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Destination in Myanmar

Interesting places in Mandalay

The Maha Muni Buddha Image

It is the most revered Buddha image in Mandalay. It is also known as the Maha Myat Muni, or Phaya Gyi. It is the most ancient Buddha image in Myanmar. It was cast in the life-span of Lord Buddha in the seated posture of relaxed deportment, namely Bumi Phasa Mudras, symbolic of His Conquest of Mara. One of the most venerated golden-seated Buddha Image of Myanmar, revered as the holiest pagoda in Mandalay. With imagination it is possible to see the huge sculpture growing everyday as prigrims fix large quantities of gold leaf to the sculpture.The massive Buddha sculpture was cast in northern Arakan during the reign of King Sanda Thuriya in approximately AD150. King Anawrahta of Bagan conquered Arakan in the 11th Century but the attempt to carry the sculpture to Bagan failed. Finally King Bodawpaya succeeded in transporting the Mahamuni Image together with the Arakan King, arms, Elephants and approx 20,000-captured Arakan soldiers, as booty back to upper Burma.Included in the spoils were six Khmer Bronze figures originally from Angkor Wat, Cambodia. These sculptures were taken to Ayuthia by the Thai after conquering the Khmer capital, in approximately 1350. The Mon King sacked Ayuthia in 1568 and brought them to Bago. In 1599 the Arakan King Yazargyi conquered Bago and moved the figures to his capital,Mrauk-U.Their survival against all odds gave the two guardians magical power, in the minds of some devotees. They say that all disease can be cured if one rubs the corresponding area on the bronze figures. The stomach area gleams the most and suggests where the most problems are. The Mahamuni Image in sitting posture is 12feet and 7inches (3.8 metres) high.It was brought to Mandalay from Rakhine State during the reign of King Bodawpaya in1748. The early morning ritual of washing the Face of the Buddha Image draws a large crowd of devotee everyday.And the image is also considered as the greatest, next to Shwedagon Pagoda, in Myanmar. A visit to Mandalay would be incomplete without a visit to Mahamuni Buddha Image. The Buddha Images, representing various countries where Buddhism prospers well, and the Buddha Images revered through successive eras are exhibited in the forms of photographs, paintings and sculptures. Not only Buddhists but also foreigners studying Buddhism pay a visit to this museum. On the left side of the eastern passage, in the precinct of the pagoda, is the Sanctuary Pond of Tortoises and on the right side, the Sanctuary Pond of Fish.

The Mandalay Hill

The Mandalay Hill is situated to the north-east corner of the Mandalay Royal Palace. It lies from north to south, its altitude being 236.5m above sea level and its height going up to 167.64m. The Mandalay Hill is surrounded by the nine satellite hills called the Shwe Taung ( The Golden Hill), the Ngwe Taung ( the Silver Hill ), the Paddamya Taung ( the Ruby Hill ), the Hse-dan Taung ( the Hill of Arsenious trisulphide), the Myin Thila Taung ( the Hill of Arsenic trisulphide ), the Dokhta Hill ( the Hill of Blue vitriol), the Ye-hle Taung ( the Hill of Whirling Water), the Kye-ni Hill ( the Copper Hill ) and the Baluma Taung ( the Hill of the Ogress ). The third is called the Paddamya Taung since a ruby was some time ago found in that hill lying to the north west; the seventh one, the Ye-hle Taung since, in the rainy season, the rain water whirled first and flowed down like a funnel in the hill to east; and the ninth hill, the Baluma Taung, since it was believed that the Ogress Sanda Mukhi made her abode in the small hill near to the western passageway. One famous Buddha Image on the Mandalay Hill is the Image of Standing Lord Buddha at the top of the hill where Lord Buddha made a prophesy. It was built by king Mindon. Eight years after the king's death, the image was damaged by fire, and a new image was restored. The image of standing Lord Buddha is 8.22m high. There are two one-way bus roads up to the top of the Mandalay Hill, one to the west of the Great Lions statues winding up the way and the other at the southern passageway going down. There are four stairways going up the Mandalay Hill, two on the north and on the west, and two on the south. The southern covered passage with the Two Great Lions on Haungches is the most frequently used by pilgrims. There exists the Museum of the Hermit U Khanti at the head of the passageway, which was built in honour of the benevolent hermit who first pioneered to develop the plans of building religious edifices and memorials on the Mandalay Hill. Near the archway ascending the southern passage is located the Shrine of the Guardian Spirit, known as Mandalay Bo Bo Gyi, where the natives of Mandalay often come and make offerings. The iron statues of the two snakes are well known to the visitors of Mandalay. An elevator and an escalator are also in service for going up the hill. Like a Tower given by nature, the Mandalay Hill offers a panoramic view over the Golden City of Mandalay. One can take a sweeping view towards the Yan Kin Hill, not far from it, the Sagaing hill and the Min Wun Ranges and the glimmering Ayeyawaddy and the Shan Yoma ranges at a far distance. It will be a memorable experience for the visitor of Mandalay to enjoy the sunset beauty over the blinking, winding Ayeyawaddy and the blue Sagaing Hill and the Min Wun ranges.

