Myanmar- the land of golden pagodas and tasty pakodas – Part 3

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Mawlamyine is the fourth biggest city in Myanmar and famous for its nearby sights and attractions, especially the largest reclining Buddha in Myanmar. The Mon name which was previously used for Mawlamyine, Moulmein means "damaged eye" or "one-eyed man." According to legend, a Mon king had a powerful third eye in the centre of his forehead, able to see what was happening in neighbouring kingdoms. The daughter of one of the neighbouring kings was given in marriage to the three-eyed king and managed to destroy the third eye.

Mawlamyine is a unique combination of landscape, beauty and melancholy. The setting inspired both George Orwell and Rudyard Kipling, two of the English-language writers most associated with Myanmar. Kipling penned his famous poem 'Mandalay' after visiting, while Orwell, whose maternal grandmother was born here, used Mawlamyine as the backdrop for the essays 'Shooting an Elephant' and 'A Hanging'.

Win Sein Taw Ya

Win Sein Taw Ya is a 560ft-long reclining Buddha, which is one of the largest such images in the world. It is a massive construction with 500 roadside monk statues. We could go inside this huge statue and visit different rooms that showcase dioramas of the teachings of Buddha and a shrine. It is surrounded by a forest of other pagodas and shrines.

Khat Ya Khat Yu Pagoda, Sitting Big Buddha

Then there was this huge sitting Buddha, which has a pagoda and museum inside.

Kyaikkami Yele Pagoda

Kyaikkami is a city in Mon State, Myanmar. Kyaikkami Yele Pagoda or Kyaik-kami Ye Le Paya was constructed on the sea using the natural foundation of its ocean reefs, which is connected with the corridor to the beach. It is said that even during the rainy season the sea water never passes base of the Pagoda area. Women are only allowed to worship from a pavilion away from the shrine while men can do so from the hall facing the main image.

We had nice lunch from a shack on the sea shore, then bought some local sweets and enjoyed the candied orange, orange peels cut into small pieces and grated, sweetened with palm syrup.

 

Uzina pagoda and Kyeik Than Lan Pagoda

This is another attractively laid out temple surrounding a giant gold-leaf clad stupa. The stupa has connecting west, south and north shrines (east is the main entrance). According to legend the temple was constructed by a monk named Uzina who dreamt of a buried treasure located at this spot. After digging around a bit he came across a fabulous stash of gems. From the proceeds he financed the construction of the temple. When we came down after visiting the shrine, we saw an Indian selling awesome pakodas. How could we leave without enjoying those hot pakodas?

The Kyeik Than Lan pagoda was erected in 875 A.D. during the reign of King Mutpi Raja. A hair relic of the Buddha, Tripitaka manuscripts and gold images of the Buddha were enshrined in the pagoda. There are 34 small pagodas called Zediyan surrounding the pagoda. Kyeik Than Lan was the pagoda that the famous English poet Rudyard kipling wrote about in his poem “Mandalay” which opens with the line: By the old Moulmein Pagoda, looking lazy at the sea”.

Kyaik Htee Saung Pagoda

Kyaik Htee Saung Pagoda is located on a laterite stone hillock near the town of Bilin. The hillock itself is formed by the layering of laterite stones on top of one another, forming a large square that gradually tapers upward. In the 236 Buddhist Era, King Culasirimasoka of Thuwunna Bonmi enshrined a tooth relic of the Buddha in the pagoda. 

Over time, the pagoda became derelict due to a lack of care. The umbrella of the pagoda started tilting. Because of this, the pagoda was called Kyaik Htee saung, which means "The Pagoda with Tilting Umbrella" in the Mon language.

Here the body of a monk was kept in a casket. When I looked at the photograph of the monk, I noticed his deep penetrating eyes and the whole place felt very powerful. 

There was another monk visiting here and there were lot of people waiting peacefully for his darshan. 

After that we had a long drive to Yangon, checked into a nice hotel ‘Lotus bed and breakfast’. A nice local couple (husband originally from India and wife from Nepal) took us to an Indian restaurant for dinner. Next day morning I had a nice interaction with local dentists after giving an Endodontic presentation. 

