Famous Pagodas In Arakan Kingdom

Nandaw Pagoda

2010-03-26T22:13:00.000-07:00

The pagoda lies on Nandaw mountain which is in the left river bank of Thandwe river and one mile far away from the north of Thandwe. This pagoda is also a prophetic pagoda of lord Buddha.

The lord Buddha prophesied Anan Da, “Dear Anan Da, the pagoda will be called Nandaw pagoda enshrining my rib relic after I had attained Parinibbanna since I had ever been a king of partridge in a previous life of mine.”

The governor Min Pyar of the city of Dawrawaddy built the pagoda in 763 AD in accordance with Buddha’s prophecy. Rakhine successive kings: king Maha Soe, king Ra Zar Gyi and king San Da Thu Dham Ma, renovated the pagoda in 1323 AD. 1626 AD and 1676 AD respectively. Townspeople of Thandwe renovated it twice in 1849 AD and 1878 AD respectively.

The original height of the pagoda is 6 feet, but the pagoda was encased by the donors, therefore, in the present, it measures 40 feet high and 110 feet in circumference. The pagoda is octagonal in shape at the base and the upper part of the pagoda is conical. The pagoda has the same shape with Andaw and Sandaw Pagodas in relation to Buddhs’s prophecy.

Andaw Pagoda

2010-03-26T22:12:00.000-07:00

While Buddha was resting on the top of Tanttawmu mountain, he prophesied, “Dear Anan Da, I had ever been the kings of human beings and the kings of animals many times in my previous lives in the city of Dawrawaddy. Among them, I had ever been a king of rattlesnake in a previous live of mine in Pathura mountain where is in the north-east of this mountain I stand, therefore, the pagoda called Andaw, will be built enshrining my molar relic after I had attained Parinibbanna.”

This pagoda is situated on the top of Andaw mountain where is in the left river bank of Thandwe river and one mile far from Thandwe. The governor Za Choke of the city of Dawrawaddy, built the pagoda enshrining the molar relic in 762 AD according to Buddha’s porphecy. Rakhine successive kings such as king Maha Soe, king Ra Zar Gyi and king San Da Thu Dham Ma, renovated it. The residents of Thandwe and Andaw villagers renovated the pagoda again in 1870 AD.

The form of Andaw pagoda is octagonal in shape at the base. The pagoda measures 46 feet high and 244 feet in circumference. The upper part of the bell-shaped deom is conical. The whole pagoda doesn’t have any decorations and the pagoda court is also narrow. There is the small bell in the north-east of the pagoda court and the stone slab which is 15 feet in circumference, is at the eastern cliff of the mountain outside the pagoda court. That stone slab is a part of the umbrella of the ancient pagoda. The square-formed hole was made at the centre of the stone slab. Each side of the hole in the form of square, is 2 feet 2 inches in length. The square-formed hole of the stone slab, was used for the inner central pillar of the pagoda.

There is a prayer hall at the base of the mountain. The Buddha image which is made of bricks and cement, is dwelling in the prayer hall. U Shwe Bu, the lieutenant general of Myanmar force, built the prayer hall in the peace of the ancient religious edifice in the early 19th century. The design of the prayer hall is strange because the design of the common Buddhist building and the design of the islamic mosque, are mixed up. The prayer hall is called Pharahla. There is a corridor to enter the hall in the form of square, and the ceiling was made in the form of dome.

Sandaw Pagoda

2010-03-26T22:09:00.000-07:00

The pagoda is located on the steep mountain which is in the left river bank of Thandwe river and one mile fur from Thandwe. This pagoda is also a prophetic pagoda of Buddha. Buddha prophesied Anan Da, “Dear Anan Da, the pagoda called Sandaw will be built enshrining my hair relic after I had gained Parinibbanna as I had ever been a king of the bird of paradise in Manikaytha mountain in a previous life of mine.”

The governor Min Nyo Khin of the city of Dawrawaddy built the pagoda in AD 784 according to Buddha’s prophecy. Rakhine successive kings such as king Maha Soe, king Ra Zar Gyi and king San Da Thu Dham Ma renovated it. The residents of Thandwe renovated it again in 1849 AD and 1876 AD respectively. The form of the pagoda is octagonal in shape. It measures 65 feet in height and 180 feet in circumference at the base. The upper part of the bell-shaped dome, is conical and there are no decorations, caves and porches. The pagoda court is enclosed with the octagonal-shaped wall. There are three entrances around the wall, but only one entrance has the brick stairway. The brick stairway provides an access to the pagoda from the base of the mountain. It has 204 steps and the balustrade of the stairway is 3 feet high. The small bell is in the north-east of the pagoda. The contemporary religious buildings are occupying the base of the mountain. Among them, the distinctive building is the building in the form of the cave cemetery of the Mohanmedan. The inner room is square, and the roof and the ceiling are spherical.

SanDaMuni Buddha Image Between

2010-03-26T22:08:00.000-07:00

King Athor Ka of Padalipoat kingdom excavated seven Sarwat at Buddha relics king Azar Ta That buried in Razargyo kingdom. Sarwat is a container (the unit of measurement). In accordance with the advice of monk Shin Maha Mauk Ga Li Poat Tiek Tha, he sent the Buddha relics to the Buddha’s prophetic places for building the pagodas.

King Thu Ri Ya Sak Ka of Dynyawaddy kingdom and king Athor Ka, were simultaneous kings. King Athor Ka ruled his country from BC 326 to BC 286. King Thu Ri Ya Sak Ka ruled Dynyawaddy from BC 316 to BC 272. King Athor Ka sent monk Shin Bar Ku La and monk Shin Maha Teik Tha bringing Buddha relics to king Thu Ri Ya Sak Ka to build the pagodas in the prophetic places of Buddha in Dynyawaddy. The two monks gave him the Buddha relics and the replica of Sandamuni Buddha image which Buddha cast by himself while he was alive. According to the two monk’s instruciton, he built 248 pagodas int he prophetic places of Buddha who visited Rakhine. The pagodas were as high as the bull. The successive kings of Rakhine reconstructed them into the larger pagodas by encasing the original pagodas.

After building the pagodas, king Thu Ri Ya Sak Ka cast the image similar to Sandamuni Buddha image of India in the nine leftover jewels of casting Manamuni Buddha image. That Buddha image was named Sandamuni because it was cast like Sandamuni Buddha image of India. The king worshipped the Buddha image by building the stone cave for it in the east of the palace. The successive kings of Dynyawaddy period worshipped the Buddha image like Mahamuni Buddha image. The successive kings of Vesali period also worshipped it. And then, king Min Saw Mon moved the capital of Rakhine from the city of Laungkyat to Mraukoo. He built five pagodas around the city of Mraukoo as city-settlement pagodas. Moreover, he took Sandamuni Buddha image worshipeed by the successive kings of Rakhine to Mraukoo. The stone Buddha image was put in the original place of Sandamuni Buddha image. That stone Buddha image is also called Sandamuni Buddha image. Nowadays, that Buddha image is near Taungoo village. King Min Saw Mon worshipped Sandamuni Buddha image making the cave on Barkual hill in which Arahat Ashin Bar Ku La stood and prophesied that Mraukoo would be founded. The British occupied Rakhine state after the first Anglo-Myanmar war. In such time, the British took away the bronzeware such as bronze Buddha images, the bronze bells and the bronze gongs from Rakhine state. And then, some townselders hid some Buddha images and other valuable bronzeware. Those townselders hid Sandamuni Buddha image as well by taking it sneakily from Barkual hill at night. Nobody knew where Sandamuni Buddha image was hidden after those townselders had been dead.

One day, Ashin Sak Ka Pa La found the porcelain eye on the Buddha throne when he made obeisance to Buddha image in the ordination hall. When he observed the Buddha images, monk Sak Ka Pa La found absolutely that the Buddha image whose eye had fallen off, was a bronze image covering with cement. He told the presiding monks Agga Maha Pan Di Ta and Bad Dan Ta Pan Deik Ta humbly about that. And then, the cement of the Buddha image was broken off from the image leading by monk Ashin Sak Ka Pa La at 2:40 PM on Thursday in June in 1988. Since then, the impressive and marvellous Buddha image has been seen. When Buddha image was polished repairing the hole of the Buddha image damaged by the cement, it became glittery that no one can satisfy for making obeisance to it.

The distance of the two knees is 4 feet 2 inches broad and the image is 4 feet 2 inches high from the bottom to the forelock. The image was cats for the king to worship in accordance with the book of metal beauty architecture. Sandamuni is a wonderful Buddha image because if the Buddha image is worshipped 10 feet away from the image, it looks like the perfect man who sits cross-legged.

Sandamuni is not the Buddha image which was made of bronze only, but is made of five jewels. Some Buddha images were cast in copper instead of gold, but Sandamuni Buddha images was case in the proportionate metal-mixing method, therefore, Buddha image is glittering like gold. Sandamuni is a proportional Buddha image because it was cast in accordance with the book of metal beauty architecture.

The eyelids of the image are put downwards. Casting with the lines on the eyelids, is artistic. The curved eyebrows and the straight nose look like a human being. The smiling lips are an artistic work of the sculptor. Casting the image with a circular face and without the forehead frame, is Rakhine’s own artistic works. The nose is so proportional to the face that the worshippers cannot be bored with seeing it. Seeing a hollow on the chin, looks like a human being exactly. The two ears are long and the ears’ bores are wide. That is Rakhine’s artistic work. The neck is straight and making three lines in the neck is a sign of wearing the yellow robe. Rakhine scholars say that seeing the broad chest and the nipples are due to wearing the thin yellow robe. The two arms of the image are strong like the elephant trunk. The image has a waist appropriate to the chest.

The Buddha image is the form of cross-legged position in which the right leg is put on the left leg. By overturning the right palm, it is put on the right knee. The fingers are put downwards, but they don’t touch Buddha throne. Such gesture of Buddha image is called Pasinkata mudra. Pasinkata mudra means Buddha is sitting calmly for worshipping of human beings, Devas and Hrahmas. Distincitvely, the Buddha image has the long and short fingers like the ordinary people. The upturned left palm is put on the right sole of the image. The acid is held with the index finger and the thumb. Such characteristics refers to that Buddha is an unrivalled wise person in the universe.