The Sanda Muni Cast Buddha Image

The Sanda Muni Buddha Image is situated to the east of the Kyauktaw Gyi Pagoda. It was cast by King Bodawpaya before the founding of the city Mandalay. During the time of building the Great Mingun Pagoda, during King Bodawpaya's temporary reign in Nan Taw Kyun ( "the Royal Palace Island" ), the image was cast out of 18563.94kg of iron in M.E 1164, and was carried reverently to the Royal City of Amarapura. In the reign of King Bagyitaw, the Buddha Image was carried reverently to Yadanapura Inwa, and, after being paid obeisance there for some time, was carried reverently back to Amarapura in the reign of King Shwe Bo. In M.E 1229, the Buddha Image was carried reverently to Mandalay, and was enshrined on the Royal Palace Ground of the Nan Mye Bon Tha, King Mindon's temporary royal residence. The Buddha Image, being endowed with the graceful attributes of the Full Moon, is entitled as the Sanda Muni.

Shwekyimyint Pagoda

Located on 24th St between 82nd and 83rd Sts, a little north-east of Zegyo Market or the clock tower, this pagoda's original construction pre-dates Mandalay itself. It was founded in 1167 by Prince Minshin Saw during the Bagan period. He was the exiled son of King Alaungsithu and settled near the present site of Mandalay. The shrine is notable because it contains the original Buddha image consecrated by the prince. It a                       lso contains many other images, made of gold, silver or crystal, which were collected by later Burmese kings and removed from Mandalay Fort after it was occupied by the British. These images are generally kept under lock and key and only shown to the general public on very important religious occasions.

The Maha Lawka Marazein( Kutho Taw) Pagoda

It is situated at about 274.2m from the foot of the Mandalay Hill, to the southeast of the Mandalay Hill. The pagoda was built by King Mindon in M.E 1221. Its height is 57.27m. It was completed along with the construction of three great walls in M.E 1224. Within these three walls, in the 5.26hectres wide precinct, the Buddhist scriptures of the Three Baskets were inscribed on stone slabs and housed in shrines, the total number of the inscriptions being 729. This task of meritorious deed was completed in M.E 1230. The inscriptions were inscribed on alabaster slabs of 1.52m long, 1.06m wide and 0.15m thick, and about 0.46m of the slab was erected in the ground. It is figuratively called the World's Biggest Book. With the public donated money, an ornamental umbrella of stone was offered to shelter each standing inscription slab so as to preserve the inscriptions through time and changes. Between one cave-shrine housing the inscription slab and another were systematically grown star-flower trees and Madhuca longifolia at equal distances under the supervision of the Moe Bye Sit-ke ( Second-in-command of a military unit ) in M.E 1254. Today visitors to the pagoda can pay obeisance to the Buddha Image, and enjoy sweet recreation beneath the sweet-smelling, cool, shady trees.

Atumashi Kyaung

The "Atumashi Kyaung" (meaning the Incomparable Monastery)is also one of the worthseeing places.Built by King Mindon in 1878, it was partically destroyed by fire in 1890.It was indeed an inimitable one in its heyday.The reconstruction work on the monastery has been done by the government in 1996.

Shwenandaw Monastery

Originally the building with royal palace where King Mindon died is a splendid example of the beauty of teak. The building was moved out of the royal palace under King Thibaw in1880 and converted into a monastery. As a result, it is only original teak structure remaining from the royal palace, which was destroyed by bombs at the end of the Second World War. Recently the exterior of the palace was restored.

Buddha Tooth Relic Pagoda ( Mandalay )

The Buddha Tooth Relic Pagoda is situated on the Maha Dhamma Yan Thi Hill, to the east of the Yangon-Mandalay Highway, Shar-taw Lay Village, Amarapura Township. The pagoda's passages face nine directions. Its model is of the late 20th century architectural design, a harmonious combination of the two models of the Ananda Temple of the Bagan Period and the Shwedagon of Yangon. In the nine gateways are enshrined nine Buddha images in the posture of nine Mudras, and are entitled the sacred Nine Attributes of Lord Buddha. The pagoda enshrines over two thousand Buddha images. It has gilded pillars, teak pillars and a gold painted lacquer canopy, the very work of superb craftsmanship. What is of great significance about the pagoda is that with the enshrining of the Buddha tooth relic, it can be entitled as the Dhatu Ceti, while, with the housing of the Buddha Images. The tooth relic casket's value is over 320 lakhs of kyats, having a thirty one step gold Mt.Meru stair embedded with jade, a silver altar, nine jade Buddha images and eight jade columns. Not only local pilgrims but also tourists visit and pay obeisance at the pagoda, offering donations.

