Part 3 -
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The next destination from Inlay Lake was Mandalay, which we found the most magnificent in Myanmar. It was a long trip, visiting Pindaya caves on
the way.
The Pindaya Caves
The Pindaya Caves located next to the town of Pindaya, Shan
State, Myanmar is a Buddhist pilgrimage site. There are three caves on the
ridge which runs north-south, but only the southern cave can be entered and
explored. This extends for about 490 feet along a well-worn path and inside are
8,000 magnificent golden images of Buddha.
There is a legend of the seven princesses bathing in a lake
and how they were captured by a giant spider and trapped in the cave to be
rescued by Prince Kummabhaya of Yawnghwe. Sculptures of the spider and the
prince aiming with his bow and arrow can be seen at the entrance of the covered
stairway to the caves.
After staying for the night at the Moonlight hotel, started
on the next morning for Mingun. Mingun is a town in Sagaing Township of Sagaing Region,
north-west Myanmar located 11 km up the Ayeyarwady River on the west bank from
Mandalay. Its main attraction is the ruined Mingun Pahtodawgyi. Then there are
Mingun bell and Mya Thein Tan Pagoda.
Mingun Pahtodawgyi.
The Mingun Pahtodawgyi, on the banks of the Irrawaddy river,
is a massive unfinished pagoda built at the end of the 18th century, that was
meant to be the largest pagoda in the country. In front of the pagoda are the
remains of two giant Chinthe lions about 29 meters high, guarding the temple. There
is a huge richly decorated entrance at the center of the 50 meter high pagoda
and inside there is a small shrine with a Buddha image. I had a unique spiritual experience at this
shrine. Two large earthquakes
did considerable damage to the Mingun Pagoda. During the 1838 earthquake the
heads of the giant Chinthes broke off and rolled into the Irrawaddy river and
large cracks appeared in the pagoda’s structure.
The Mingun bell
In 1808 King Bodawpaya had an enormous bell made, which is
housed nearby the Paya in a Zayat, an intricate Burmese style pavilion with a
multi tiered roof. The bell that was cast from 1808 until 1810 measures almost
4 meters high and is the largest working bell in the world. The number 55555 is
inscribed in Burmese script on the outside of the bell, 55555 being the weight
in viss, a Burmese unit of measurement, which is about 90 tons. The bell is
rung by striking its exterior with a wood log.
Mya Thein Tan Pagoda
We gasped at the pristine beauty of this stunning white
pagoda, which is also called the Hsinbyume Pagoda. It was built in 1816 by prince Bagyidaw, the
son of King Bodawpaya to commemorate Princess Hsinbyume his late wife (whose
name means the White Elephant Queen) who had passed away during childbirth. To
fund the construction of this white pagoda one hundred thousand emeralds were
used, which explains the name Mye Thein Tan (Mye= emerald, Thein Tan =
100,000).
During an earthquake in 1836 this unique white pagoda was
heavily damaged, but King Mindon restored it in 1874.
It is believed that Hsinbyume Pagoda represents Mount Meru,
which is the center of the universe according to Hindu and Buddhist mythology.
The architecture of the pagoda includes seven concentric terraces that resemble
waves that are supposed to represent the seven rings of mountains that surround
Mount Meru. At the top there is a pagoda
inspired by Chulamanee pagoda, the pagoda which is located on top of Mount
Meru.
U Bein bridge
Our next stop was at U Bein bridge, one of Myanmar’s most
famous tourist attractions. Believed to be the longest and oldest teak wood
bridge in the world, it stretches out for 1.2 kilometers across Taungthaman
Lake in Mandalay. “U Bein” was the man who built the bridge over 150 years ago.
In dry season it looks quite high and mostly crosses seasonal vegetable
gardens, but after the summer rains, the area becomes a big lake and water laps
just below the floor planks.
Construction on the wooden bridge was completed in 1851
after three years. The bridge was built at a slight curve, and is supported by
over a thousand wooden pillars that were hammered into the bottom of the
shallow lake. Some of the poles on which it stands have been replaced by concrete
supports. The planks of teak that make up the surface of the bridge were taken
from the old royal palace of Inwa, a former Burmese capital, that had been
razed a number of times.
