Ever wondered what the largest book in the world is, or where it’s located? Neither had I, until I came across a recent press release from Great Big Story highlighting the latest episode of their “Uncharted” series. The producers traveled to Mandalay, Myanmar, in order to explore the Kuthodaw Pagoda, home to, yes, the largest book in the world.
The Kuthodaw Pagoda is a Buddhist shrine built in 1857, but as stunning as the shrine is, the stupas surrounding it make it even more unique. Each of the stupas houses a marble tablet once covered in gems and gold ink and inscribed with Buddhist teachings. When the 730 stupas are read together, they make up the entirety of Buddha’s teachings. Although the tablets were looted for their gems and gold after the British invasion, the scripture has been filled in with dark ink, therefore allowing the teachings to be read for many, many years to come. It’s a short one-minute-and-17-second video with some beautiful visuals, so it’s definitely worth your time.