Setkyathiha Pagoda

A short distance south-west of the Zegyo Market on 85th St, this pagoda rises from an elevated masonry platform. It was badly damaged during World War II, but was subsequently repaired. Its main point of interest is the five-metre-high seated Buddha image cast in bronze by King Bagyidaw in Inwa in 1823 just before the First Anglo-Burmese War broke out. In 1849 King Bagan Min moved the image to Amarapura, just as the second war was about to begin. When the third and final conflict was about to commence, the image was brought to Mandalay in 1884. Reclining Buddha images can be seen in the Pagoda's courtyard along with a sacred Bodhi tree.

Maha Thetkya Marazain (Kyauk Taw Gyi Pagoda of Mandalay)

It was built by King Mindon of white marble. It took three years from 1266 to 1269. After the king’s demise, the Saw bwa of Nyaungshwe built its gantakuti temple and a tazaung for pilgrims there. In the brick pyathats on the mahayan wall were figures of 80 arahantas. At the four corners were grown Bodhi trees from Sri Lanka. Now only one is left in the north-west. Kyauktawgyi Pagoda (the Pagoda of the Great Marble Image) is also built by King Mindon, stands at the foot of Mandalay Hill. Built in 1865, the Pagoda is so-called because it houses a large image of the Buddha sculpted from a single block of beautiful Sagyin marble. Other attractions are Sandamuni Pagoda, Eindawya Pagoda, Shwe In Bin Monastery, Mandalay Museum and Library, Zegyo Market and Silk Weaving Cottage Industry.

Manadalay palace (The Mya Nan San Kyaw)

The whole magnificent palace complex was destroyed by fire during the World War II. However, the finely built palace walls, the city gates with their crowning wooden pavilions and the surrounding moat still present an impressive scene of the Mandalay Palace. A number of palace buildings namely "Mya Nan San Kyaw Shwenandaw", the model of the Mandalay Palace, Nanmyint-saung have been rebuilt to their original structure. Cultural Museum and Pyi-gyi-mon Floating Restaurant in the moat are also located inside the palace grounds

Bagaya Monastery

The name Bagaya is a Mon word. It literally means Khayebin Kyaung. The Bagaya monastery was built on the southwest of Inwa palace on 1593. During Hsin Phyu Shin's reign (1763-1776, Atwinwun Mahathirijeyathankhya, town officer of Magwe built the monastery in the Bagaya monastic establishment and dedicated to Shin Dhammabhinanda. When king Badon (1782-1819) moved the capital from Inwa to Amarapura, Atwinwun Mahathirijeyathankhaya built the monastery in the west of Amarapura and dedicated to the shin Dhammabhinanda. During King Bagyidaw (1819-1837) the great fire broke out to Kontha quarter, to the south of the palace on 15 April 1821 and Hluttaw, tooth relic tower, watch tower and to northern gate caught fire and seemed that the Bagaya monastery was burnt in the fire. When King Sagaing shifted capital to Inwa, Shin Kawinda resided in the Bagaya monastery. The Inwa Bagan monastery was dedicated during King Sagaing's reign. During the reign of King Tharawady, Prince Pagan built to monastery in the southeast corner of the monastic establishment and dedicated to Shin Pyinnyajota. Prince Pagan succeeded the throne on 17 November 1846. King Pagan built and donated Mahavizayarama taik, Mahaverambhumtha monastery on the west of the Amarapura capital. The foundation stone for the construction of the monastery was laid on 19 June 1847 and the ceremony for digging was celebrated on 12 July 1847. A year before the monastery was built, the sculptures that would be fixed to the monastery had been carved. The brick enclosure started to be constructed the wooden enclosure to be enclosed. Saungmagyi, Pyathat, Sanuzaung and Bhogazaung were constructed step by step in building a frameword of it. 286 posts were used for it. Expenses were 2296 viss 14 kyats 8 mu 1 pe in total. The liberation ceremony of royal monastery was celebrated on 16 April 1848. In this liberation ceremony the king also dedicated the enclosure wall, wooden enclosure, ceti, 45 monasteries around the royal monastery, bricks rest house, the cave shrine, Pitaka texts four basic necessities and titles for monks. The government tried to reconstruct in 1992. It intends to build a special shrine for the use of Buddha image and Pitaka scriptures. So it put the new Brick building in the place of the old monastery. It was recorded that the monastery was constructed on the model of the old monastery.

Eindawya Pagoda

The beautifully proportioned pagoda at Eindawya Paya stands west of Zegyo Market. It is covered in goldleaf and makes a fine, shimmering sight on a sunny day. The pagoda was built by King Pagan Min in 1847, on the site of the palace where he lived before he ascended the throne - which at that time was still at Amarapura.

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