Tuesday, February 18, 2020
Thursday, February 06, 2020
Cosmetic spirituality
It is very
interesting to find every other person on spiritual path now a days. At the same time there is too much confusion.
They are not experiencing the mental peace and stability expected out of the
spiritual practice.
First
thing first
When I start
training dentists, I stress the importance of being a good human being to
become a good professional. It holds true in the spiritual path too, but nobody
gives importance to the first steps, 'Yama and Niyama' of the Eight limbs of
Ashtanga yoga. It used to intrigue me how such people progress on their
spiritual path. I have seen many dishonest persons who do rigorous meditation
to reach 'Realization', but don't make any progress.
My doubt as to why
they do so got clarified recently. When we discussed that telling truth and
being honest are pre-requisites to get Realization, he told, 'No, I don't think
so. Angulimal was a thief and murderer. Valmiki was a downtrodden person. But they
did become great personalities, right?' I was shocked to hear this, but didn't
have anything in response then.
During my
meditation, I got the answer. There are two aspects: one, Angulimal and Valmiki did not
project themselves as good human beings. They admitted they were doing sins,
then stopped it completely and walked the path shown by Buddha and a sage.
Second, an ignorant
person committing a sin is not the same as a learned person. A chandal and a
Brahmin committing murders will get very
different karmic result, because the chandal doesn't know the implications of
his karma whereas a Brahmin is fully aware of this. People on the spiritual
path committing sins are going retrograde in their journey.
Thoughts,
words and deeds
For a spiritual
person, thoughts, words and deeds need to be in alignment. They can't afford to
think something, talk contrary to that and do something exactly opposite.
Sadly, this is very prevalent. Some gurus feed their disciples satwik food,
then they will go out with friends to McDonald's. Supposedly enlightened
persons announce they do free courses and before the course is over, the
participants are forced to 'donate' amounts/ jewellery/ other valuables, which
in many instances are higher than the amount that would have been a reasonable
fee.
We can just satisfy
ourselves with the reasoning that this is how it is in Kaliyuga.
Tuesday, December 03, 2019
The Denmark countryside
A chance encounter in Tiruvannamalai
Our New Years are
spent in Tiruvannamalai, where the January 1st is ushered in through
meditation. There were two Danish ladies staying in our adjacent room. I was
making a jasmine flower garland sitting outside my room when they were also
sitting nearby. One of them was fascinated by the way I was stringing the flowers.
I showed her how it was done and made two small garlands for them too. We got
friendly and when we told that we will be visiting our daughter in Copenhagen, Denmark,
one of them told she lives in Denmark too and we must visit them. It was taken
as just a friendly remark.
It was followed up
We kept in touch and when the time was nearing for our visit
to Denmark, she was asking about our dates to visit her house in Farso. Now it
was clear she really meant what she told and we started planning a side trip
from Copenhagen to her place for a week.
We boarded the train from Copenhagen
by about 4 pm and when we arrived at 9.45 pm, our friend was waiting with her
daughter to drive us to her farm in Farso. After a long drive on reaching her
house, we were surprised to see that she had kept a lavish dinner ready for us.
It was almost 1 o'clock when we went to sleep after enjoying the delicious dinner.
Totally planned up
In the morning when I looked out of the window I saw the beautiful vast farm around. Our stay in Farso was so meticulously planned out by our
friend and her husband. Their daughters and grand children joined us for lunch
on the next day and we had a great time. For dessert she had made rhubarb
crumble which was so delicious!
On the third day after breakfast we all started for Jesperhus
park, which was reached after crossing the ferry. Amazing time was spent at the
park till the evening.
Jesperhus
Jesperhus, a 20-acre family-owned resort around Legind
Bjerge, south of Nykøbing Mors, Denmark, has a resort, a flower park, and an
indoor zoo. This largest flower park of Scandinavia is filled with perennials,
roses, various summer flowers of the world, succulents and giant flower
figurines.
The H.C. Andersen Fairytale Garden is based on 6 of the writer's
fairytales. The characters displayed in the garden are made from flowers,
houseleeks, and fiberglass. Walkways are lined with more than 100 perennial
herbs. The Oriental Garden is designed with an Asian theme, and features palms
and thousands of succulents.
There were bumpy boat ride, trampoline to jump, swings, car
rides and toy train to enjoy in the park.
Huge wind mills
Then we went to the beach side and saw huge wind mills.