Taung min gyi pagoda
The Monastery Campus in which Taung Min Gyi Buddha Statue is
located is at the far west of U Bein Bridge. When we entered, I was so
captivated by the energy exuding from the small decorated Buddha that I almost
missed looking up to see the main huge statue. The pagoda was also named “Hsin
Phyu Shin” that meant owner of White Elephant.” It was built in 1148 ME (AD
1786) by Taung Mingyi Minhla Kyaw Swar who had served as the In-charge of the
White Elephant. There was a beautiful stupa with many small Buddhas in the
recesses.
Mahamuni Buddha temple
Ancient tradition refers to only five likenesses of the
Buddha, made during his lifetime; two were in India, two in paradise, and the
fifth is the Mahamuni Buddha image in Myanmar. According to a legend, Buddha
visited the Dhanyawadi city of Arakan in 554 BC. King Sanda Thuriya requested
that an image was cast of him. After casting the Great Image, the Buddha
breathed upon it, and thereafter the image became the exact likeness of the
Mahamuni. The Mahamuni Buddha Temple is a major pilgrimage site.
Another legend narrated is linked to the six Khmer bronze
statues (three lions–with heads substituted later in Burmese style, a
three-headed elephant known as Airavata, and two warriors in the form of
Shiva), which are installed in the temple in the northern end of the courtyard.
These statues were originally at the Angkor Wat temple complex in Cambodia.
Devotees believe that the statues have healing qualities and rub a particular
part of the body against the statues to cure themselves of various ailments and
diseases.
Mandalay Hill and Sutaungpyei pagoda
Since there was no electricity when we reached the area, the
elevator was not working and we went up by the stairs to the Sutaungpyei pagoda.
Saw a lot of glasswork there. Mandalay Hill is a 240 metres hill that is
located to the northeast of the city centre of Mandalay in Myanmar. The city
took its name from the hill. Mandalay Hill is known for its abundance of
pagodas and monasteries.
Kuthodaw pagoda
Kuthodaw is a Buddhist stupa, located in Mandalay that
contains the world's largest book. It lies at the foot of Mandalay Hill and was
built during the reign of King Mindon Min in 1857. In the grounds of the pagoda
are 729 kyauksa gu or stone-inscription caves, each containing a marble slab
inscribed on both sides with a page of text from the Tripitaka, the entire Pali
Canon of Theravada Buddhism. Between the rows of stone-inscription stupas grow
mature star flower trees (Mimusops elengi) that emanate a jasmine-like
fragrance to the entire complex. When the tablets were unveiled in 1868, each
line of writing had been filled with golden ink and the stones were decorated
with precious stones including rubies and diamonds. Unfortunately after the
British invaded in the mid-1880s, the troops looted the temple site, stripping
the slabs of their gold ink and gems.
Sanda Muni Pagoda
Sanda Muni Pagoda is just next to Kuthodaw. In the center of
the pagoda is the golden zedi surrounded by 1774 white stupas each containing a
marble slab with a page of the tripitaka ( early Buddist scriptures ).
While returning to the hotel we saw hot pakodas being sold
and we stopped to enjoy them. Next day morning we started for Bagan. In the mid 9th
century King Anawratha unified Burma under Theravada Buddhism and Bagan became
a central focus in the development of the country. From 1044 to 1287, Bagan was
the capital as well as the political, economic and cultural center of the Pagan
Empire. The culture was totally dominated by religion.
During these 250 years, Bagan prospered and grew in size. It
became a center of learning for both religious and secular studies. Students
and monks became attracted to the Bagan area, from regions as distant as India,
Sri Lanka and the Khmer Empire. On the way to Bagan we saw the jade pagoda,
which was just so magnificent. Words cannot describe its beauty.