Then we met a Reiki channel, an interesting lady, at the ‘Nourish Cafe’, a vegan restaurant.

We started the drive from Yangon to Inlay lake, since it was a long drive, halted for the night in Taungoo at the ‘Mother’s house hotel’. It was a huge property with a nice garden and carvings.

Next day after a long drive we reached Inlay Lake in Shan state, checked into Hotel Remember Inn. Then we went out to watch a beautiful sunset and fixed boat ride for the next morning.  

At 8 am we reached the pier and I gasped on seeing the puny boat on which we will be riding almost the whole day. But they were very professional and can you imagine, in spite of getting down at many places and getting back into the boat, our clothes never got wet. They gave us umbrellas to keep off the harsh Sun. We saw the floating village and floating tomato cultivation, and a fisherman balancing on one leg on the corner of his small boat and fishing.

The Phaung Daw Oo pagoda

The Phaung Daw Oo pagoda is the most highly revered monastery in the Inle Lake area, housing five ancient images of the Buddha that are completely covered in golf leaf. It is reached by boat from Inlay Lake to the landing pier.

We had lunch in a floating restaurant and proceeded to Shwe Inn Thein pagoda. After getting out from the boat and walking for a short distance, we noticed that it was a long walk and the weather was too hot. Right then motor bike taxi persons came and took us to the pagoda.

The Shwe Indein Pagoda

Shwe Inn Thein Paya is a complex of 1054 weather-beaten zedi (stupas), constructed in the 17th and 18th centuries. Some of the zedi lean at crazy angles while others have been reconstructed. The stupas range from golden to brick to white washed to crumbled.

Long necked women

Our last stop was to visit women of the Kayan tribes. Women of the Kayan Lahwi tribe are well known for wearing neck rings, brass coils that are placed around the neck, appearing to lengthen it. The women wearing these coils are known as "giraffe women" to tourists. Girls first start to wear rings when they are around 5 years old. Over the years, the coil is replaced by a longer one and more turns are added. The weight of the brass pushes the collar bone down and compresses the rib cage.

The coil, once on, is seldom removed, as the coiling and uncoiling is a lengthy procedure. It is usually only removed to be replaced by a new or longer coil. Some say the rings would offer protection from tiger attacks often aiming right for the neck, others speculate it would keep rival tribes from abducting the women by lessening their beauty. Most likely it would be the opposite, the sheer beauty and pride in putting emphasis on the womens’ necks, giving the Kayan a divine grace.

The great dinner

After the wonderful boat ride we went back to the room, took some rest, went to ‘The Ancestor restaurant’ and had the best dinner we had in Mayanmar. The owner was a very friendly person and we had a long chat. He told the restaurant was started by his grandparents and now it is the third generation running it. So it was given the current name. The dessert, fried banana in coconut milk (not there in the picture) was just soo divine!

Part 4 - Click here

References:

https://sinchi-foundation.com/news/kayan-long-neck-women-wear-coils/

https://www.atlasofhumanity.com/thailandkayan

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

Part 1 - Click here
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

 

 

Myanmar- the land of golden pagodas and tasty pakodas - Part 1

This is one country that as a whole is spiritually uplifted. I will never be able to describe it in words because I could capture only a very small percentage of the essence of this beautiful place in 14 days. It needs a life time to get into its pulse. The way I was feeling vibrations inside me I felt that I was getting prepared for my next birth here.

Starting with Bago

We landed in Yangon at 9 am on September 10^th, 2019. As has been arranged, Mr. Amo was waiting at the airport to pick us up. First thing I noticed was that he was having a right hand drive car, but he had to drive on the left lane.

While overtaking vehicles, it was a little difficult for him. Majority of the buses were left hand drive, but most of the cars were right hand drive. We straightaway proceeded to Bago.