Denmark is the leader in wind mill installation; it was a pioneer in developing
commercial wind power during the 1970s, and today a substantial share of the
wind turbines around the world are produced by Danish manufacturers such as
Vestas and Siemens Wind Power. Danish inventor Poul la Cour experimented,
taught and constructed wind power subjects around the year 1900. In Denmark's
electricity sector wind power produced the equivalent of 43.4% of Denmark's
total electricity consumption in 2017. It had the 6th best energy security in
the world in 2014.
In a few years, wind turbines will supply the equivalent of
60% of Denmark’s electricity consumption A significant part of the explanation
for this lies in the plans currently being executed by Vattenfall, both
offshore, nearshore, and onshore. Presently, the first four of 49 poles are
being constructed on the bottom of the North Sea. Once completed, Horns Reef 3
will be the largest offshore wind turbine park in Denmark to date.
Cooking in the garden, visit to the school
One day lunch was Indian dishes- vegetarian pulao, baingan
bharta and cucumber raita. It was fun roasting the brinjals for baingan bharta
in the garden and we all enjoyed lunch on the sunny afternoon.
After the lunch our visit to the school where our hosts’
daughter works was planned.
She trains dyslexic children. Since 1993, public
schools in Denmark, Folkeskolen, have been obliged to differentiate education
according to students’ needs in general and not by transferring students to
special needs education. The general objectives of supplementary and special
education state that children with special needs should be taught in mainstream
schools as far as possible. If differentiated teaching is not sufficient,
pupils can remain in a mainstream school class and receive special education in
one or more subjects as a supplement to ordinary teaching. All pupils are
offered vocational training. Young people with special educational needs are
offered a more comprehensive vocational training programme than others, and
they might also be offered a work-training programme of longer duration during
their last years of schooling.
It was very interesting to know their examination system. A
series of national tests were introduced in spring 2007 in order to provide
teachers with a tool for better overall assessment of pupils’ academic level.
The tests are individual and computer-based and take approximately 45 minutes. The
national tests are innovative as they are constantly adapted to the level of
the individual pupil. If the pupil answers the first question correctly, the
following question is automatically made slightly more difficult. If the answer
is incorrect, the next question is automatically made slightly easier.
Therefore, all tests will differ. When the test is completed, the computer will
print out a text describing the pupil’s academic level in the subject tested,
exempting teachers from correcting the test assignments. Denmark has
established several institutions and monitoring groups with the aim of
evaluating the quality of support systems for learners and the outcome of
schooling.
Fully automated cow farm
From the school we went to a fully automated cow farm. About
250 cows were managed by two people. The temperature inside was controlled.
When it became windy, the blinds would automatically come down. There were
rotating brushes onto which the cows can press their body where it needs to be
scratched. There were robots to do the milking, the quality of the milk is
assessed and the optimal quality milk would go to one chamber and the suboptimal to another
chamber. Once the milking is over the cow is given a sweet laddu and nudged to
leave the chamber. The milked cows are tagged so that if by chance they enter
the milking chamber again, they are not milked again.
The floor had a flat grill and continuously moving robots
were throwing the waste materials down from where they were pumped to the field
growing grass to feed the cows. In case of any system failure, the computer on
site dials the phone number of the care taker, who would then reach to tackle
it.
A morning for meditation
One day after the breakfast we all sat down for meditation and
it was a deep experience. Meditation when done in a group of likeminded people
always takes the vibration to a high level. They took us to the hospital where the
husband worked as a nurse and we took a round there, with all ultramodern facilities.
An Indian meal for the family and friends
One day’s dinner was cooked by us for our hosts, their
family and friends. We had very interesting conversation over the dinner table.
To the harbour and the boat
On the last day morning we went to the harbour and inside
the boat owned by one daughter of our friend. During school holidays of
children, the family sets sail and visit other places, which is highly
educative for the kids.
References:
Monday, December 02, 2019
Gymming, Yogasana and Qigong
Going
to gym is more of a status symbol now a days. Though I am not a regular gymming
person, during travels, gyms are frequented. Somehow I always felt it fell much
shorter than the yogasana practice. Of course it has several benefits like
cardiovascular fitness, access to equipment, opportunity to make friends,
increased energy levels and helps to establish a healthy routine. I find the
muscular appearance of gymming persons very repulsive (it is a very personal
opinion, I know so many who swoon over such a bulging body).