Werawsana (Jade)Pagoda
Werawsana Pagoda, located in Mandalay region is entirely
built from jade, one of Myanmar’s semi-precious stones. It’s a fitting choice
of gemstone, as Myanmar produces almost 70 percent of the world’s supply of
jadeite, a type of jade. “Werawsana” means it was built for all peoples of
Myanmar and all peoples of the world who worship and pay homage to it. The
title-name means giving of peace, progress, prosperity, good fortune, glory,
fame, wealth and immunity from all dangers, and wish-fulfilling.
The Jade Pagoda can withstand an earthquake of 6.59 Richter
scale. To enable it to meet heavy storms they used board pile technology. On
the steel frame, iron nets and cement were added. There are no bricks and only
jade stones that have been collected by donors for over 25 years are used in
the construction. The pagoda was erected by the jade mining family of Soe Naing
and Aye Aye Khaing, who donated both the pagoda and pagoda grounds.
Construction on the pagoda began in November 2012 and the umbrella-hoisting ceremony
to inaugurate the pagoda was held on 5 June 2015.
Jade refers to an ornamental mineral, mostly known for its
green varieties. In China, a pierced jade disk is a symbol of heaven. Jade gives you the wisdom to be able to see
past self-imposed limitations and helps you shed that outdated
can't-win-don't-try attitude. By incorporating jade into our daily meditation
we get the courage to discover our divine inner truth and discard any negative
patterns holding us back from our full potential. Can you imagine the
tremendous vibration in our bodies as we sat meditating inside the jade pagoda?
We reached Bagan by 2 pm and had lunch in the ‘Moon
restaurant’, which was a vegetarian restaurant to our relief. There was a big
board there, “Be kind to animals”. After lunch we visited Ananda temple, Htilo
Minlo pagoda and Shwe Zigon pagoda before checking into the ‘Gold Star hotel’
and taking some rest.
Ananda temple
The Ananda temple is one of Bagan’s best known and most
beautiful temples. This well preserved temple was one of the first great
temples to be built in Bagan. There is a large square room in the center of the
pagoda where four magnificent standing Buddha images are placed in arched
recesses.
The Ananda Pagoda, also named Ananda Pahto and Ananda Phaya
is a single storey structure built towards the end of the early Bagan period.
The architectural style shows Mon and North Indian influence. The temple’s most
distinctive feature is the gilded sikhara, the tower like spire on top of the
pagoda. The reflection of the gilded sikhara is visible from miles away over
the Bagan plains. After dark the Ananda Pagoda is lit up by spotlights creating
a mystical atmosphere.
Htilominlo Temple
Htilominlo Temple was built during the reign of King
Htilominlo (also known as Nandaungmya). It is said that the Htilominlo Temple
was built on the same place where he was selected as the next King by his
father of King Narapatisithu using a white umbrella as a selector. The legend
says there were five princes, all of them were standing in a circle and the
white umbrella in the middle. The next prince would be the one towards whom the white
umbrella had bent .
The temple is three stories tall, with a height of 46 metres
and built with red brick. Each side of the square temple has an entrance porch,
that are all richly decorated.On the first floor of the temple, there are four
Buddhas that face each direction. The temple was damaged in the 1975 earthquake
and subsequently repaired.
Shwezigon pagoda
The Shwezigon pagoda is a 11th century pagoda and one of
Bagan’s top destinations. Sitting on the top of the three terraces there is a beautiful
bell shaped structure or stupa. The design of the Shwezigon Pagoda has been
copied many times across Myanmar. Construction of the Shwezigon Pagoda began
during the reign of King Anawrahta who was the founder of the Pagan Dynasty, in
1059–1060 and was completed in 1102 AD, during the reign of his son King
Kyansittha. Over the centuries the pagoda had been damaged by many earthquakes
and other natural calamities, and has been refurbished several times. This
pagoda is believed to enshrine a bone and tooth of Gautama Buddha. The most
noticeable characteristic of this pagoda is its golden color that shines in the
Sun, which is the result of more than 30,000 copper plates covering it. This
feature was not in the original construction, it was made later (from 1983 to
1984) after a huge collective donation made by national and international
visitors. Most noticeable is the huge gold plated pagoda glimmering in the Sun.
