In Yangon, Myanmar we walked over to the magnificent Shwedagon Pagoda as the sun was setting. This is the most ostentatious temple in the country and a must visit.

There was a lot of souvenir stalls on the walk up and then there is a dress code check and ticket booth.

The main area is a beehive of activity. Devotees bathe the deity associated with the day of the week they were born

As night fell, thousands of candles and incense were lit

After this Temple, we went to the tomb of Bahadur Shah Zafar, who is often called the last Mughal. The Mughals ruled a huge swath of South Asia (Northern India and Pakistan) for hundreds of years. One of the Mughals built the famous Taj Mahal in India.

This is an excellent book written about the mutiny in India that led to the downfall of the Mughal empire. In 1857, a massive mutiny occurred in India against the British. Shah Zafar sided with the rebels and was eventually deposed after an incredibly bloody mutiny and counteraction by the British.

Shah Zafar was sent into exile in Yangon where he was eventually buried. His grave was discovered only recently and has been made into a shrine.

Several of his family members (including his main wife) are buried here as well. I’ve seen numerous Mughal monuments in India (Taj Mahal, The Red Fort in Delhi to name the most famous) and this was a moving experience for me.