Every day I practice yogasanas and pranayama and have recently
started some Qigong and Tibetan rites.
Qigong which combines meditative and
physically active elements, is the basic exercise system within Chinese
medicine.
Today morning I started with Qigong first and the experience was
amazing. Inside of the body which felt dense in the beginning started expanding and
became light and one with the surrounding. Immediately I could feel the
difference between gymming, yogasanas and qigong from the aspect of the five
elements.
Gymming basically is targeting the muscles, it is concerned with
the Earth element. Yogasanas take care of the muscles and the internal organs.
The twisting asanas help to rejuvenate liver, spleen, stomach etc., Shirshasana
brings new energy to the brain. So it is involving the Earth, Fire, and water
elements. Qigong affects the air and ether elements also which explains the
expansive feeling I got. Of course if yogasana is followed by pranayama, it
takes care of air and ether elements. But I experienced a difference here. The qigong
felt more thorough, as if it was permeating even the minutest spaces in the
body!
Thursday, November 21, 2019
Cambodia- a slice from the past
Visiting Cambodia and the Angkor Wat temple was a dream
in the recesses of my heart and finally we arrived there on the afternoon of 26th February 2018.
When I deplaned and noticed the small, clean airport, the memory laden breeze that
carried fragrance of the glorious past touched my face, transporting me to
the Khmer Empire.
We took a tuk tuk to reach the Siem Reap pub hostel where we
had booked the room. Tuk-tuk is a two-wheeled carriage pulled by motorbike that
can fit anywhere from two people to entire families, and they are a ubiquitous
sight throughout Cambodia. Its official name is remorque, or “trailer” in
French, but they are colloquially known as tuk-tuks. Once we reached the hostel, we fixed one tuk tuk to take us around for the remaining days of the one week stay.
Siem Reap hostel was a nice place to stay, the staff was
friendly. It had a small pool, though we didn’t use it, which had interesting
instructions.
Phnom Bakheng
In the evening we went out to the Phnom Bakheng, the state
temple of the first Khmer capital in the Angkor region that is surviving as one
of the world’s greatest architectural treasures. The Temple of Phnom Bakheng
was constructed between the late ninth and the early tenth century by
Yasovarman I as the centerpiece of his new capital, known as Yasodharapura.
Phnom Bakheng is a symbolic representation of Mount Meru,
home of the Hindu gods, a status emphasized by the temple's location atop a
steep hill 65 m above the surrounding plain. The temple is built in a pyramid
form of seven levels, representing the seven heavens. At the top level, five
sandstone sanctuaries, in various states of repair, stand in a quincunx pattern.
These five represent the five peaks of Mount Meru. In the sixteenth century, an attempt was made
to construct a large seated Buddha around the central shrine, which has since
been dismantled. Originally, 108 small towers were arrayed around the temple at
ground level and on the various tiers; most of them have collapsed. Each
terrace contains 12 towers which represent the 12-year cycle of Jupiter.
According to University of Chicago scholar Paul Wheatley, it is "an
astronomical calendar in stone." Today, Phnom Bakheng is a popular spot
for panoramic views of the Angkorean landscape, often enjoyed by visitors at
sunset. We reached there by about 5 pm, there was quite a big
queue already and then we saw this board:
Abandoning the plan to go to the top, we selected a place to watch the sunset and were rewarded by a beautiful view.
Angkor Wat
Next day early morning we started on the tuk tuk and reached
the Angkor Wat temple by 7 am. View of the temple complex across the huge water
body was indeed breathtaking!
Angkor Wat, Cambodia's famous UNESCO World
Heritage Site, is a temple complex in Cambodia and is the largest religious
monument in the world, on a site measuring 162.6 hectares. It was originally
constructed as a Hindu temple dedicated to the God Vishnu for the Khmer Empire
and was gradually transformed into a Buddhist temple towards the end of the
12th century. It was built by the Khmer King Suryavarman II in the early 12th
century in Yaśodharapura (present-day Angkor), the capital of the Khmer Empire.
Angkor Wat translates to "City of Temples" or
simply "City Temple." New temples and ruins are being discovered
nearly every year. Khmer bricks were bonded together almost invisibly by using
a vegetable compound rather than mortar.
It is designed to represent Mount Meru, home of the devas in Hindu mythology: within a moat more than 5 kilometres. Its walls are adorned by numerous devatas.