The background figures of the image, are eight series of the history of Buddha copied from Vesali period. Rakhine people used to sculpt the four series of the Buddha history, eight series of the Buddha history and ten series of the Buddha history since the ancient Vesali period.
The right side figures of the image
1. Giving brith to the future Buddha from mother Mar Yar Day Wi.
2. Desending from the celestial realm to the human abode after Buddha had expounded Abidamma doctrine during the four months of lent.
3. Preaching Dhammacakkya doctrine by Buddha for the five monks in Migadawone forest.
The left side figures of the image
4. Expounding Dhamma for king Valalayya elephant while Buddha was dwelling alone for the four months of lent in Vilalayya forest as he couldn’t solve the conflict among the monks.
5. Preaching Dhamma for Nalageeri elephant by Buddha when Daywadat sent it to kill Buddha with its feet.
6. Practising his supernatural power by Buddha.
7. The topmost figure is gaining Mahaparinibbanna of Buddha.
8. Buddha image represents that Buddha won over Mara for Bawdi tree and the jewelled throne and brought about Buddhahood by attaining omniscience.

Nine wonderful thins of Sandamuni Buddha image
1. The brightness of Buddha image doesn’t fade out even though it lasts for long time by irradiating once.
2. If the distinctive events will occur in the country, the right eye of the image becomes red.
3. It is always cold if the Buddha image is touched with hand either in the summer or in the winter.
4. The shade of lotus flower appearing in the chest, cannot be spoiled by any ways.
5. If the Buddha image is paid obeisance once, the desire to make obeisance over and over again, appears.
6. The Buddha image brights up in both day and night.
7. The persons who observe nine precepts for nine days by contemplating the attributes of Buddha with beads before the image, will fulfill their wishes and they well be free from danger.
8. After worshipping the image once, if anyone contemplates the Buddha image with the bead, the image appears in his mind.
9. The pilgrims nearby and remote areas who intend to worship the image, can get to the image easily without any disturbances.

Vesali Buddha Image

2010-03-26T22:06:00.000-07:00

King Maha Tine San Dra founded the capital of Vesali in AD 327. The name of Maha Taing San Dra was written as the name of Dwe San Dra in Anandachandra stone inscription pillar. The chief queen of king Maha Tine San Dra was Thu Pa Bar Day Wi, the descendant of Tharkiwan clan of Kapilawat kingdom. The chief queen spoke to the king humbly that she wanted to worship Thakkyamuni Buddha image worshipped by descendants of Tharkiwon clan in Kapilawat kingdom. The king sent the ministers and the high officers to Kapilawant kingdom to covery Thakkyamuni Buddha image.

They conveyed the Buddha image in the sailing ship. When they reached Theinseetauntwaykhanaung, the Buddha image fell into the water as the ship wrecked due to breaking out of the storm there. Although they looked for it in the water, they didn’t find it because the water was very deep. When the ministers and the high officers got back to the palace, they spoke to the king humbly that the Buddha image had fallen into the water. When the queen Thu Pa Bar Day Wi heard that news, she was contracted with the mental illness because her wish didn’t come true. And then, the Buddha image was made of single stone by the king in AD 327 and he let his wife worship the Buddha image instead of Thakkyanmuni Buddha image. But, the queen made a solemn wish donating light and flowers to Buddha image.

She prayed to Buddha image, “Although I cannot worship Thakkyamuni Buddha image of my country in this existence, may I worship it as soon as I am born as a princess in the next life.” The queen was reincarnated as the princess of king Min Ra Zar Gyi and queen Shin Ma Hnaung after she had been dead. As soon as the princess had been born, she was able to worship Thakkyamuni Buddha image by finding it in the water.

The Buddha image erected by king Tine San Dra in Vesali, was called Vesali Sutaungpyit Buddha image as the Buddha image fulfilled the queen’s wish. In the ancient time, the image was woshipped by placing it in the stone cave. But the cave had already ruined. The prayer hall was built of bricks in the east outside the perfumed chamber. Two Buddha images in the prayer hall, are Buddha images taken from Shwetaung pagoda and Ngwetaung pagoda. The perfumed chamber and the prayer hall are fenced with the wall. There are entrances in the south and the east. The Buddha images is in the form of sitting on the lotus throne. The images is 17 feet high. The pagoda board of trustee takes care of it.

Mingalardatshwegu and Koenawon Pagoda

2010-03-26T22:00:00.000-07:00

King Kheik Ta Thin, the nephew of king Su La San Dra, founded Pyinsa after fall of Vesali. In those days, Arahat Thit Sa Van Da Wa practised meditation in the cave near the city of Pyinsa during three months of lent. That cave still can be seen unitl now. The cave is called Ngetkhaung. That Arahat Thit Sa Van Da Wa practised meditation in the cave at the base of Lamaded mountain as well. Lastly, he practised meditation dwelling in Thamoatdawiri of present Sittwe. The word “Bandawagu” gradually became changed to Bandawgu, and in finally, Badawmaw at the present time. Those names are called regarding Arahat Thit Sa Van Da Wa. He attained Parinibbanna in Thiripatpada mountain of Sanga mountain ranges. King Kheik Ta Thin cremated the cropse by himself. He built a pagoda on Thiripatpada mountain enshrining relics of Thit Sa Van Da Wa and others in AD 818. The pagoda is octagonal in shape at the base and it is surrounded by eight spherical pagodas which face eight directions. The pagoda is called Koenawon because it has nine pagodas in total.

The Buddha image in the form of Pacinka mudra, is in the cave monastery of the east. The Buddha image in the form of Oattarabawdi mudra is in the cave monastery of the south. The Buddha image in the form of Latkhanadipa mudra is in the cave monastery of the south-west corner in which Buddha image is pointing to his sole with his right hand’s index finger. The Buddha image in the form of gaining Parinibbanna, is in the cave monastery of the west. The Buddha image in the form of preaching Dhamma to Yatkhas, is in the cave monastery of the north-west corner. That mudra is called Yatkhadamma mudra. The Buddha image in the form of Abaya mudra is in the cave monastery of the north-east corner. It is necessary to repair the surrounding pagodas because they are ruins.

And, king Kheik Ta Thin built Mingalardatshwegu pagoda in the western hill of Koenawon pagoda enshrining the relics of Arahat Thi Sa Van Da Wa and Buddha relics in AD 818. The pagoda is bell-shaped in structure. The base of the pagoda is octagonal in shape and the stone sculptures are at the corners of the pagoda. The entrance cave is in the east. The stone Buddha image in the perfumed chamber, is five feet high. The pagoda is maintained by the board of trustee of the pagoda.

Mahahti Buddha Image

2010-03-26T21:58:00.000-07:00

Laymyo period had four capitals. Pyinsama was the first capital of Laymyo period and it last 285 years from AD 818 to AD 1103. Purain was the second capital of Laymyo period and it last 57 years from AD 1103 to AD 1160. Nayrinesara was the third capital of Laymyo period and it last 86 years from AD 1160 to AD 1246. Laungkyat was the fourth capital of Laymyo period and it last 184 years from AD 1246 to 1430 AD. Those four cities were situated along Izananadi river, thus, those periods are called Laymyo period in reference to those four cities. The river is also called Laymyo river in reference to those four cities.

The fifth descendant of king Lat Kya Min Nan, the founder of Purain city in Lyamyo period, was king Kaw Li Ya. He did Athaditha donation. The stone inscription written with two inches-sized words on the large natural rock of Kawliya mountain, can still be seen until now. Although the rock layers had detached from the large rock, the inscription on the rock can originally be seen marvellously. Such king Kaw Li Ya erected the Buddha image three miles away from the south-west of Purain city and seven miles away from the south of Marukoo city in AD 1123. The hill the image stands, is fifty feet high. That Buddha image was sculpted in the local rock mountain by cutting it. Such locality was called Ngakaukra because the king said, “Ngakaukra.” It means that he found the stone easily to sculpt the Buddha image. After the long time had been moving, nowadays, that locality is called Ngarakauk.

King Kaw Li Ya placed the Buddha image on Sandapatvata mountain and covered it with the stone umbrella. He worshipped the image by placing it in the stone cave. Such Buddha image was named as Mahahti because it was covered with the stone umbrella.

During the first Anglo-Myanmar war, Buddha image damaged into fragments, and the whole cave also destroyed as the British captain fired the cannon at the cave in which Myanmar soldiers defended. The village situated in the place in which the British captain Baw Raw had stationed, is called Thwraw village. The villagers near Mahahti Buddha image, rebuilt the image combining the fragments they found, but they had to substitute the necessary things with bricks and cement as they didn’t find all original fragments of Buddha image. The Buddha image is eight feet high. The local villagers built a pagoda as well. The prayer hall is in the east of the pagoda. There are two ways to the pagoda: the king way and the queen way. The flat stones were laid in order on the road from the harbour to the stairway of the pagoda because the king came to it by barge for his pilgrimage. Nowadays, the board of trustee maintains the pagoda.

Peesitaung Pagoda

2010-03-26T21:39:00.000-07:00

Peesitaung pagoda is situated on the hill which is 100 feet high and one furlong away from the south of Koethaung pagoda. King Thu Ri Ya Sak Ka, the ruler of Dynyawaddy kingdom, enshrined the left peesi relic of Buddha in the pagoda. The future Gaw Ta Ma Buddha lived in the mountain as a king boar in a previous life of his when he was fulfilling his minor perfection. The name of the mountain is Thilagiripatpata.

King Kaw Li Ya secondly renovated the pagoda in Parain period in AD 1163. King Min Pha Laung of Mraukoo period thirdly repaired it. Such king rebuilt the pagoda in the form of substructure by making the cave tunnel below the stone Buddha image.

Four Buddha images back on the wall at the center, are facing four directions in the cave tunnel. Each Buddha image has an entrance porch. One can go around the passage from every porch. In the present, the cave is damaging.

Nankya Buddha Image

2010-03-26T21:31:00.000-07:00

Among the rulers of Laungkyat city, king Nan Kya was the sixth king of Laungkyat dynasty. The citizens were discontended with the king because he collected more taxes, extorted the virgin daughters of others and behaved the conducts of the foolish persons. So, they were eager to revolt against the king if the opportunity appeared. In such time, the two able men named Seik Ta Ra and Na Ra Da appeared. They were proficient in the worldly art which can create various forms. Seik Ta Ra disguished himself as king Nan Kya and entered the queen chamber of the palace every day. When king Nan Kya came to the queen chamber, she asked him why he came to her chamber many times. And then, the king replied that he didn’t often come to her chamber and he came to hers only that day. And, the queen said that there would be a disguised person as the king if the king didn’t come to her chamber every day. And then, the king said that he wouldn’t come to her chamber duing the week and the person who would come to the chamber, must be a disguised person. And, he advised the queen to stamp on the disguised person’s back with her oily palm to be able to catch him. When Seik Ta Ra came into the queen chamber disguisings as the king, she stamped on his back with her oil smudgy palm according to the kings’s advice.

