Myanmar- the land of golden pagodas and tasty pakodas – Part 2

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The breakfast that we had on out third day was the best during our whole trip. What a spread it was! There was orange juice, sweet and juicy mangoes and dragon fruit, five types of local sweets (with sago, rice, guava, sugar and jaggery), and a bowl of rice and beans(which used to be our staple breakfast dish), and coffee. 

We started off at 9am, after a while as Mr, Amo detected some problem with the air conditioner, he stopped on the way to get it repaired. We sat on a bench on the road side and had fun watching their daily life. I noticed that the man who was repairing was eating something from a packet. It was roasted sunflower seeds. He would remove the outer shell by biting gently and eat the seeds. This is a very popular snack there, as opposed to the readymade chips with all the harmful chemicals. Later we bought a packet and enjoyed having it.

Shwe Yin Myaw Pagoda

Shwe Yin Myaw World Peace Pagoda is located at the bank of Thanlwin River, Hpa An Township, Kayin State, Myanmar.  

After enjoying the serene beauty of this pagoda and admiring the colourful longyis the cute local girls were wearing, we had a look at the local market and were delighted to see a variety of fresh vegetables and flowers.

Kyauk Ka Lat Pagoda

Kyauk Ka Lat Pagoda balances on the peak of a limestone dominating the beautiful manmade lake located near the Mount of Zwegabin in Hpa-An. In spite of the very natural look, the island and the lake are artificial. Tharmanya Sayadaw, the famous arhat, meditated here before his parinirvana. Since its creation this has been a very active meditation center. The island can be accessed by using a wooden footbridge passing through the lake.  If one is brave enough to climb the wooden ladder, he can go to the summit of the mountain and enjoy the breathtaking views on the lake and the rest of the city. We just went half way up.

Sadan cave

Sadan cave was our next destination and it was simply breathtaking.  Its entrance was dominated by many Buddha statues, a couple of pagodas and some clay wall carvings. The Sadan Cave stretches about 500 meters from one end to the other. Water was dripping at many places, there were pools of water and it was slippery too. 

After strolling carefully through the cave for about 15-minutes we saw the light at the end of the tunnel and emerged at the opposite side of the cave. On this side of Sadan Cave there was a lake with some fishing boats and local vendors selling cold drinks and fruits.

U Nar Auk Monastery

This monastery is named after Nar Auk an ethnic Mon teak logging tycoon (1832-1913). A cattle boy turned entrepreneur during British colonial days, he used his wealth to fight against Britain’s powerful Irrawaddy Flotilla Company and to help the country’s poor avoid exploitation by British and Indian businessmen. He fought against giant British companies earning him a spot in the history textbooks of government elementary schools.

The buildings and shrines in the U Nar Auk Monastery compound at Kawhnat village in Hpa-an Township were built more than a century ago by three Mon tycoons who were famed for their munificence. There is a mix of traditional and foreign architectural styles. 

The visitors are rewarded by the splendour and variety of the buildings, which Two of the tycoons, Nai Htaw Ei and Nai Tun Kyaw, chose designs influenced by Indo-European architecture and traditional Chinese elements, respectively, for the monastery buildings; and Nar Auk used traditional Burmese designs for two of the shrines. The site contains an ordination hall built in 1895, and three shrines and two pagodas built from 1902 to 1904.

Much of the decoration is gilded, making it appear fresh. Layers of brass were used to make floral arches at the shrine entrances. The floors, walls, ceilings and doorframes were crafted from the best quality teak and remain in good condition. One of the shrines houses two standing Buddha images: one is 4.57 metres high (15 feet) and the other 4.27m (14 feet). They were each carved from a single piece of teak.

When we were admiring these magnificent buildings, we found some of the buildings locked. A monk followed us with keys and opened these locked buildings for us. It was so kind of him. As I stood there and closed my eyes, I felt, if I have to stay in a monastery, this is where I would prefer. I felt good with this thought because I remembered I had felt sick when I had a glimpse of my past life as a Buddhist nun in Zilukha nunnery, Bhutan. 

Kha-Yone cave

Kha‐Yone Cave is one of the natural limestone caves in Kha‐Yone Village, in Mon State to the direction of Mawlamyine.

 This is a beautiful natural cave where locals come to worship and say their prayers to ask for good health and prosperity. As it was raining, there was water inside the cave and it was quite slushy. And it was dark inside too. 

A local man came inside the cave that time and when he learned we were Indians, he got quite excited as he had been to India once. It was he who made it possible for us to explore that dark cave. Now it was time to stop the sightseeing for the day, so checked into a motel in Mawlamyine and had a good sleep.

Part 3 - Click here