Gautama Buddha visited the sacred peak of Mandalay Hill with his disciple Ananda,and proclaimed that on the 2400th anniversary of his death, a mmtropolis of Buddhist learning would be founded on the plain below the hill.To assure purity and consequent strength and prosperity, King Mindon moved the capital from Amarapura to a new site a few miles to the north of the old capital at the base of a sacred hill.In this way, the shift of capitols was justified, and a standing image of Gautama Buddha pointing to King Mindon's palace was subsequenty erected on Mandalay Hill.