Copper in Ancient India c10.14

c10.14

But British Burma has pre-eminently been the land of brass. From the middle ages and specially from the eighteenth century Burma has been famous for gigantic brass statues of Buddha and brass bells which adorn Burmese temples. Though brass and bronze bells are indispensable ornaments of Indian temples, yet in size and dimensions they are insignificant in comparison with Burmese bells. The gigantic brass bell at Siwe dagon Paya constructed by the Emperor Simby Shin in 1775 weighs 41 tons. The celebrated Minguin bell in Upper Burma, the second biggest bell in actual use in the world, cast by the Emperor Bodow Paya in 1790, is 16 ft. in diameter and weighs 88 tons. An idea of its height may be obtained from the fact that it is difficult for three men standing on each other’s shoulders to reach the top of the bell from its bottom.¹