Kuthodaw Pagoda (Mandalay) FAQs In 2026 - 2027

Kuthodaw Pagoda is a historic Buddhist stupa located at the foot of Mandalay Hill in Mandalay, Myanmar (Burma). It is famously known as the 'World's Largest Book' due to the hundreds of stone inscriptions that surround the central pagoda. These inscriptions are engraved on stone slabs housed in small white stupas. The entire complex is a significant cultural and religious site and is a popular destination for both pilgrims and tourists.

Kuthodaw Pagoda is referred to as the 'World's Largest Book' because of the 729 marble slabs inscribed with Buddhist scriptures that are arrayed around the central stupa. Each slab represents a page, and they collectively contain the entire Pali Canon, which is the authoritative text of Theravada Buddhism.

Kuthodaw Pagoda was built during the reign of King Mindon Min. It was constructed in the years following the founding of Mandalay in 1857 to preserve the teachings of the Buddha as a physical collection of texts.