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In the village on the right bank of the Irrawaddy and roughly about
seven miles north of Mandalay, which can be reached by a ferry boat
or Sampan (country boat) is the world’s largest bell. Previously,
Moscow had a bigger bell but that had been melted down and ever since
Mingun Bell has become the largest ringing bell in the world.
Cast in 1970 at the instance of Bodawpaya, it was meant to go with the
uncompleted Mingun Pagoda. The bell is 12 feet high. One can crouch
and crawl under and then stand erect in the hollow of the bell inside,
the diameter of the outer lip is 16 feet 3 inches and the weight of
this giant is 90 tons. It fell off in the earthquake of 1838
but has been remounted. The love for bells in Myanmar is somewhat remarkable.
Every large pagoda has a number of them in all sizes hanging around
the skirts of the pagoda. Most of them have long Pali inscriptions recording
the praises of the Lord and the aspirations of the donor.
Interesting places in Mingun: Pon-daw-hpaya Pagoda, Set-taw-ya
Pagoda, Mantara-gyi Pagoda, Mingun Pagoda, Mingun bell, Hsin-byu-me
Pagoda
 
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