The next day, the king ordered his servants to go aroungd the city to catch the person who has the palm mark. When the royal servants obviously saw the palm mark on Seik Ta Ra’s back who was sitting basking in the sun in the winter, they sent for Seik Ta Ra to the king. Without giving any penalty, king Nan Kya tole Seik Ta Ra to teach him the worldly art by appointing him as a teacher, but he only taught him partly. King Nan Kya became worse than before when he mastered the worldly art which can create various forms. Therefore, some people went to Seik Ta Ra and Na Ra Da and requested them to rescue the citizens from miseries. They went, therefore, to capture the king. The king ran away disguising various forms, but they followed him disguising as the preditors the animals disguised by the king. At last, king Nan Kya ran into the cave he donated when he couldn’t escape from them by running, but he had to give up his one ear as Seik Ta Ra cut him with his sword when he entered the cave. And, the king stayed closing the door in the cave.

Seik Ta Ra and Na Ra Da asked the king whether the king would accept detaining by coming out of the cave or they must enter breaking down the door. And then, it dawned on him that Seik Ta Ra and the citizens would destroy his good deed if he didn’t come out of the cave, but he wished his good deed remain even though he died. Therefore, he smeared the blood dripped from his wound on his palm and made a solemn wish stamping his palm on the thigh of the Buddha image.

He said, “I will be killed by Seik Ta Ra. So, may this blood-palm mark disappear only after I had revenged on Seik Ta Ra and his relatives as a king in Rakhine in the next life after I had died.” “I wish no one can wipe out it.” After he had made solemn wish, he came out of the cave opening the door, and Seik Ta Ra seized him and killed him by beheading.

King Min Saw Mon, the last king of Laungkyat city, looked for the new city and founded the city of Mraukoo. The successive kings washed the blood on the thigh of Nankya Buddha image, but no one could do. King Thi Ri Thu Dam Ma became the twentieth king of Min Saw Mon dynasty. At that time, queen Nat Shin May fell in love with minister Nga Ku Tha La, the governor of Laungkyat, and he arranged Ngasay magical contrivance to die king Thi Ri Thu Dam Ma. Nga Ku Tha La, the governor of Laungkyat, ruled the throne of Mraukoo with the name of king Na Ra Pa Ti Gyi by crowing Nat Shin May as a queen. Only if such king washed it, the blood-palm mark on the thigh of Nankya Buddha image, disappeared.

Thus, Seik Ta Ra in the previous life became king Thi Ri Thu Dam Ma and king Na Ra Pa Ti Gyi became the reincarnation of king Nan Kya Gyi. Therefore, it was alleged that the blood-palm mark disappeared only after king Thi Ri Thu Dam Ma had died in consequence of making the past solemn wish at the Buddha image.

King Na Ra Pa Ti Gyi wrote the supplementary lullaby in Rakhine princess lullaby in order to know it for the posterity. Nowadays, the erosion of Lyamyo river bank took the cave away. The villagers took the Buddha image to the palce distant away form Laymyo river bank and placed it together with other Buddha images in the prayer hall. Such nearby village is called Nankya village in reference to the Nankya Buddha image.

There is a prayer hall on Mraukoo-Minbyar highway road in which Naykya Buddha image and other Buddha images of Laymyo period are dwelling.

Myotookhaung Pagoda

2010-03-26T21:27:00.000-07:00

King Min Saw Mon built five city-settlement pagodas and eight Nat figures simultaneously when he founded the city of Mraukoo. By naming the mountains inside and outside the city, he erected many pagodas on such mountains. The city was founded in the form of Galone bird incubated spreading his wings. By building the pagoda in the place of Galone bird’s head, it was called Myotookhaung pagoda. The pagoda stands on the spur of Pinay mountain which is half a mile away from the north-west of the palace site.

In other words, the pagoda was called Myotoohnauk pagoda because it was built enshrining the brain relics of Buddha and the relics of Arahats in it. After the city-settlement pagodas had been built, this pagoda was built as the subsidiary city-settlement pagoda in AD 1430. In the past, it was a cave pagoda, and the stone Buddha image which is eight fee high and worn the lotus robe, was in the cave.

The throne on which Buddha image sits, has a variety of flowers and figures. Among the figures, the harpist in the form of playing the harp, was included. By observing at that figure, it evidences that Rakhine people have been able to play the harp professionally sine the 15th century. The prayer hall covered over the cave and Buddha image. Nowadays, the cave had destroyed and only 66 feet high wall, remains. The board of trustee takes care of it.

Shwetaung pagoda

2010-01-03T09:04:00.000-08:00

Shwetaung pagoda is located on the hill which is 300 feet high and half a mile away from the east of the palace site. The pagoda is the solid conical structure. The future Gaw Ta Ma Buddha lived in the mountain as a king peacock in a previous life of his to fulfill his minor perfection. The name of the mountain is Gandagiripatpada.

King Thu Ri Ya Sak Ka in Dynyawaddy period, built a pagoda enshrining the head relic of Buddha in the pagoda according to the prophecy of Buddha. After fall of Laungkyat, king Min Saw Mon looked for a place to found the new city. When he was looking for it, the earth deity pointed out the place of the new city from Shwetaung mountain by wearing the white clothes. When king Min Saw Mon founded Mraukoo, he renovated Shwetaung pagoda as well as five city-settlement pagodas.

In the regime of king Min Bar, a yogi called Zawgyi made the soil of Shwetaung to be gold by blowing bellows it. King Min Pha Laung donated the whole pagoda the golden robe by embellishing it. In the past, the brick staircase was made from the base of the mountain to the top. The mountain is surrounded by the brick wall in four directions not to fall from the top of the mountain. Paunawtaung fortress and Myattaung fortress exist near Shwetaung mountain.

Laymyatnar Pagoda

2010-01-03T08:37:00.002-08:00

Laymyatnar pagoda stands 150 feet far away from the northern part of Htoakkanthein pagoda. The pagoda built by king Min Saw Mon in 1430 AD, is one of the first five pagodas in Mraukoo. The pagoda is called Laymyatnar pagoda because the four entrances of the pagoda face the four directions.

The pagoda was built in the form of arising of the great pagoda amidst the four surrounding pagodas. Dadugatba and the inverted golden bowl are above the bell-shaped dome. The pagoda is enclosed with the stone wall in four directions. There is the entrance at each of the eastern and the western stone walls. There are five Buddha images in the niches of the wall between the two entrances. There are eight stone Buddha images facing eight directions at the center of the cave tunnel. The total number of Buddha images are twenty eight depending on the verse of Thanboatday.

The pagoda built by Na Ra Nu in AD 1433 who was a younger brother of king Min Saw Mon, is in the northern part of Laymyatnar pagoda. That pagoda is called Naranu pagoda. The stone Buddha image which is 10 feet high, is in the cave. There are twenty eight Buddha images in the twenty eight niches in both sides of the cave of the Buddha image. Nowadays, the pagoda was reconstructed. The pagoda is 70 feet high and a simple architectural design without decoration.

Burbutaung Pagoda

2010-01-03T08:22:00.000-08:00

The mountain is called Barkula mountain because Ashin Bar Ku La stopped for awhile on the mountain when he came to Dynyawaddy taking Buddha relics from king Athor Ka of Patalipoat kingdom. On the other hand, it is also called Burpu mountain as Bur Pu ogre lived. Future Gaw Da Ma Buddha lived in the mountain as a barking deer in a previous life of his while he was fulfilling the minor perfection. The name of the mountain is Nithapatpada. King Thu Ri Ya Sak Ka of Dynyawaddy kingdom erected a pagoda enshrining Thiri relic of Buddha in it after Buddha had gained Parinibbanna. King Min Saw Mon rebuilt the pagoda in AD 1430 as the pagoda fell into ruins.

There are still two pagodas built in Mraukoo period and one pagoda built by the townpeople during the British regime.

Moatsatetaw Pagoda

2010-01-03T08:11:00.000-08:00

Moatsatetaw pagoda is situated on the hillock which is 100 feet high and 300 feet far away from the northern part of Myatansaung pagoda. The pagoda was built by king Min Saw Mon as one of the five city-settlement pagodas in AD 1430. The hillock has two levels and the first level was made of stone and it contains a repository for Buddhist scriptures. It is surrounded by the stone wall in four directions. Three stone Buddha images are in the cave. The cave has damaged due to the burglar.

Moatsatetaw pagoda is loacted on the topmost level of the hillock. The pagoda was built at the center of the brick substructure called the big terrace which is 100 feet in lenght, 100 feet in breadth and 55 feet in height. The form of the pagoda is that Dadugatba is put over the bell-shaped dome. The pagoda is 50 feet high and 100 feet in circumference. There are four surrounding pagodas at the four corners. A Buddha foorprint was in the east of the pagoda. Nowadays, the trustee of Chitthaung pagoda moved it to Chitthaung pagoda and put it on the brick seat to be paid reverence by the people. It is necessar for restoration because the pagoda is damaging badly. Sandarama monastery compound built and donated b king Min Saw Mon, is in the northern part of Moatsatetaw pagoda. The stone wall surrounded for the monastery can still be seen. Sandarama monastery is one of the thirty six great monasteries of the ancient Mraukoo. The pagoda was restored by the department of archaeology.

Shwegutaung Pagoda

2010-01-03T08:05:00.000-08:00

Shwegutaung pagoda stands on the hill in the east of the palace site. The pagoda was built in the east of the palace, and the successive kings of Mraukoo worshipped that pagoda as a palace-head pagoda. The pagoda was built by king Min Saw Mon is AD 1430. The pagoda has three levels of the pagoda court in the west of the hill. There is a wall containing eight small caves in the lowest level. The peacock figures exist between every two small cave. In the previous time, the Buddha image cast in nine jewels, was in the cave.

In the present, that Buddha image is dwelling in Nyaungpin Market monastery to be worshipped. The pagoda has a cave at the base and in the previous time, the cave had the bell-shaped pagodas. Each of the small pagodas is at the four corners. The small caves adjacent to the wall, are in the south, the north and the west. The British chief commissioner Mr. Aran Hal built a conical pagoda on the cave in AD 1937. The original upper part of the pagoda had been in ruins, but the board of trustee renovated it. The flat stones laid on the court in order to perform Buddha Puziniya dance, can still be seen in the eastern pagoda court. Shwegutaung is one of the nine big caves in Mraukoo. The board of trustee takes care of the pagoda.

