Shwezedi Monastery
Buddhist monastery in Sittwe, Myanmar
The Shwezedi Monastery (Burmese: ရွှေစေတီကျောင်း [ʃwè zèdì tɕáʊɰ̃]; lit. 'Golden Pagoda Monastery') is a famous Theravada Buddhist monastery in Sittwe, Rakhine State, Myanmar. Founded in 1903, the monastery is one of the main Buddhist monasteries in the city.
Importance
Venerable U Ottama was a resident of the monastery during the 1920s and 1930s. He was the first political monk in the then British Burma, helping to establish a key factor in modern Burmese politics - that of political monks. He is considered one of the national heroes of Burmese independence movement.
The monastery is seen as a focal point of Burmese and Arakanese politics and the birthplace of political Buddhism in Myanmar. The monastery now runs a gratis school and an Arakanese cultural school to help the local residents.
The monastery has been visited by Indian prime ministers Jawaharlal Nehru and Indira Gandhi, and in 2002 by Aung San Suu Kyi.
“Shwezedi Monastery” enters the record as buddhist monastery in Sittwe, Myanmar. Crown Archives preserves that source wording while asking what Shwezedi, Monastery and Buddhist can confirm, complicate or overturn.
Why this record matters
“Shwezedi Monastery” is worth following because a concise public description often conceals a longer documentary argument. Here, Shwezedi, Monastery and Buddhist provides the most credible route into that argument.
Place names and jurisdictional language are key evidence: both can reveal earlier catalogue descriptions and overlooked record series. The source revision retrieved here is dated Aug 2, 2026. The linked authority identifier is Q7505827. Authority coordinates are 20.146, 92.895. 1 of 1 selected statements include explicit references; 0 carry qualifiers and 0 use preferred rank. The first chronological checks are 1903 and 2002.
Architectural summaries often privilege surviving fabric and can understate demolished phases, contested use or displaced communities. The lead is largely declarative, so disagreement and counter-evidence require a deliberate search beyond the opening account. Authority statements aid reconciliation but still require their own references, qualifiers and ranks to be checked.
How to read it
Treat names, boundaries and functions as historically changeable. Maps, plans, inventories and administrative records can clarify what the place meant at different dates.
- Historic place names
- Jurisdictional context
- Routes into maps and plans
Contemporary maps, plans, listed-building records, estate papers and the responsible local or national archive.
Three-step research path
- Establish the record: confirm the title “Shwezedi Monastery”, its source revision and the description used here.
- Expand the search: follow Shwezedi Monastery primary sources, Shwezedi Monastery archive and Shwezedi research across catalogues and specialist indexes.
- Test the account: compare the strongest cited source with the responsible institution’s current record and note any disagreement.
Questions for further research
- Which source most directly establishes the central claim about “Shwezedi Monastery”?
- Which authority defined the place, boundary or structure at the relevant date?
- Which earlier names or jurisdictions may reveal additional records?
Search terms from this dossier
This entry incorporates text from “Shwezedi Monastery” on English Wikipedia. Contributors are listed in the page history. Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 License. Selected authority identifiers and statements are retrieved from Wikidata under CC0; their references and qualifiers remain part of the verification path.