Hti

Hti (Burmese: ထီး; MLCTS: hti:, IPA: [tʰí]) is the name of the umbrella or top ornament found in almost all pagodas in Myanmar. They have been found in pagodas constructed by all four of the pagoda building ethnic groups of Myanmar: the Mon, the Bamar, the Rakhine and the Shan.

The Hti can be said as the main distinctive feature of pagodas in Myanmar, as they are more prominent than their Sri Lankan counterparts, while the Laotian and Thai pagodas do not have any. The Hti is considered the most important part of the pagoda, a special ceremony being held for the placing of the hti on the pagoda (hti-tin pwe).

The Htis of the temples of Bagan and Mrauk U, the two archeological treasure troves of Myanmar, are all made of stone, while the htis of the pagodas there and elsewhere around Myanmar are made of metal (usually iron or steel), coated with gold. The hti is then decorated with golden or gold-plated brass and bronze bells (khaung-laung), and at jewelry donated by the devote and pious.

The tip of the hti is always studded with precious stones, usually diamonds. This is called the hsein-phu-daw (lit. esteemed diamond bud).

The Hti of the Shwedagon Pagoda in Yangon is about one and a half stories tall. The older hti, donated by the penultimate King of Burma, Mindon Min, can be seen at a temple inside the middle Shwedagon platform (a-lei pyit-sa-yan or Yin-byin-daw)

References

• The Burman: His Life and Notions, by Shway Yoe. Rangoon.