Fabulous Shweku Dake Daw Gyi

Pakokku District lies on the west bank of Ayeyarwaddy River in Magwe Division, Central Myanmar. This District is where varieties of Myanma culture flourish in the days of Myanmar dynasties since the pre-pyu era.
One of the culture heritages is the Shweku Dake Daw Gyi, the ornamental backdrop of a throne, inside Shweku Gyi Pagoda in Pakkokku. The intricate and genius work-of-art is famous not only in Myanmar, but is renowned throughout the World. The meaning Shweku Dake is the fabulous backdrop of a throne, which is designed and decorated with traditional Myanmar work of art. This work of art is one of Myanmar's ten traditional arts and crafts and the Shweku Dake Daw Gyi was created by purely Myanmar sculpture.
Among Myanma traditional sculpture, which is a work of art, all specialists and professionals regard the Pakkokku Shweku Dake as the best of it's kind. The Shweku Dake Gyi is 12' 10'' high and 5' 10'' wide and 6.8 inches thick, it is sculptured with Yamanay wood and on five-feet wood blocks. The eight layers of traditional works-of-art are carved. As the wood block is 6 and eighth inches thick, it is carved in eight floral layers, one layer is not even an average of one inch thick.
Depictions on the Dake Daw Gyi are the main features of Daywar Yaw Ha Na Jataka, Nay Mi Jataka, Tha Mi Na Jataka and Bein Ma Tha Ya Jataka. Statues of Buddha, Arahat and Kings, the celestial beings, the Ministers and Princess and dancers were so superb that these statues look like real humans.
On the Dake Daw Gyi, altogether 136 human, 18 birds and animals statues were carved right inside the eight layers on a single block of wood amazing all who behold it. It took four years for sculptors U Kan Gyi and son Maung Tay to complete the work of art. The tools, the chisels and over one hundred pieces of equipments used in sculpturing were made by the father and the son who were well versed in blacksmiths as sculpture and to access through inner layers of the main sculpture required intricate equipment. That is why, only those who knew sculpture and blacksmith could capture such a blend of art, which is amazing, one felt as if they were in the midst of the hills and forests. The characters depicting in the Dake Daw Gyi such as three-dimensional sculpturing of the chariot drawn by three horses in the eight-tired floral design were so lifelike. If one were to personally visit the Dake Daw Gyi, one world really enjoy the experience much more.