Completed 1268
Merit of King Narathiha Pati (r. 1254-1287)
Lies close to the Irrawaddy River, Mingalar Zedi Pagoda, or Blessing Pagoda, is one of the beautiful attractions to visit in a Bagan tour package. According to a stone inscription the pagoda was consecrated in March of 1268. The 131 ft-high Mingalar Zedi is the last pagoda of this size to be built in Bagan. At one time it had 1061 green-gazed relief plaques; now 516 remain.
The plaques of scenes from the Jataka Tales, line the sides of the terrace. One stone inscription records a special ceremony some years after the completion of the pagoda: “King Narathiha Pati, supreme commander of 36 million soldiers and who is the consumer of 300 dishes of curry daily, enshrined fifty-one gold and silver figurines of kings, queens, nobles and maids of honour, and over these a solid silver image of Lord Buddha Gautama one cubic high, on Thursday the Full Moon of Kason of the year 636,” or May 1274. The inscription goes on to describe the ceremony of enshrining the images, during which the images were showered with pearls.