Welcome to Mrauk-U Archaeological Museum

2010-01-03T08:03:00.000-08:00

Myatansaung Pagoda

2010-01-03T07:58:00.000-08:00

The eastern Myatasaung pagoda and the western Myatasaung pagoda built by king Min Saw Mon, are situated on the hills which are 41 feet high and 500 feet far away from the north of Laymyatnar pagoda. Those pagodas are the contemporary pagodas of founding Mraukoo. The pagodas were made of stone, and the wall of the surrounding pagoda and the stairway, were made of bricks. Both of the pagodas have the same size and similarity.

The stone Buddha image which is 6 feet high, is inside the pagoda. There are four surrounding pagodas which were made of bricks at the four corners within the brick wall. There were monasteries in which the monks lived near the pagoda. That monastery was called Myatansaung monastery. It has been said that the monks from Myatasaung monastery went to Srilanka for their missionary work in the time of king Min Hla Ra Zar and king Min Ra Zar Gyi. Nowadays, the pagodas look collapsed and it is necessary to restore them.

Mahavizayyaranthi Pagoda

2010-01-03T07:54:00.000-08:00

The pagoda is located on the hill which is one mile away from the palace site. The pagoda was erected by king Min Saw Mon in AD 1430. When king Min Saw Mon moved the capital from Laungkyat to Mraukoo, he invited twenty monks to Mraukoo from Laungkyat including Maha Vi Zay Ya, a head of Samgha. Kin Min Saw Mon honoured monk Maha Vi Zay Ya with donating a big monastery at the appropriate place in the south of the palace. That monastery was named as Mahavizayyaranthi monastery.

The pagoda was also built on the hill near the monastery. The pagoda was called Maha Vizayyaranthi in reference to the name of the monk. The pagoda is one of five city-settlement pagodas. When monk Shin Maha Ra Hta Tha Ra and monk Shin Tay Zaw Tha Ra visited Rakhine, they sojourned in that monastery for three months of lent in 1516 AD. The pagoda is octagonal in shape at the base and it is built in the form of tiers of the terrace. There are eight opening caves in the four directions of the first and the second terraces. There are beautiful stone sculptures at the decoration of the cave.

The present pagoda was built by the well-wishers leading by layman devotee U Kyaw Thar. The ordination hall is in the west of the pagoda. The ordination pillars are still rising up about four feet form the ground until now.

Wathay Buddha Image

2010-01-03T07:38:00.001-08:00

King Min Saw Mon took the throne of Mraukoo in 1432 AD. Two years later, after king Min Saw Mon had gained the throne of Mraukoo, he erected the Buddha image on Kyatchar mountain in AD 1432. In the same year, he also built Yanaung Buddha image, Natebuza Buddha image, Bopyo Buddha image, Sutawpan Buddha image, Thattawchay Buddha image and Latthukywe Buddha image at seven mountain ranges.

King Min Bar ascended the throne of Mraukoo in 1530 AD. In the year of accession of king Min Bar, he managed to recapture twelve cities of Bengal. Before the king began the military operation, he consulted with ministers. Therefore, minister Kaung Kyaw Tin Sar spoke to the king humbly according to the ominous saying that all the mosques must be placed only Baungdweat quarter, and the new umbrella must be replaced for the old one of Wathay Buddha image after renovating it, and all muslims must be shaved heads. In accordance with the minister’s advice, before he started the military operation, the king donated the new umbrella for the Buddha image in 1532 AD. In the present, the cave fell into ruin. During the British regime, U Yat Thay Aung renovated the image. Nowadays, the board of trustee of the pagoda performed donating the golden robe and maintaining the prayer hall.

Mrauk-U, Ancient City of Arakan Kingdom

2010-01-03T07:36:00.000-08:00

Nyidaw Pagoda

2010-01-03T07:34:00.000-08:00

The pagoda was built by king Min Kha Ree in AD 1433. The pagoda is called Nyidaw pagoda because king Min Kha Ree built the pagoda he wanted the successive generations of Rakhine to imitate him that he paid respect to his elder brother Min Saw Mon according to 38 kinds of blessing. The pagoda has a perfumed chamber. The evidence of belief of 28 Buddhas, can be found because the 28 niches of 28 Buddhas were made at both sides of the entrance way to the pagoda. The stone sculpture of the early Mraukoo period, was sculpted at Buddha throne.

Ancient City, Mrauk-U

2010-01-03T07:29:00.000-08:00

Htuparyoon Pagoda

2010-01-03T07:22:00.000-08:00

Htuparyoon pagoda stands on the flat land in the north of Laungpanprauk pagoda. The pagoda was built by king Min Ran Aung in AD 1454.

King Min Kha Maung and his queen Shin Htwe reconstructed the pagoda in AD 1613 and donated the golden robe for the whole pagoda. In Mraukoo period, the kings came to the pagoda to make reverence to the pagoda for the victory after their coronations. The pagoda is surrounded by two layers of the wall. Every four direction of the wall has the entrances.

The man-lion statues with the body of the lion and the head of the human being, were made at every corner of the innver wall. The pagoda was made of sandstones, and the base of the pagoda is octagonal in shape. The lotus leaves and buds were made at the terraces. Every four direction of the two terraces has the opening caves. There are stone Buddha images in such caves. The pagoda was built in the form of zigzag. In the reign of king Min Pha Laung, there were free dispensaries between the two walls. The citizens were given free medical treatment from that dispensaries. The pagoda was reconstructed by the department of archaeology.

Ratanamankin and Ratanasanrwe Pagoda

2010-01-03T07:19:00.000-08:00

Ratanamankin and Ratanasanrwe are the pagodas built of King Ba Saw Phyu on the spur of Haymawon mountain in AD 1459. Only the stone Buddha images can be worshipped in the perfumed chamber as the pagoda fell into ruins. It is a distinction that the Buddha image and the throne were built separately without joining to the western wall in the perfumed chamber.

Bawdishwegu Pagoda

2010-01-03T07:17:00.000-08:00

Bawdishwegu pagoda is situated on the spur of Haymawan hill in the eastern part of Linpanpyauk pagoda. The pagoda was built by king Ba Saw Phyu in AD 1470.

The base of the pagoda is octagonal in shape and the pagoda looks like a truncated pagoda. There are god figures associated with the planets at the corners of the pagoda. The pagoda is 30 feet high and 106 feet in circumference. The whole pagoda was made of blocks of stone. There is a cave opening in the east to enter the pagoda. Two hundred and eighty stone sculptures were sculpted in six classes on the walls of the entrance way to the cave. The figures based on 550 Zataka stories, were carved fully in both sides of the entrance way to the cave. The figure of the king who goes around the city, clothing styles of the ministers, the clothing styles of the general and the decorations of the elephant and the horse, were carved in detail. The small Buddha images are over those figures. The stone Buddha image which is 6 feet high, is in the perfumed chamber inside the cave. The thone was sculpted from the single stone and it was decorated with festoons.

Making the stone in the form of the lotus flower at the center of the roof of the perfumed chamber, is glorious.

Shwekyathein Pagoda

2010-01-03T07:06:00.000-08:00

King Ba Saw Phyu ascended the throne of Mraukoo in 1459 AD. The king let the western-palace queen live in the western-palace chamber in the west of the palace near Mauktawgate. The western-palace queen gave birth a daughter called Saw Shwe Kya in such place. Minister Min Nyo of Bardugyun composed a lullaby, and presented it to sing in the cradle-swinged ceremony for princess Saw Shwe Kya. That Lullaby became well known as Rakhine princess lullaby in the history.

Princess Saw Shwe Kya built a Buddha image and a cave in the site of her palace chamber as the donation in AD 1471. It is situated in the south-west of Anawma pagoda. The upturned lotus petals, were sculpted of stone at the terraces, and they are the scarce hand-artistic works of Mraukoo period. The pagoda is called Shwekyathein with reference to the princess’s name. In the past, the prayer hall was in front of the cave. Nowadays, the original prayer hall had already collapsed, therefore, the new prayer hall was built over the Buddha image surrounded with the brick wall. The board of trustee maintaines the pagoda.

Narazall Buddha Image (or) Rakhine Tasaung Buddha Image

2010-01-03T06:51:00.000-08:00

The pagoda is situated on the right side of the way to Myothit quarter and it is half a mile way from the west of the palace site. The minister Na Ra Zall built the pagoda in AD 1471. The pagoda is called Narazall pagoda because it was built by minister Na Ra Zall. Na Ra Zall was a minister who had to choose the suitable time for the king.

Thoat Daw Lyar, the son of king Ba Saw Phyu, took the throne of Mraukoo in 1481 when his father passed away. In the fifth year of his accession, monk Shin Maha Ra Hta Tha Ra and monk Shin Tay Zaw Tha Ra from Ava, arrived in Mraukoo. Both of the two monks dwelled for three months of lent in Mahavizayyaranthi monastery king Min Saw Mon donated. One day, they met princess Saw Nan Min Phyu, a daughter of king Thoat Daw Lyar, on the way back to the monastery from the downtown. So, monk Tay Zaw Tha Ra admired the beauty of the princess by writing Ratu which includes three stanzas of the verse.

The princess received that Ratu while she was paying reverence to Narazall Buddha image. The princess was named Rakhine Tasaung in that Ratu. She liked that name, therefore, she also named the Buddha image Rakhine Tasaung. Long Long ago, the Buddha image was in the cave, but the cave had destroyed. Instead, the prayer hall was built. The five feet high Buddha image and two Buddha images next to it, are in the lotus throne. It is necessary to reconstruct the prayer hall because it is destroying. The board of trustee of the pagoda maintains the pagoda.

Tayzarama Pagoda

2010-01-03T06:50:00.001-08:00

The king who gained the throne of Mraukoo in 1494 AD, was Thein Ga Thu. At his reign of 7 years, he built a great pagoda as a customary good deed of the kings in the north-west of the palace site. The pagoda was called Tayzarama pagoda in reference to the name of the monk because it was built near the monastery of monk Tay Za Ra Ma, the head of the monk order.

The pagoda is conical in structure. There are four porches in the second and the third terraces. Both sides of each porch have small pagodas in the form of Mahaboddhi temple. The pagoda was renovated by king Na Ra Pa Ti and king San Da Vi Za Ya. There is a particular stone cave built separately in the east of the pagoda. The ogre stone sculpture at the porch of the cave, is artistic. A stone Buddha image is in the cave. At the south of the pagoda, the list of the farms donated for the image, was inscribed in the cave. There are four stone inscriptions. Nowadays, the pagoda board of trustee takes care of it.

