth to the life of a prince. His father, wishing for his son to be a great king, shielded him from religious teachings and from knowledge of human suffering. Gautama first met an ascetic man and learned about religion when he left his home at the age of 29.

In northeastern India. The evidence of the early texts suggests that Siddhartha Gautama was born on the periphery, both geographically and culturally, of the northeastern Indian subcontinent. It was either a small republic, in which case his father was an elected chieftain, or an oligarchy, in which case his father was an oligarch. According to the Theravada Tripitaka scriptures, Gautama was born in Lumbini in modern-day Nepal.

Siddartha Gautama. According to tradition, Siddartha Gautama was a son of King Suddhodana, who was an elected leader of the Shakya people. The Śākyas formed an independent republican state, with the capital of Kapilavastu in present-day Nepal. As Gautama Buddha founded a new religion and abdicated the throne, so the lineage continued with his brother Rahula.

Shwedagon Pagoda. The Shwedagon Pagoda is a gilded stupa located in Yangon. Shwedagon Pagoda is the most sacred Buddhist pagoda in Myanmar, as it is believed to contain relics of the four previous Buddhas of the present kalpa. These relics include the staff of Kakusandha, the water filter of Koṇāgamana, a piece of the robe of Kassapa, and eight strands of hair from the head of Gautama.