Mrauk-U pagoda’s missing diamond bud recovered

The diamond bud of Lawka Manaung Pagoda in Mrauk-U Township, which reportedly went missing after the pagoda was struck by lightning on Friday, was retrieved on Saturday morning, according to the pagoda’s board of trustees.

By DMG 23 Jul 2022

DMG Newsroom
23 July 2022, Mrauk-U

The diamond bud of Lawka Manaung Pagoda in Mrauk-U Township, which reportedly went missing after the pagoda was struck by lightning on Friday, was retrieved on Saturday morning, according to the pagoda’s board of trustees.

The diamond went missing after the pagoda was struck by lightning at around 1 p.m. on Friday, said a member of the board of trustees, U Aung Kyaw Khaing.

“We looked for hours yesterday, but we only found other items. But we found the diamond bud when we searched this morning,” he said.

The diamond bud was put atop the pagoda in March 2019.

“The pagoda was struck by lightning twice in July 2020, too. Except for the umbrella [at the top of the pagoda], the pagoda did not suffer serious damage,” said U Aung Kyaw Khaing.

The pagoda board of trustees will hold talks with the Department of Archaeology and National Museum to hoist a new umbrella atop the pagoda.

Lawka Manaung Pagoda is one of the most well-known and sacred sites in the ancient Arakanese capital of Mrauk-U, and was built by King Sanda Thudhamma Raja in 1652.