Myawtawmu Pagoda

2010-01-03T06:37:00.000-08:00

The hillock on which Myawtawmu pagoda stands, is 100 feet high and two furlongs away from the palace site. Although the original donor was not known exactly, the year of renovation of king Min Pha Laung, must be recorded. The place on which Myawtawmu pagoda stands, is a plateau. The brick wall was made around the plateau and the entrance has porches. The brick stairway is an access to climb the top of the mountain. Kwansee entrance gate can be seen if one views from that place. In Mraukoo period, the soldiers who came back from the war, had to enter the city from only that entrance gate.

he pagoda was called Myawtawmu pagoda because the women used to wait for the returning of their husbands, soldiers, to homes from that place. And, it was also the place the women prayed to Buddha by donating light for the victory of the war of their husbands.

In the reign of king Min Kha Maung, a zone officer had to live with his family near Myawtawmu pagoda while he was performing his duties at Ponnawtaung fort. Thus, he had to go to the western province for the war. His wife waited for his coming by staying from Myawtawmu pagoda. She called a soldier to follow her as a guard. One day, the zone officer’s wife donated light and flowers to Buddha going to Myawtawmu pagoda together with the soldier. In that time, the zone officer arrived back home from the war at sunset and when he asked the home maid, he knew that his wife went to Myawtawmu pagoda. He went to Myawtawmu pagoda riding the horse because he was so eager to meet his wife. When he got to the pagoda, he found that his wife was sitting together with the soldier in front of the Buddha image and contemplating the arttibutes of Buddha after she had donated light to Buddha image. As the zone officer was so angry at her with misapprehension, he killed his wife and the soldier in the cave without making any enquiry. One week later, his home maid explained him, therefore, he knew reality about his wife. He felt full of remorse, so he built a pagoda near the pagoda in which he killed his wife in order to salvage his sin. Thus, the unfinished pagoda can still be seen until now as there was no donor to continue building the pagoda. The pagoda in which he killed his wife, had already ruined owing to the treasure hunters.

Nipuzar Pagoda

2010-01-03T06:26:00.000-08:00

The three pagodas stand on the hill which is 100 feet high and half a mile away from the east of the palace site. King Min Saw Oho, the tenth king of Min Saw Mon dynasty, built the pagoda in AD 1515. Three Nipuzar pagodas are: lower Nipuzar, middle Nipuzar and upper Nipuzar. The words “Nipuzar” was derived from Napuza in Pali. Napuza means the place worshipped by the people.

The nat figures worshipped by Brahmans called Ponenaw who lived in Mraukoo in the past, can be found near Nipuzar pagoda. Nowadays, such figures of Nat were kept in Mraukoo archaeological museum. The upper Nipuzar and the middle Nipuzar have been damaged and covered with creepers. Only the lower Nipuzar pagoda has the easy accessibility. That pagoda is also damaging at the upper part of the inverted alms bowl. Nipuzar is a stone pagoda and has terraces. The golden balls and the mouldings remaining at uppter part of the inverted alms bowl, still can be seen until now. The stone Buddha image which is 10 feet high, is near the pagoda.

Ancient City Mrauk-U

2010-01-03T06:21:00.000-08:00

Laungpwanpyauk Pagoda

2010-01-03T06:11:00.000-08:00

The pagoda stands on the flat land which is one mile far away from the north of the palace site. The pagoda was built by king Min Saw Oho in AD 1525. The pagoda was named Laungpwanpyauk according to the ominous saying. The pagoda is surrounded by the stone wall in two layers. There are stairways and entrances to the pagoda in the east and the west. There are glazed-multicoloured big flowers around the inner stone wall. Each big flower has one yellow pollen and four sepals. There are 166 big flowers and 240 small flowers around the stone wall.

The pagoda is octagonal in shape. Every terrace has niche Buddha images inside the porches which are similar to the pediments of the throne. The eastern porch is a very beautiful stone sculpture. The Buddha image in the eastern proch, is Pudumoathti Buddha image. The pagoda is inclining towards the east because the burglars broke in the bell-shaped dome. Nowadays, the pagoda was repaired by the department of archaeology and it is 75 feet high.

Rathaytaung Pagoda

2010-01-03T06:03:00.000-08:00

King Min Saw Oho ruled the throne of Mraukoo in 1515 AD. Such king built many pagodas on the seven mountain ranges. Three pagodas were built on Sankar mountain in the west of the palace.

Such mountain is called Rathay mountain because a hermit lived on the mountain during the Birtish regime. The devotee U Tha Tun renovated the pagodas damaged during the British regime. Nowadays, the small pagoda is nearly destroying because of digging of the treasure hunters.

Thattawshay Pagoda

2010-01-03T05:35:00.000-08:00

King Min Khaung Ra Za built Thattawshay pagoda on the hill which is 50 feet high and a mile away from the west of the palace site in AD 1525. Thattawshay pagoda is the conical pagoda with the cave. The devotee U That Tun Oo repaired the pagoda in the British regime because it destroyed.

Thattawra Pagoda

2010-01-03T03:59:00.000-08:00

King Min Khaung Ra Za built Thattawra pagoda on the hill which is 50 feet high and one mile away from the palace site in AD 1525. Eighty years ago, U Pha Taw renovated the pagoda because it fell into ruins. The base of the pagoda is in the form of substructure, and the upper part of the pagoda is in the form of conical pagoda. The pagoda is enclosed with the four small surrounding pagodas. The stone sculptural flowers, were sculpted at the whole cave.

Datphyutaung Buddha Image

2010-01-03T03:56:00.000-08:00

Datphyutaung Buddha image is situated half a mile away from the palace site and stands on the hill which is 100 feet high. The original pagoda was erected by king Min Bar in AD 1530. That pagoda was named Datphyutaung because the white-bone relic of Buddha was enshrined. In the past, it was a stone pagoda, but it had already collapsed. Nowadays, the townspeople, therefore, erected the stone Buddha image on the lotus throne. The Buddha image is 8 feet high.

The contemporary donors made the figures in the form of preaching Dhamacakka sermon and other figures on the mountain. The townspeople donated the prayer hall for the image and the pagoda board of trustee maintains the image.

Shwegugyi Pagoda

2010-01-03T03:54:00.000-08:00

Shwegugyi Pagoda is situated in the valley between Shwetaung and Myawtawgutaung. The pagoda was built at the year of accession of king Min Bar. The pagoda has the substructure at the base, and the superstructure in the form of the inverted bronze bowl, is above it. The conical pagoda was erected at the top. The great pagoda is surrounded by four small pagodas. The sitting Buddha image made of the single stone, is in the perfumed chamber.

The figure of Vishnu conveyed from Hindu Nat Shrine, is at the entrance to the cave. Both sides of the entrance porch have the stone sculptures in the form of paying homage to Buddha image. Nowadays, the whole pagoda was covered with the golden robe. The board of trustee preserves the pagoda.

Thingyishwegu Buddha Image

2010-01-03T03:42:00.000-08:00

Thingyishwegu is one of the nine great caves in Mraukoo. Thingyishwegu stands on the hillock which is 30 feet high and one mile away from the south-east of the palace site. Thingyishwegu Buddha image was built by king Min Bar in AD 1532. The whole hillock was consecrated as the great ordination hall. The stone pillars used as the boundary pillars of the ordination hall, are still five feet high. Although the great cave had destroyed, the four facades of the wall have still remained. The Buddha image sat on the lotus throne in the cage, is 12 feet high. Nowadays, Shwetaung monk maintained the cave by expelling the residences around the hillock.

Chitthaung Pagoda

2010-01-02T08:05:00.000-08:00

Ba Saw Ye, the governor of Thandwe, gained the throne of Mraukoo in 1531 AD. He was called Min Pyin prince because he was given Lamucriminpyin by the king to govern. When he became a king, he was called king Min Pyin, but later, his name became Min Bar. He accepted giving him the title of Thi Ri Thu Ri Ya San Da Mahar Dam Ma Ra Zar at the coronation. His chief queen was Phaw Saw Min. King Min Yay Kyaw Saw fought king Min Saw Mon who was ruling Laungkyat, the last capital of Laymyo period. Consequently, he had to take shelter under king Thu Ra Tan, and he had to give him twelve Bengal cities of Rakhine in order to get back the throne of Laungkyat. Therefore, the twelve Bengal cities of Rakhine fell to king Thu Ra Tan for 125 years from 1406 AD to 1531 AD.

One year later, after king Min Bar had gained the throne of Mraukoo, Shin Mya Wa and Maha Pin Nya Kyaw suggested him to recapture the twelve Bengal cities of Rakhine, which fell to king Thu Ra Tan in 1406 AD. The king let Maha Pin Nya Kyaw manage for the war by appointing him general and giving the title of Maha Nan Da Thu Ra. And, they went for the war in 1522 AD. King Min Bar could take back the twelve Bengal cities due to the failure of king Thu Ra Tan in the war.

After king Min Bar had defeated king Thu Ra Tan, he went to Buddha Gaya and did meritorious deeds at Mahabodi temple. He took the Buddha relics of the pagodas destroyed by the heretics and the derelict Thiripada Buddha footprint to Rakhine. He didn’t place Muslim princess Pay Thi Da in the palace of Mraukoo, but he placed her in the isolated palace in the island near Ponnagyun. Nowadays, the island is called the island of Paythida palace. King Min Bar consulted with Agga Sein Day Ya monk, Agga Mu Ni monk, Shin Mya Wa, minister Vi Ma La and Maha Pin Nya Kyaw to enshrine the Buddha relics he took in the pagoda. 20,000 Buddha images made of sandstone and 60,000 Buddha images made of seven jewels, were sculpted in the vestibules and the caves of the pagoda in dedicating to 80,000 future Buddhas. The pagoda was surrounded by five rectangular-shaped cave tunnels and then, the sandstone Buddha images were placed in order. The ordination hall was built in front of the great pagoda inside the stone wall. Many pagodas were also built inside the stone wall.

According to the record of the scholars, after Phoekhaung hill had been levelled fairly, building the pagoda was started in 1535 AD, which was devoid of lunar and solar eclipse. Shin Mya Wa drove the stake into the ground for the site of the building. Besides the name of Chitthaung, the pagoda was called Ranaungzayya dedicating to the success for Portuguese’s attack on Mraukoo. No sooner had a hundred and eight reliquaries been enshrined in the pagoda then the five planetary arrangements were made.