Bupaya Pagoda
After taking some rest in the room, we went out to the river
side at 6pm to watch the stunning Sunset at the Bupaya pagoda. The pagoda was
built at the time of King Pyusawhti, who ruled Bagan during the end of the 3rd
century. According to legend, King Pyusawhti vanquished a giant gourd-bearing
vine that had endangered farmers' livelihoods; the vines just kept growing
until Pyusawhti found the taproot, which he then uprooted, ending the
gourd-vine menace. In his honor, the villagers built Bupaya ("bu" means
"gourd" and 'paya' means "pagoda") on the spot of the
taproot.
This stunning structure was ruined by the earthquake in
1975, and the structure tumbled into the river. The current structure is a
reconstruction of the original. If the original was made up of brick, the new
one is a gilded building made of concrete.
On our way back to the hotel we saw some shacks selling
local foods. One was similar to dosa, with a lot of vegetable filling, and
served after folding it. Another item we tried looked like the South Indian
paddu. They were cooked on a wooden stove that imparted a nice flavour. Both
were so delicious that we had them on the next day also.
But the morning
breakfast served at Gold star hotel was the most disappointing one on our whole
trip. It was just plain rice that was cold, omelette, dried fish
(that we don’t eat), pickled lime, fried onion and chilli flakes, along with
coffee. We had a tough time eating that.
Next day was amazing with visits to many pagodas and a
viewing tower.
Nat Taung Kyaung
Our day started with an early morning visit to Nat Taung
Kyaung, the incredible wooden monastery which is the oldest structure (more
than 200 years old) of its kind in the Bagan region. It was very impressive
with intricate carvings,
a number of
towers with multilayered roofs (pyatthat) and it sits on a wooden platform that
forms its base. The the multi-tiered and sloping tent-like roofing system reveals
an extraordinary design and creativity. It is a living and working monastery
and I had a deep
spiritual experience there.
Thatbyinnyu Phaya Temple
Thatbyinnyu is Bagan's tallest temple at almost 200 ft and represents
a transition from the Mon period to a new architectural style. Constructed
during one of the high points of Bagan political power and during a period of
re-dedication to Theravada Buddhism and religious scholarship, it reflects that
era's innovative architectural and artistic creativity. Paul Strachan, the
important Bagan scholar, calls Thatbyinnyu "an expression of the
self-confident Burmese spirit of nationhood." The temple has two primary
storeys, with the seated Buddha image located on the second storey.
The Shwe gugyi pagoda, Shwe san daw pagoda and Shwe Zedi
pagoda were the next destinations. It is amazing that one doesn’t get bored
visiting pagoda after pagoda in Myanmar. It is such a divine experience being
there and just looking at those divine Buddha idols!
Myazedi pagoda
Myazedi translates as
“emerald stupa,” A notable item at the Myazedi stupa is a stone slab with the
text in four languages: Pyu, Mon, Pali, and Burmese. It’s the earliest dated
example of written Burmese language, dated to 1112 or 1113. This stone slab is
one of a pair, which was reconstructed from several large fragments. Its
partner slab was better preserved and is now in the Bagan museum.
Manuha Phaya
Manuha Phaya is popularly believed to have been built in AD
1067 by Manuha, a Mon prince held captive by King Anawrahta after the conquest
of Thaton in the year 1057. The main feature is three chambers that are filled
with oversized statues of the Buddha. There is also a long reclining image in
an extension at the rear of the building. The Glass Palace Chronicle, a
pseudo-historical Konbaung-era chronicle, records that Manuha sponsored the
construction of the central seated image and the recumbent Buddha in the hope of escaping future rebirths and the indignity of capture by a rival king.
An interesting feature we found here was a huge bowl to
accept donations. There was a ladder adjacent to it for people to climb and put
money into the bowl.
That was a lot of sightseeing and now we were hungry and went
to ‘The Moon 2’ vegetarian restaurant to have lunch. The dragon fruit lemon
mint juice was something out of this world! The mixed vegetable curry in
coconut milk and fried vegetable were delicious, and the dessert, fried banana in
honey (not in the picture) was mind blowing.