Located 80 kilometres north east of Yangon, Bago is one of Myanmar’s ancient capitals, known for centuries as Hanthawaddy; in colonial times it was known as Pegu. According to legend, two Mon princes from Thaton founded the city of Bago in 573 AD. They saw a female goose standing on the back of a male goose on an island in a huge lake. Believing this was an auspicious omen, the princes built a city called Hanthawady (Pali: Hamsavati) on the edge of the lake.

Kyaik Pun Pagoda

The Burmese population adhere to Theravada Buddhism. This is the oldest and purest form of original Buddhism. Our first introduction to Burmese Buddha statues started in Kyaik Pun Pagoda, a small Buddhist monastery, known for its four towering images of the Buddha, visible from far away. The impressive 27 meter high images are out in the open, without any shelter. They sit back to back facing the four cardinal directions against a massive brick square central post. The four seated Buddhas wear golden robes and all have slightly different facial expressions. They are in the Bhumisparsha mudra, calling the Earth to witness.

KanBawZaThadi  palace

KanBawZaThadi palace and its enclosed museum, our next stop, contained some important history information about the city and the surrounding area.  The original one was built for King Bayinnaung in 1556 and consisted of 76 apartments and halls. It was burned down in 1599, reconstructed in 1990 and finished in 1992. 

The Nandawya research museum on the grounds of Kanbawzathadi Palce exhibits items and artifacts found during the excavations. The displays show a number of the original 16th-century teak pillars and items like pottery, scales and weights used for commerce, ancient coins, glazed jars, swords and other weapons. Also, there is a collection of 16th-century Buddha images in Mon, Siamese and Burmese styles. The Great Audience Hall, completely covered in gold paint, is a huge hall with rows of large pillars supporting the roof.

Shwemawdaw Pagoda

The Shwemawdaw Pagoda was originally built around the 10th century, C.E. It was destroyed several times due to earthquakes, including one in 1917 and another in 1930.  It is the most important monument in Bago and probably its oldest. At present, it is certainly the tallest, rising to a height of 114 meters. It remains a popular pilgrimage destination owing to the belief that within its core are two genuine hair relics of the Buddha conveyed here in ancient times from India.

Shwethalyaung Buddha

The Shwethalyaung Buddha is one of the largest reclining Buddha images in Burma. It is housed in the Shwethalyaung Paya in Bago, an important pilgrimage site for Buddhists who come here to pay homage to the Buddha. The image measuring 55 meters long and 16 meters high depicts the Buddha just before death and entering into Nirvana.

The Shwethalyaung Buddha image was built in 994 by the Mon King Mingadeipka. After the image had fallen into disrepair, it was renovated by King Dhammazedi in the 15th century. After the destruction of Bago that came with the Mon revolt against the Burmese in 1757 the image was forgotten and was overgrown by jungle. It was rediscovered by chance in the colonial era when the British built a railway between Yangon and Bago in 1881. During clearing works the Buddha image was discovered under a mound grown over with thick jungle vegetation and later the  image was restored .

Just look at his face, can you feel the peace and compassion exuding? I could feel my heart space opening up, just didn't feel like leaving, but no, there were magical experiences waiting ahead!

We checked into Sea Sar guest house, it started drizzling then. Walking down a little, found a decent place to have dinner. We had learned the local word ‘Thatalo’ that litrally means ‘no living things’ and used to say vehemently while ordering food. Even then it was difficult to make them understand that we wanted pure vegetarian food, and the sauces contained fish. Our driver Mr. Amo was a great asset in translating as the local people could hardly talk in fluent English. And he could also guide and give information on the places we visited.

Second day

We got ready and went down to the same restaurant where we had dinner last night and had breakfast. We noticed that all the girls/ladies and some men were having something like sandal paste applied on their faces, sometimes on hands also. Getting curious, we asked Mr. Amo, who told that it was thanaka, a yellowish-white cosmetic paste made from ground wood.