Making the first planetary arrangement

In the first planetary arrangement, the Buddha image was placed in the perfumed chamber which is in the center of the great pagoda. The sitting Buddha image with the posture of Bumiphattha Mudra, was made of single sandstone, and it was built to mean that Buddha was sitting cross-legged by facing eastwards when he won Mara’s attack on him for the Bodhi tree and the jewelled throne. Building the Buddha image facing the eastwards, meant that the eight elements associate with the nature of arising and passing away of the living things and non-living things. Those elements were regarded as eight planets or eight gods or eight directions. Among the eight planets, Monday planet associated with the moon, exists in the east. Therefore, the Buddha image was built facing the east in the first planetary arrangement in terms of the Monday planet because the moonlight makes the mind of human beings peaceful.

Making the second planetary arrangement

The king of lion influenced on different animals, lives in the cave alone. The king of lion associated with Tuesday planet, exists in the south-east. After Bodhisatta had renounced the world, he cut his hair and Ghatikara Brahma offered the yellow robes. Therefore, by carving that Brahma figure, it was placed as the second planetary arrangement in the south-east called Tuesday corner.

Making the third planetary arrangement

The king of Deva ignores the foolish persons, and salvages and helps the wise persons with his suppernatural power. Moreover, he is also a supporter for Buddha Sasana. Therefore, the figure of king Deva riding Ayeyarwon elephant and accompanying by his queens __ Thu Si Ta, Thu Nan Dar, Thu Pa Bar and Thu Mar Lar, was built as the third planetary arrangement in the north-east called Sunday corner.

Making the fourth planetary arrangement

No sooner had Buddha world appeared then four Lawkapala gods appeared to take care of the world. Datarahta god takes care of the east and also Wirulaka god, the south, Wiruphat kah god, the west and Kuwayra god, the north. Those four Lawkapala god figures were placed as the fourth planetary arrangement in the north-west called the corner of Rahu.

Making the fifth planetary arrangement

The figure of king Min Bar, a donor of Chitthaung pagoda together with queen Phaw Saw in his right hand side and princess Pya Thi Dar in his left hand side, was placed wearing the clothes like Brahma as the fifth planetary arrangement in the south-west called Saturday corner.

Those four different figures represent that the four different persons are taking refuge in Buddha dwelled in the perfumed chamber.

The great pagoda was built with five rectangular-shaped cave tunnels. The first tunnel was used as the place for the king’s bodyguards while the king was paying reverence to Buddha image and entering the sabbath hall.

In the second tunnel, the figures of 550 previous stories of Buddha who fulfilled for the minor perfection called parami, were carved fully on the wall. The figures of 101 kings of human beings who are taking refuge in Buddha including the king of dragon, the king of Galone bird, the heavenly musician and the king of ogre, were carved holding the lotus buds with their hands at the topmost row. In the south, some previous animal lives of Buddha which were free from illtreatment, were carved too. Buddha circled in the whirlpool of defilement called Thanthara as sixteen lives of crane, nine lives of brahminy duck, six lives of pigeon, three lives of parrot, five lives of bird with melodious voice, four lives of mystical-winged human beings, fifteen lives of bird of paradise, ten lives of monkey, eleven lives of elephant, fourteen lives of ox, one life of horse, eight lives of buffaloes, two lives of peacock, seven lives of mynah bird, twelve lives of cock and thirteen lives of boar.

Thakuna story (the ungrateful lion story) Sulapaduma story, the grateful tortoise story and Dathaphadica ten brothers story, were carved demonstrably in the wastern wall of the second tunnel. Besides, Rakhine oil lamp dance, Poewar dance, Shawl dance, Rakhine drum dance and Rakhine actute and right angle dance, were sculpted too. The sports of Mraukoo period such as the posture of wrestling, boxing and the stick martial art, were sculpted. The figures practising the elephants for the war on the basics of the war strategic book and the figures in the form of going for war holding the shields, can also be seen. The figures in the posture of playing the ancient musical instruments such as the harp, the xylophone, the cymbal, the bugle and the flute, were carved too.

King Buridet dragon story, Zanaka story, king Zawana brahminy duck story, the elder brother and younger brother brahminy duck story, king Panthuboatdi parrot story, Thinsiwa in the form of biting by the tiger and Utayna story, were also sculpted in the northern wall of the second tunnel. In the past, the figures on the wall were coated with the glaze and painted with different colours. The remains of the paint still can be seen on some figures until now. The stone pillars sculpted with Wathonedaray figures can be seen at the right side of the passage along the second cave tunnel. Such figures are pillars of the ordination hall. Three mouldings of the wall have 1104 small stone hollows chiselled the stone to offer light to Buddha.

There is a hall adjacent to the bakc of the great pagoda. The hall was used by the ancient Rakhine kings for the coronation. The Buddha image wearing like the clothing of the anoited king, was cast with nine jewels. The size of the image depended on the king’s desire. The Buddha image was consecrated in the presence of the head of samgha order and the senior monks, and the anoited vow of the king was made by putting the image on the king’s head. The ceremony was called Buddha Bithayka Bitheik Mingalar.

The Buddha image cast wearing in the form of the king, is called Beikthayka Muni. Rakhine call those Buddha images Mahakyein images. The sabbath hall for the king is adjacent to the southern part of the coronation hall. There are thirty one niches around the second tunnel and every niche has two Buddha images sat back to back.

The place in which the third cave tunnel and the fourth cave tunnel have, is called Atonkat. The eastern passage leads to the west. From the west, the passage leads to the north. From the north, the passage leads to the east. By climbing the stairs from that place, one can reach the room in which the Buddha foodprint, was placed. It is at the right side of the entrance of the perfumed chamber. The arch roofs were made of stone in the cave tunnel. Not having echo in the tunnel, is very strange. The Buddha footprint was taken by king Min Bar from Buddha Gaya. It is the form of pressing on the mud. By going to the west from the Buddha footprint, one can see the cave Buddha images in both sides around the wall. Go to the south from the west. By going to the east from the south, one can reach the end of the fourth cave tunnel. The end of the fourth tunnel is in the left side of the entrance of the perfumed chamber. There are twenty eight Buddha images in the niches in the fourth tunnel. Such Buddha images were erected in terms of Thanbuday verse.

Many pagodas were built on the southern, the western and the northern walls of the great pagoda. There are a big pagoda and seventeen small pagodas in the south. There are three small pagodas in the west. There are one big surrounding pagoda and fourteen small pagodas in the north. The flat stones engraved with the figures on both sides, are between the two small pagodas of those. Nowadays, the figures which can be seen in the north, are king Saddhan elephant, king Buridat dragon, the fighting of Mar Ra Yu and Be Lu Wa Sadham, the romantic dating of Mar Ra Yu and Ru Si Ta Mar Lar princess, and the figure of Thurathadi Maydaw.

The hand postures of the Buddha images inside the pagoda and the standing Buddha image at the mouth of the porch, are Waradara mudra. That Mudra represents the prophecy of Buddha. Pacinka mudra, Bumiphattha mudra, Zarna mudra and Gonemanda Daythana mudra, can also be seen. The big stupa surrounded by 26 small pagodas, was built on the roof of the great pagoda. Those represent Thataveiththa 27 stars.

The Chief Queen Cave

2010-01-02T07:58:00.000-08:00

King Min Hti Kha, the eldest son of king Min Bar, built Koethaung pagoda in 1553 AD. In the same time, Saw Than Dar, the chief queen of king Min Hti Kha, erected the cave on the hill which is fifty feet high and four hundred feet away from the west of Koethaung pagoda. That cave was called the chief queen cave because of the queen’s good deed. The Buddha image which is 100 feet high and the throne which is 5 feet high, were sculpted from the single stone. Only four walls of the cave remain. The roof of the cave is damaging.

Koethaung Pagoda

2010-01-02T07:47:00.000-08:00

Koethaung pagoda is situated one and half a mile away from the east of the palace site. After king Min Bar had passed away, the crown prince Min Taik Kha took the throne of Mraukoo in AD 1553. When king Min Taik Kha was ill, the prophets told humbly that the king would die next six months, but if he wanted longevity in life, he must make nine astrological contrivances in terms of Buddha therapy. According to the prophet’s advice, Koethaung pagoda was built in the east of the palace in AD 1553. He managed to finish the pagoda within six months. No sooner had the pagoda been finished then the king recovered from his illness. He was crowned as king with his queen Saw Than Dar, and he passed away after he had ruled Rakhine for three years.

There is a cave tunnel around the pagoda. Nine stupas are above the cave tunnel. Nowadays, they fell down and debris of those stupas are blocking the cave tunnle. There are five levels inside the outter wall, and one hundred and eight pagodas which were made of stone, are at the southern level. The big stone stupa is at the centre of Koethaung pagoda. The pagoda and pagoda platform are roofed with the prayer hall. The entrance to pagoda is in the east. If the pagoda is escended from the eastern entrance, it is accessible to the pagoda platform of the previous prayer hall. There are an entrance and an exit to the cave tunnel at both sides of left and right of the pagoda court. As the entrance fell down, lots of stones are blocking it.

The base of the western facade is 250 feet in length and the bases of the southern and the northern facades are 230 feet in length and the wall of the pagoda is 30 feet high. The walls of the terraces of the pagoda were made of bricks which are 3 feet and 8 inches in size and they were the biggest bricks of Mraukoo period. King Min Taik Kha stayed temporarily in the east of the pagoda. The royal head-washing lake is near the north of the temporary palace site. The kings of Mraukoo period held the royal head-washing ceremony at that lake. The legend has said that Koethaung pagoda fell in ruins owing to the thunderbolt hitting because king Min Taik Kha, a son of king Min Bar who built Chitthaung pagoda, did meritorious deeds superior to his father’s.

In fact, Koethaung pagoda was not as strong as Chitthaung pagoda because it had to be built in the six months. The pagoda demolished without long durability because lots of bricks were used than the stones. When Koethaung pagoda was excavated in 1996, the underground cave tunnels around the pagoda, appeared.

Minkhamaubg Pagoda

2010-01-02T07:41:00.000-08:00

King Min Pha Laung, the youngest son of king Min Bar, ascended the throne of Mraukoo in 1571 AD. He was called Min Pha Laung because he was born at the time of Ba Yin Gyi Pha Laung’s arrival in Mraukoo. He built a stone pagoda by Kyatkhat city gate near Anuma lake in the south of the palace. The pagoda is called Gawyewa pagoda.

His grandson Min Kha Maung ascended the throne in 1612 AD and renovated the pagoda. The pagoda was roofed with the prayer hall. He donated the golden robe for the whole pagoda. The pagoda has four walls at the base and one has a proch. The figures of two Devas making obeisance to Buddha, were sculpted at both sides of the porch pediment. The figure of minister in the form of squatijng, was sculpted under the king figure. The stone Buddha image which is three cubits high, was erected on the stone throne in the perfumed chamber. The remains of the golden robe donated for the Buddha image, can still be seen until now. Nine stone bowls in the form of the lotus flower, were made previously on the throne to offer light to Buddha. The pagoda is called Minkhamaung pagoda as king Min Kha Maung renovated it. Nowadays, the department of archaeology restored it.