Angkor Wat is unusually oriented to the west, a direction
typically associated with death in Hindu culture. Bas-reliefs at Angkor Wat
read counterclockwise, another indication that the temple is associated with
funeral rituals. Cambodians are so proud of their ancient monument, that they
put it on the Cambodian flag in 1850.
It is really interesting to read how archaeologists rediscovered
the remains of an invisible kingdom deep in the jungles of southeast Asia that
may have been the template for Angkor Wat.
Bayon
The Bayon is a richly decorated Khmer temple at Angkor in
Cambodia. The Bayon Temple complex was built under the direction of the
Mahayana Buddhist ruler Jayavarman VII, who ascended to the Khmer kingdom's
throne at Angkor in 1181 A.D. He erected the site for Buddhist worship,
although it later was renovated and used as a Hindu temple. Following
Jayavarman's death, it was modified and augmented by later Hindu and Theravada
Buddhist kings in accordance with their own religious preferences. The Bayon's
most distinctive feature is the multitude of serene and smiling stone faces on
the many towers which jut out from the upper terrace and cluster around its
central peak.
The Bayon was the last state temple to be built at Angkor and
the only Angkorian state temple to be built primarily as a Mahayana Buddhist
shrine dedicated to the Buddha. The similarity of the 216 gigantic faces on the
temple's towers to other statues of the king has led many scholars to the
conclusion that the faces are representations of Jayavarman VII himself. Others
have said that the faces belong to the bodhisattva of compassion called
Avalokitesvara or Lokesvara.
The original name for the Bayon was Jayagiri (or
"Victory Mountain"). After French occupancy, it was later named
Banyan Temple due to its religious significance and Buddhist imagery (the
Buddha is said to have attained enlightenment under the Banyan tree). When the
local Khmer came to work at renovating Banyan Temple, there was a
mispronunciation in Banyan, which was pronounced Bayon. The name then stuck. The
outer wall of the outer gallery features a series of bas-reliefs depicting
historical events and scenes from the everyday life of the Angkorian Khmer.
Ta Prohm
Ta Prohm is the modern name of the temple at Angkor, originally
called Rajavihara ,built in the Bayon style largely in the late 12th and early
13th centuries. It was founded by the Khmer King Jayavarman VII as a
Mahayana Buddhist monastery and university. Unlike most Angkorian temples, Ta
Prohm is in much the same condition in which it was found: the photogenic and
atmospheric combination of trees growing out of the ruins and the jungle
surroundings have made it one of Angkor's most popular temples with visitors.
The temple's stele records that the site was home to more
than 12,500 people (including 18 high priests and 615 dancers), with an
additional 80,000 souls in the surrounding villages working to provide services
and supplies. The temple had amassed considerable riches, including gold,
pearls and silks. It was abandoned and neglected for centuries after the fall
of the Khmer Empire in the 15th century. In the early 21st century when the
effort to conserve and restore the temples of Angkor began, it was decided that
Ta Prohm would be left largely as it had been found, as a "concession to
the general taste for the picturesque."
According to pioneering Angkor
scholar Maurice Glaize, Ta Prohm was singled out because it was "one of
the most imposing temples and the one which had best merged with the jungle,
but not yet to the point of becoming a part of it".
But work has been done
to stabilize the ruins, to permit access, and to maintain "this condition
of apparent neglect”. The trees growing out of the ruins are perhaps the most
distinctive feature of Ta Prohm.
Neak Pean
Neak Pean at Angkor is an artificial island with a Buddhist
temple on a circular island in Jayatataka Baray, built during the reign of King
Jayavarman VII. Neak Pean was originally designed for medical purposes (the
ancients believed that going into these pools would balance the elements in the
bather, thus curing disease). Four connected pools surrounding the central pond
represent Water, Earth, Fire and Wind. Each is connected to the central water
source, the main tank.
Some historians believe that Neak Pean represents
Anavatapta, a mythical lake in the Himalayas whose waters are thought to cure
all illnesses. The name is derived from the sculptures of snakes (Nāga) running
around the base of the temple structure, neak being the Khmer rendering of the
Sanskrit naga. They are Nanda and Upananda, two nagas traditionally associated
with Lake Anavatapta.