The wood of several trees may be used to produce thanaka cream; these trees grow abundantly in central Myanmar. Thanaka cream has been used by Burmese women for over 2000 years. It has a fragrant scent somewhat similar to sandalwood. The creamy paste is applied to the face in attractive designs, the most common form being a circular patch on each cheek, nose, sometimes made stripey with the fingers, or patterned in the shape of a leaf, often also highlighting the bridge of the nose with it at the same time. It may be applied from head to toe. Apart from cosmetic beauty, thanaka also gives a cooling sensation and provides protection from sunburn. It is believed to help remove acne and promote smooth skin. It is also an anti-fungal. The word Thanaka in Burmese has two meanings. The first is “Cosmetic for beauty” while the second is “cleansing”. On our request, the lady at the restaurant applied thanaka for my daughter and me.

Then we walked down to the bus stop nearby and got into the truck that would take us to the Kyaiktiyo Pagoda. About 60 people were crammed inside, the seats were wooden. Halfway up we had to stop to let a timed convoy go past before reaching the drop off site. Then we had to walk up an extremely steep road. It was raining during the ride (we opened our umbrella to be protected from the rain, in vain) both ways. Luckily while we were roaming around for an hour, it did not rain! But the whole area was covered with mist, imparting and ethereal beauty.

Kyaiktiyo Pagoda

Kyaiktiyo Pagoda, also known as the golden rock.  is a well-known Buddhist pilgrimage site in Mon State, Burma. It is a small pagoda built on the top of a granite boulder covered with gold leaves pasted on by its male devotees.

The rock and the pagoda are at the top of Mt. Kyaiktiyo.  According to legend, the Golden Rock itself is precariously perched on a strand of the Buddha's hair. The balancing rock seems to defy gravity, as it perpetually appears to be on the verge of rolling down the hill. It is this strand of hair that, according to the legend, prevents the rock from tumbling down the hill. 

Another legend states that a Buddhist priest impressed the celestial king with his asceticism and the celestial king used his supernatural powers to carry the rock to its current place, specifically choosing the rock as the resemblance to the monks head. It is the third most important Buddhist pilgrimage site in Burma after the Shwedagon Pagoda and the Mahamuni Pagoda. Currently, women are not allowed into the inner sanctuary of the rock's vicinity, maintained by an employed security guard who watches over the gated entrance. But they are permitted in the outer balcony and the lower courtyard of the rock.

Thaton city

We came back by the truck, and started for Hpa An, visiting Thaton, an ancient Mon city also known as Suvannabhumi or the Golden Land on the way. Thaton was a flourishing port in ancient times and there was constant interaction between Southern India and the region around Thaton and Bago. In Thaton we stopped at Shwe Saryan Pagoda, Kawgon Cave, and Yathaypyan cave.

Shwe Saryan Pagoda

Gautama Buddha arrived in Thaton on the first waning moon day of Thadingyut of 105 Maha Sakarit.  Buddha was implored to give a name to the pagoda whereupon Buddha was said to name it Shwe Saryan for its longevity.

Kawgon Cave and Yathaypyan cave

The 7th-century artwork of the Kawgun Cave consists of thousands of tiny clay buddhas and carvings plastered all over the walls and roof of an open cavern. It is also called Cave of the Ten Thousand Buddhas. The cave is more of a rock shelter than a true cave. There are Buddhas everywhere, with a reclining Buddha in a separate outer building. The chamber is lit only by daylight.  Kawgon was constructed by King Manuaha after he was defeated in battle and had to take sanctuary in these caves.

Yathaypyan, a couple of kilometres further west, is deeper and requires a torch to reach the viewpoint at the far end. After traversing Yathaypyan Cave, which took about 10 minutes, we emerged at a viewpoint with views over the surrounding countryside.

After the expeditions in the caves and a unique experience, we called it a day. Took a room in Soe Ko Ko motel, had dinner in the nearby Tamarind hotel and slept off.

Part 2 - Click here

References:

https://www.go-myanmar.com/bago

https://en.wikivoyage.org/wiki/Bago_(Myanmar)

https://www.orientalarchitecture.com/sid/1285/myanmar/bago/shwemawdaw-pagoda

https://www.renown-travel.com/burma/bago/shwethalyaungbuddha.html