Htoakkanthein Pagoda

2010-01-02T07:36:00.000-08:00

Htoakkanthein pagoda is located on the hillock which is 30 feet high and 300 feet away from the western part of Chitthaung pagoda. The donors of the pagoda are king Min Pha Laung and his chief queen Shin Lat. The pagoda was built in AD 1571. While King Min Pha Laung was governing the country, it was in chaos, therefore, his friends told him, “Build the pagoda called Htoakkan if the country is in chaos, and prop it up if the house is old.” Therefore, the pagoda was named Htoakkanthein. The pagoda is 100 feet wide from the south to the north and 137 feet long from the east to the west and it stands on the hillock which is 20 feet high.

The structure of the pagoda is that there is a great pagoda in the form of the stupa at the center of the substructure (base monastery) and there are four small stupas in the four corners. Dhadugappa is placed over the inverted alms bowl at the central pagoda and the surrounding pagodas. The entrance is in the south in the substructure (base monastery) and it goes into the cave tunnel in a clockwise direction. There are 146 niches around the cave tunnel and the stone Buddha images are in those niches. The figures of man and woman with beautiful styles of clothing, were sculpted on both sides of niches. The designs of clothing of Mraukoo period in the 16th century, were carved in detail from the poor to the general. Besides, sixty four different coiffures of Mraukoo period, were also sculpted. There is an isolated cave which can be accessed from the two doors at the half passage of the cave tunnel in the west. That cave was a sabbath chamber of the king.

Entering the cave tunnel from its original path reaches the entrance in which the figures of door keeper and guard were sculpted. If one enters that door, one will see the religious hall on the right side in which the king’s family listened to the doctrine of Buddha. If one goes on, one will see the wide and high cave. There is an oval-arch door at the end of the passage of the cave. Entering the oval-arch door, reaches the eastern room of the perfumed chamber. In the previous time, the monks congregated for Pawaraner in that room. Five hundred monks read the excerpts of three baskets of Pitakas (Buddhist scripture) by heart by sitting around the cave tunnel. There is the edge of the flat stone at the wall of the room in front of the perfumed chamber. The corner of the flat stone was used to light the open-oil lamps.

The perfumed chamber is at the center of the pagoda and it is also under the stupa. There are holes around the room for ventilation. There is a big hole in the east to allow the sunlight into the central cave tunnel. Due to that big hole, the perfumed chamber always gets sunlight. In the past, the Buddha image made of nine jewels, was placed in that chamber. But, nowadays, the stone Buddha image taken from the forest, was substituted for worship in the place of the Buddha image which was taken away by the British force.

Buraoat Pagoda

2010-01-02T07:35:00.001-08:00

Buraoat pagoda is situated on the hill which is 50 feet high and half a mile away from the palace site. As the country was in chaos, after Htoakkanthein pagoda had been built, king Min Pha Laung built Buraoat pagoda as a monument in AD 1571 in order not to disintegrate the country. After the upper part of the pagoda had already ruined, one terrace only remained. The terrace has twenty nine small caves nad twenty nine Buddha images dwelled in those caves. The stone Buddha image which is 13 feet high, is on the lotus throne inside the chamber at the eastern entrance. .

Shinmyawa Pagoda

2010-01-02T07:30:00.001-08:00

Shin Mya Wa was a courtier. His father was Maha Nan Da Thin Kyan, the governor of Sinetin. His mother was Zay Ya Khay Ma, the daughter of Sin Kay Aung Tin and Saw Than Da. He was born at 4 AM on Thursday in the fullmoon day of waso in 1542 AD.

Shon(Shin) Mra (Mya) Wa Image
King Min Bar was also born to Saw Nan Di, the elder sister of Zay Ya Khay Ma and king Min Ra Zar on Saturday in the month of waso in 1542 AD. Therefore, Shin Mya Wa and king Min Bar were cousins. Maha Pin Nya Kyaw was born in 1539 AD. Shin Mya Wa, king Min Bar and Maha Pin Nya Kyaw were friends. Those three friends. Those three friends were educated in the monastery of monk Agga Sein Day Ya until the age of 16. And then, those three friends went to India to study further education.

King Min Bar and Maha Pin Nya Kyaw returned to Rakhine after they had completed in education. But, Shin May Wa changed into an ascentic and studied under the ascentic Thi Ri Vi Tha Noe for 23 years. After he had completed in education, he came back to Rakhine and he lived in Taungnyotaung monastery where he had ever studied. He wrote the book of element called Namanta.

shinmyawa pagoda

One day, Shin Mya Wa entered the palace with a stick in his hand while the assembly was being held. King Min Bar paid respect to him and let him climb the throne. And then, Shin Mya Wa said to the king aiming at his forehead with the stick. “Hey great king, are you a male or a female?” “I see you female.” After that, he climbed down from the throne saying “female, female, female” and went back to his way. After the assembly had stopped, Maha Pin Nya Kyaw spoke to the king what Shin Mya Wa meant. Maha Pin Nya Kyaw said to the king, “You look like a wife who serves for husband’s guests because you don’t object that the islamists who arrived in Mraukoo since your father’s regime, are building the mosques. That is why, Shin Mya Wa calls you female.” And then, the king asked Maha Pin Nya Kyaw what he should do. Maha Pin Nya Kyaw told the king humbly to recapture twelve cities of Bengal King Min Saw Mon had to render for king Thu Ra Tan. Finally, the king accepted his advice. The king let him manage for the war by giving him the title of Maha Nan Da Thu Ra. The king could recapture twelve cities of Bengal due to the victory of the war. And then, the meritorious deeds were done in Buddha Gaya. Mahabawdi temple was also restored. The king came back to Mraukoo by taking unaccountable Buddha relics from the ruined pagodas and temples.

Chitthaung pagoda was built enshrining those Buddha relics. Shin Mya Wa also managed the magical tabulation protection for the city of Mraukoo. Finally, he gave up his life for the sovereignty of Mraukoo for one thousand years. When he caculated the astrology for the magical protection, he knew that the Thursday-born person must give up his life at the set time. But, he didn’t want to kill other people, and there was no time to look for as well. Therefore, he stabbed his abdomen himself with a knife and wrapped his intestine around the palace pillar and died of running as much as he could. Although he instructed the ministers to bury him in the place of his death, the king didn’t do because he was not willing to bury in the ground like a dog and a pig for a wise person. Instead, the king cremated the corpse and made the tomb enshrined with the bone ash on the spur of Parapaung hill in the south of Chitthaung pagoda. Such place is called Shinmyawa cemetery. After the bone cave had been destroyed by desperados, the Buddha image was built over the tomb by repairing it.

By walking to the north along the mountain range, it reaches Shinmyawa pagoda. King Min Bar built a pagoda dedicating to Shin Mya Wa by enshrining his leftover valuables and the jewelries donated after he had been dead in AD 1587. The pagoda was called Shinmyawa pagoda in reference to Shin Mya Wa. The mountain in which the pagoda stands, is also called Shinmyawa mountain.

The pagoda has four corners at the base and measures 50 feet in length and 40 feet in breadth. There is a cave adjacent to the pagoda in the east in which the Buddha image dwells. The second terrace of the pagoda has the cave openings in the south, the west and the north. The original upper part of the pagoda had already fallen down, therefore, township Samgha Mahanayaka order reconstructed it in 1984 AD. When the debris of the pagoda were cleared, the bronze Buddha images were found in the heap of the stones fallen from the relic chamber. Nowadays, the stone figure of Shin Mya Wa was put in the place of his death to the public know.

Shinkite Pitakattike

2010-01-02T07:26:00.000-08:00

Shinkite library of Buddhist scripture is one of the forty eight Buddhist scripture libraries in Mraukoo. The door was king Min Pa Laung. The gilded palm leaves written Pitakas, are in the library, and the monks of the nearby monasteries use them.

Shinkite library is situated near Shinkite gate in the north of Htupayone pagoda. At the ancient time, king Min Pha Laung donated the library and Pitakas for the monks who lived in Taungnyo monastery in AD 1591. Each side to the library is 13 feet long and the porch of the library is 6 feet high. The wall is concave and it is in the form of the lotus flower. The outter wall of the library is decorated with flowers and flowering creepers. The seven levels of the graduated turret which are 15 feet high, are above the substructure. The library is enclosed with the wall. Previously, the bronze Buddha image was in the perfumed chamber. Nowadays, the Buddha image and the throne don’t exist in the library. The department of archaeology preserves it.

Andawthein Pagoda

2010-01-02T07:24:00.000-08:00

Andawthein pagoda stands 100 feet away from the northern part of Chitthaung pagoda. The pagoda and the prayer hall are fenced with the wall which is made of brick. The hillock on which the pagoda stands, is the spur of Phoekhaung mountain and it is eight feet high.

Before Andawthein was built, king Min Hla Ra Zar Saw Mon, the twelfth king of Mraukoo dynasty, built the prayer hall and Buddha image at the present place of Andawthein in AD 1521. By the time king Min Bar was the governor of Thandwe, the monks from Rakhine had to go to Srilanka for the missionary work because Theravada Buddhism was on decline in Srilanka. The mission of Samgha was led by Ashin Tay Zar Ra Tha from Thandwe and Ashin Dha Ma Vi La Tha from Mraukoo. When they got back from Srilanka. Ashin Tay Zar Ra Tha gave the molar relic of Buddha to Ba Saw Yee, the governor of Thandwe. The crown prince Ba Saw Yee built a pagoda enshrining the molar relic of Buddha in it on Warthura mountain of Thandwe near the present Andaw pagoda. When Ba Saw Yee became a king with the name of Min Bar, he brought back the molar relic from Andawthein pagoda of Thandwe, but he put the replica molar relic in the place of it. He worshipped the molar relic he took from Thandwe by putting in the golden salver at the funeral chamber in the east of the palace.

After king Min Bar had passed away, king Min Ra Zar Gyi, the grandson of king Min Bar, built the present pagoda enshrining the molar relic of Buddha in AD 1596. The pagoda is called Andawthein pagoda because the molar relic of Buddha was enshrined in it.

