Soon Oo Pon Nya Shin (ဆွမ်းဦးပုညရှင်)

Burmese. Name of a Buddhist hilltop temple on Nga-pha, i.e. ‘Frog Hill’, one of the 37 hills of Sagaing, near Mandalay, which can be accessed by entering through the Frog Hill Gate (fig.). The hall at then main entrance to this pagoda houses a large Buddha image seated in the maravijaya pose. The complex is built around a gilded zedi, which is surrounded by a wide platform-like balcony, which offers a panoramic aerial view of the entire area and the Irrawaddy River below. The principal Buddha image at the eastern hall is depicted in the bhumisparsa pose, and on close inspection, it can be noticed that the image's left hand, which is resting in his lap with the palm upward, actually has six fingers (fig.), representing the six senses in Buddhism, i.e. the eyes, ears, nose, tongue, body, and mind. There are several Buddha images worldwide that have been depicted with six fingers, and Thailand's Wat Yai Suwannaram in Phetchaburi has a Buddha image with six toes for the same reason. In this same hall, i.e. one of the many pavilions surrounding the main stupa, also stands a tall bronze statue of a frog, in order to honour the hill's name and which local visitors tend to rub for good luck (map - fig.). Also transliterated Sone Oo Pone Nya Shin. See also TRAVEL PICTURES and MAP. 回