A legendary bell that has been lying in the bottom of Pazundaung Creek since the 15th century is unlikely to see the light of day anytime soon, said Mon state Deputy Minister of Culture U Than Swe.
What to do about the artifact was briefly brought discussed during a parliamentary meeting on Aug. 2. In response to a question from U Hla Maung of the Chaung Zone constituent about the government’s plans to re-surface the sunken national treasure the deputy minister responded that no time frame has been set aside for this.
The Great Bell of King Dhammazedi was cast in the late 1400s as a gift from the king to the Shwedagon Pagoda in Yangon. The bell weighing 294 tons of gold, silver, copper and tin might be the largest bell in the world, but still needs confirmation. Aside from the obvious historical importance for Mon culture, the bell is also famous to international treasure hunters and venture investors alike.
Multiple efforts to retrieve the bell since 1987 have failed. Some plans to excavate it were stopped before ever getting started. The bell is believed to be submerged in at least 25 feet of mud below the creek’s bottom.
As recent as 2012 the Singapore-based SD Mark International LLP Co. hosted a workshop on salvaging the Dhammazedi Bell. The workshop was in partnership with Myanmar's Historical Research Department of the Ministry of Culture. During the workshop it was determined that it would cost about $10M to save the bell. SD Mark International LLP Co. have since cancelled their offer for excavating the national treasure.
