Shwedagon Pagoda is Myanmar most glorious religious building which is highly revered by Myanmar people, with numerous Myanmar handicrafts. Moreover, a variety of wonderful fine handicrafts can be found at the Shwedagon Pagoda which is proud of the cultural standards prevailing throughout the history of Myanmar.
The great bell of King Sintku can be found between the western stairway and the northern stairway of the Shwedagon Pagoda. The great bell was cast in copper using one of the ten Myanma traditional arts and crafts. That is the art of casting. King Sinbyushin of Ava donated a new Pagoda umbrella to the Shwedagon in 1136 Myanmar Era ,1774 AD, and as he had a wish to donate a bell to the Pagoda, it was accomplished under the reign of his descendant King Sintkumin. The great bell which had a pleasant and sweet sound was named “Maha Gandha”. It was placed at the present site where it stood now in 1140 Myanmar Era 1778 AD.
While King Sintku’s bell was being carried away to England by water way as a taken of victory of first Anglo-Myanmar war, the bell happened to have fallen into Yangon river and sunk there. The English were unable to retrieve the bell so they had to leave it. After the Anglo-Myanmar war, the Myanmar claimed the possession of the bell. The reply was that the Myanmars were allowed to take it back if they could retrieve it.
Accordingly, Myanmar nationals had retrieved the bell in Myanmar way, using Myanmar technique of recovering the submerged bell. The bell had been restored at the present site in 1188 Myanmar Era 1826 AD.
The tier roofed building where you can find the King Sintku’s bell at present was constructed with the fund of Myanmar donors in 1281 Myanmar Era 1919 AD. The Sintkumin’s bell weighs 15,555 viss 50 ticals and the width of the bell’s mouth is 6 feet 8 inches and its height is 7 feet and it was decorated with Myanma traditional arts and crafts of glass mosaic to enable the general public to study the prominent history of the old bell of King Sintkumin, it has been housed in a tiered roofed building between the western stairway and the northern stairway of Shwedagon Pagoda