By the time we finished lunch it was raining, so went to the
room and had a nap. In the evening we ventured out to sample the famous Mohinga
soup, National dish of Myanmar. It is a fish soup made with rice noodles. For a
rich and hardy broth, chickpea flour is combined with a host of vegetables and the
seasoning includes onions, lemongrass, garlic, ginger and banana tree stem,
then it is cooked in fish sauce. Because of the mention of fish sauce we were
afraid to try it so far, but decided to take a chance, it had only a mild
flavour of fish. And we really loved it and had it for breakfast on the next
morning too!
Nan Myint Tower
After the rains the sky was clear and the sunset was
approaching. We decided to find a nice spot to watch the sunset. We were just
driving around for this purpose when I saw an interesting building that looked
like a viewing tower and noticed people standing at the top. So we entered the
Nan Myint tower, which gave a 360 degree view of the ancient kingdoms and their
environs from the open air viewing deck on 13th floor. It is a
vision of rare exotic beauty, of a legendary past, and the vision of a great
king. Nan Myint means "The high palace" in Myanmar. The tower has a
height of 60 metres and has been open to public since April 2005. Watching the sunset was an exotic experience!
Mount Popa
Now it was time for us to reach back Yangon to take our
flight back home a day later. Started by
8 am in the morning and stopped to have a view from afar of Mount Popa, an
extinct volcano on the slopes of which is the sacred Popa Taungkalat monastery,
perched dramatically atop a huge rocky outcrop. Mount Popa is no longer active;
its last eruption was in 442 BC, according to experts. Today, Mount Popa and
Taung Kalat are regarded as sacred sites home to 37 venerated 'nats'(Burmese
spirits), which are represented by statues at the base of the volcanic outcrop.
From here, one has to climb up the 777 steps to the monastery at the top.
Back in Yangon
By 8pm we reached Yangon and checked into the same ‘Lotus
bed and breakfast’ where we had stayed earlier .
Next day morning our cute
local friend arrived with her cuter daughter and we all went to the Shwedagon
Pagoda. She took us to her favourite place for lunch where we had a really amazing
seaweed salad. It looked like cabbage and had no sea smell, was so crunchy, and
very yum. We had a visit to the local market also with her.
The grand finale
We have been seeing many grand pagodas for the past twelve
days, but the Shwedagon Pagoda was the most breathtaking one. I told our friend
that she was so lucky to be staying near this magnificent pagoda, and envied
her when she told she visits there every week to meditate.
The Shwedagon Pagoda is one of the most famous pagodas in
the world and it is certainly the main attraction of Yangon, Myanmar’s capital
city. According to some, the pagoda is 2,600 years old, making it the oldest
pagoda in the world. Shwedagon Pagoda is covered with hundreds of gold plates
and the top of the stupa is encrusted with 4531 diamonds (the largest of which
is a 72 carat diamond), rubies, topaz, sapphires, and it is also said to hold
hairs from the head of Buddha himself. There is little wonder that the
Shwedagon is referred to in Myanmar as "The crown of Burma."
Chaukhtatgyi Buddha Temple
We then went to see the ‘Sweet Eye Buddha’, which is a very
impressive 65 meters long and 16 meters high reclining Buddha. Chauk Htat Gyi
Buddha image is wearing a golden robe; the right arm of the Buddha is
supporting the back of the head. The Reclining Buddha image is decorated with
very expressive colors, white face, red lips, blue eye shadow, golden robe and
red finger nails.
The soles of the feet contain 108 segments in red and gold
colors that show images representing the 108 lakshanas or auspicious
characteristics of the Buddha.
Finally...
Finally we went to another pagoda where a lady Buddha was
being worshipped. Her face was so calm and the eyes radiated so much love and
compassion that I just stood there, mesmerised. Here we saw some rituals being performed and the offerings could be purchased outside. After absorbing all that
compassionate loving energy, I felt totally ready to take the flight to home
the next day!
Our travel details:
And here is the info of the company from whom we hired the car and the wonderful person, Mr.Amo who drove us around, served as a translator and a great guide.