Preah Khan
Preah Khan was built in the 12th century by King Jayavarman
VII, with the goal of honoring his father, King Dharanindravarman II. Preah
Khan translates to “Holy Sword” in Khmer, named by Jayavarman VII in honor of
his battle victory against the invading force of Chams, who belonged to a
kingdom in what is now Vietnam, in the year 1191. The temple of Preah Khan is
one of the largest complexes at Angkor, a maze of vaulted corridors, fine
carvings and lichen-clad stonework.
This majestic temple complex is surrounded by a moat and it
was the centre of a substantial organisation, with almost 100,000 officials and
servants, simultaneously serving as a city, a temple, and a Buddhist
university. Its aesthetics are very similar to nearby famous Angkor temple Ta
Prohm, with vegetation and trees seeming to swallow the ruins.
Like Ta Prohm it
is a place of towered enclosures and shoulder-hugging corridors, but unlike Ta
Prohm, the temple of Preah Khan is in a reasonable state of preservation thanks
to the ongoing restoration efforts of the World Monuments Fund (WMF).
Food in Cambodia
Consuming food is a spiritual act for me and I do it with
deep reverence. In this aspect there was some set back in Cambodia due to the
following points:
You can see the items on the menu card below. One day while roaming in the market, we came across kids wearing T-shirts with 'Eat a bug' written on them, carrying trays of fried bugs to sell.
I have to mention that we got amazing banana split to sample!
Cultural program
One evening was spent watching the cultural program and it
was just like being in Heaven for me. I enjoy dance and it was such a joy
watching the fine performances.
See the dancer's hand and finger movements in the video below. As a dancer I know how tough it is to get those finger movements. It is so amazing!
Angkor Wat- archeological information
Angkor Wat, the great temple of that name, and the city in
which it is set, are one of the great marvels of the world – but where did it
come from, and what were its origins? When exploration began in the 18th and
19th centuries, it was quickly obvious that there was strong Indian influence.
The numerous inscriptions were written in an Indian script and many of them
were in Sanskrit, the sacred language of the Hindus. Furthermore, the temple
was established to Vishnu, a Hindu deity, and also included statues of Buddha.
There was clearly strong Indian influence, but did this also imply an Indian
invasion?
The cause of the Angkor empire's demise in the early 15th
century long remained a mystery. But researchers have now shown that intense
monsoon rains that followed a prolonged drought in the region caused widespread
damage to the city's infrastructure, leading to its collapse. The Angkor Wat
Discovery is the somewhat controversial concept that refers to the visit of
French naturalist Henri Mouhot to Angkor Wat in 1860 and the publication of his
travel notes in 1863. These memoirs had an umprecedented reception in Europe
and Mouhot was credited with the discovery of the "lost city of
Angkor". Researchers believe the Angkor civilization was established in
A.D. 802. The Angkor civilization was booming in the early 1100s when
construction began on the Angkor Wat temple site. The last major stone temple
at Angkor was constructed in 1295, and the latest Sanskrit inscription dates to
the same year. The last inscription in Khmer, the language of Cambodia, appears
a few decades later in 1327. And the excation continues.
When you visit Angkor Wat, be in your heart centre. And you
can sense the glory and the splendour of the bygone era, just like I could feel!
References:
Tuesday, November 12, 2019
Locating MB2 canal in the maxillary molar
For the
success of root canal treatment it is important to locate all canals, do proper
instrumentation and obturate. Locating MB2 canals in the maxillary molars is a
tricky process, but not so difficult if a specific strategy is followed.
Variation in the location
of MB2
It is
important to understand that the MB2 may be very close to the MB1, or may be
away by 1 to 3 mm. Have a look at these:
Where is the MB2?
Proper
access preparation is important. Remove the pulp chamber roof completely.
Imagine a line from the palatal canal to the MB1 orifice. MB2 will always be
placed mesial to this line, but it may be somewhere within the oval seen here:
Sometimes
there will be a dentin lip covering the MB2 orifice. Take your endodontic
explorer and scrape in this oval area to remove it if present.
Insert the
file into the MB1 canal. Slowly retract it to just out of the orifice, move it
mesial to the line connecting palatal canal and the MB1. Change its direction
from mesiobuccal to mesial and gently poke around in the oval area that you
saw. When it enters the MB2 orifice, release your fingers from around the file,
but keeping them in the same position, without touching the file. This gives
you the exact direction of the canal. Now slowly go deeper.
Monday, November 11, 2019
Myanmar- the land of golden pagodas and tasty pakodas – Part 4
Part 3 - Click here
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 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.
References:
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