Burmese in the Mahamuni Pagoda

Burmese woman smoking a cigar in the Mahamuni Pagoda, the most sacred sanctuary in Mandalay (Burma). Legend says Buddha would have “left his image” there, saying a great city would rise where Mandalay now stands. Though Buddhism is quite open-minded regarding equality between men and women, it is still prohibited for women to approach the golden Buddha – a famous pilgrimage site – standing in the middle of the Pagoda.