The pagoda including the prayer hall measures 228 feet in length and 145 feet in breadth. The pagoda is 42 feet high from the plinth of the pagoda to the top of the pagoda. The pagoda was erected at the denter of the hillock and it is octagonal in shape and each of the facades of the pagoda is 27 feed wide. The big octagonal pagoda is surrounded by eight small pagodas on the roof of the cave tunnel. That pagoda is enclosed by fifteen small pagodas. The prayer hall is in front of the pagoda. It is enclosed with the stone walls. The east, the south and the north of the pagoda have the opening gates to enter the prayer hall. By entering the southern opening gate, one can see six standing stone Buddha images in the caves by the wall of Andawthein pagoda. By observing from the south to the north consecutively, one can find the first standing Buddha image in the form of Abaya mudra which implies, “Don’t worry, my dear. The people for those who practise and listen to the teaching of Buddha, will be free from the danger.” The second standing Buddha image is the form of Dhammasakkya mudra. The Buddha image whose left hand middle finger touches the middle finger of the right hand and it implies that Buddha is exponding the first discourse known as Dhammacakka and guiding the middle path.

At the third standing Buddha image, the Buddha whose right hand palm is put on the left hand palm and enjoyed the blissful peace of Phalasamapatti, is called Zarnamudra. There are two cave tunnels inside Andawthein pagoda. One hundred and seventy five stone Buddha images with different sizes, are dwelling at the wall of the pagoda in the respective caves.

To enter the inner tunnel from the outer tunnel, four directions have their own porches. Those porches were built individually in the arch roof system. The inner facades of the porches have decorations like a throne. There are eight Buddha images facting eight directions at the center of the inner cave tunnel. The upper portions of those Buddha images don’t have any robes. Some historians point out that the thin yellow robes were worn for the Buddha images to see the convex chest which is one of 32 lucky marks on the man.

Every neck of the Buddha images contains three lines. It is believed that those three lines are a demonstration of wearing the yellow robes. Some historians assume that the yellow robes were not draped on the upper portions of the Buddha images in order to donate the cotton robes occasionally by weaving for good deeds. Among the Buddha images inside the cave tunnel, both of the two Buddha images at the entrances of the eastern and the northern porches, are unusual. The whole bodies of those Buddha images were draped with yellow robes and fastened the chests with the slings not to fly the edges of their robes when they go around in the sky with their supernatural power called Jhana. Arakanese call such Buddha images Zanthine.

The Buddha images sculpted in Laymyo period, contain Zanthine because a lot of Arahats existed in the period. Eighty years ago, a muslim burgled the relinquary and he ran away throwing the things he took since a crowd of people followed him. When the people looked for those, they found the castet in the pineapple plantation. No sooner had the township officer taken away he casket to keep it than he opened it. After opening the casket, he got the molar relic of Buddha and the diamond Buddha image. The molar relic of Buddha was kept in the Chinese temple so that the people could worship it. By moving it from place to place to be worshipped, at last, the molar relic of Buddha was kept in Bandoola monastery in Mraukoo.

Parapaw Pagoda

2010-01-02T07:22:00.000-08:00

King Maha Thu Ri Ya Tine San Dra founded Vesali in AD 327. His chief queen was Thu Pa Bar Day Vi, the Sakkya clan of Kapilawat kingdom. One day, the queen spoke to the king humbly that she wanted to make obeisance to Thakkyamuni Buddha image which was worshipped by the ancestors of Kapilawat kingdom in belief. The king sent his ministers to Kapilawat kingdom to convey the Buddha image to Vesali. Thakkyamuni Buddha image carried by the sailing ship to Vesali, fell into the water at Waykhanaungtheinzeetount because the sailing ship wrecked due to the storm. In such time, it has said that Waykhanaung was 120 feet in depth. However they dived into the water to look for it, they didn’t find the image. When the ministers arrived at the palace, they told the king that the Buddha image had fallen into the water. When the queen heard that news, she contracted with the psychological disease because she wanted to make obeisance to the Buddha image intensely. And then, king Maha Tine San Dra made a Buddha image from the big single block of stone and let the queen worship instead of Thakkyamuni Buddha image. The queen made a wish by donating flowers and light to the Buddha image. Her wish is “Even though I cannot make obeisance to Thakkyamuni Buddha image in the present existence, may I make obeisance to Buddha image in the next existence as a princess as soon as my mother gives birth to me.”

Type the rest of your post here.
King Min Ra Zar Gyi took the throne of Mraukoo in 1593 AD. Queen Khin Hnaung of king Min Ra Zar Gyi gave birth to a daughter. The messenger who wanted to tell of the birth of the daughter and the fisherman who wanted to tell of finding the Buddha image in the water when he pulled his fishing net, met at the royal court. But firstly, the fisherman told the king that he found the Buddha image in the water. Therefore, King Min Ra Zar Gyi held a great ceremony and lost of people pulled the rope tied to the Buddha image in the water. And then, when the king asked the ministers why the Buddha image didn’t appear from the water, minister Lat Way Myan, the governor of Mayou, narrated the king about king Vesali Maha Tine San Dra and his chief queen Thu Pa Bar and he told the king that the Buddha image would appear from the water only if his baby daughter conveyed it as a laywoman devotee because she was a reincarnation of queen Thu Pa Bar. The king took his daughter in the emerald cradle to Shwezeewa harbour. And, one end of the ornamental cord was wrapped around the daughter’s right hand and the other end, around the Buddha throne. And then, when the Buddha image was pulled swinging the cradle by singing the cradle song, the Buddha image gradually come out of water. Filling the foreshore with the soil, the Buddha image was placed in the cave tunnel in AD 1603.

Rakhine people call it Parabaw because it is a Buddha image appeared from the water. The Buddha image had to dwell in the water for 1276 years. The pagoda is surrounded by the great wall.

The present pagoda was built by Myanmar governor Maung San Pyaw by building terraces over the cave tunnel. The pagoda has four cardinal points at the base. Each cardinal point has a lion statue. There are entrances in the east, the south and the north. The prayer halls are in the east and the north of the pagoda. The southern prayer hall was donated by U Kywin Phyu. The pagoda is maintained by the board of trustee of the pagoda.

Ratanapoon Pagoda

2010-01-02T07:20:00.001-08:00

Ratanapoon pagoda is situated on the hillock which is 10 feet high and 20 feet away from the northern part of Andawthein pagoda. The pagoda was built by king Min Kha Maung and his queen Shin Htwe in AD 1612. The pagoda was named as Ratanapoon because the treasures were heaped in the pagoda and in other words, the pagoda was called Ratanapoon in order to know that Rakhine people have taken refuge in three gems called Buddha, Dhamma and Samgha in strong faith. Ratanapoon was derived from Ratanapunya in Pali.

The pagoda resembles Sanchi stupa in India and Kaungmudaw pagoda donated by king Thar Lun is Sagaing. Ratanapoon pagoda is enclosed with the wall. There are the entrance staircases in the east, the north and the south of the wall. There are lion figures which were made of stone at the entrances outside the inner wall. The pagoda is enclosed with seventeen brick pagodas. There are three stone pagodas adjacent to Ratanapoon pagoda in the east. The stone Buddha images are in the caves of those pagodas. Among those three pagodas, the enamelled slabs still can be seen in the cave of the middle pagoda until now. This pagoda is wrapped by the two big dragons with their tails, and roofed with their hoods over the pagoda. In the previous time, the prayer hall was built on the pagoda court in the east. The tiles are laid in order on the whole court of the pagoda. To flow the water out of the pagoda court, the elephant-head pipes were set up at the wall and those pipes can still be seen until now.

Mingaungshwegu Pagoda

2010-01-02T07:17:00.000-08:00

Mingaungshwegu pagoda stands half a mile away from the palace site and 200 yards away from the south of Pharaoat pagoda. Nat Shin May, the chief queen of king Thi Ri Thu Dam Ma Ra Za, built the pagoda. The pagoda is the solid conical structure. The pagoda was built by fitting the stones properly. The receding terraces have the porches. The workmanlike stone sculptures were made at the pediments of the porches.

The upper part of the pagoda is inclining a little towards the ground because the treasure hunters burgled the inverted alms bowl of the pagoda. The department of archeology maintained the porches.

Queen Nat Shin May was an outstanding queen in Mraukoo period. She was famous not only for good reputation but also for bad reputation. The examination of the repeating Buddhist scripture by heart, was held in the month of Nattaw in Mraukoo period. The honorable parade was made for the person who gets the first prize wearing the umbrella. Nat Shin May had to go around the city in celebration wearing the big white umbrella attached to seven small umbrellas because she got the first prize seven times. Although she was outstanding in literature, she fell in love with minister Ku Tha La abandoning her husband in consequence of her previous life Kamma. She caused king Thi Ri Thu Dam Ma Ra Za dead in Pattara Ngasay dance, a king of necromancy. Nowadays, the department of archaeology reconstructed it.

Thakkyamanaung Pagoda

2010-01-02T07:14:00.000-08:00

Thakkyamanaung pagoda is situated half a mile far in distance from the eastern part of the palace site and it stands on the flat land. The pagoda was erected by king Thi Ri Thu Dam Ma in AD 1629. The pagoda was named Thakkyamanaung in commemoration of that Sakkya clan ruled the throne of Mraukoo consecutively from generation to generation. The pagoda is 240 feet in circumference and 114 feet high. The pagoda is surrounded by the stone wall.

The figures of Tanawyatkha and Piliyatkha who are gurading the pagoda, and the figures of Vithajone and Pyinsathikha celestial beings who are playing obeisance to Buddha, can be seen at both sides of the western entrance.

The pagoda was made of stone and it was built in the form of the sacred lotus. The form of booming of sacred lotus flower and the form of appearing of the pagoda from the plinth, represent that Buddha, the sacred lotus flower, appeared from the worldly realm, the mud. There are four porches in the two terraces. The porches were decorated with turreted designs. Every terrace has diamond corners. The great pagoda is surrounded by twelve small pagodas. Each ordination hall is at the four corners. Those ordination halls are 6 feet high. There is a big ordination hall in the east of the pagoda. The Buddha images from that big ordination hall, are those which were brought from Pyaysoegyi pagoda in 1915 AD. There is still a Buddha footprint with 108 sole marks worshipped in Mraukoo period near the Buddha images. The board of trustee maintains the pagoda.

Htintawmu and Myintawmu

2010-01-02T07:11:00.000-08:00

King Sa Nay ascended the throne of Mraukoo as the ninth descendant of king Min Bar clan. After king Sa Nay had passed away, minister Nga Ku Tha La, the governor of Laungkyat, took the throne of Mraukoo with the name of Na Ra Pa Ti Gyi. He asked the monks humbly whether the rib relic of Buddha and the breast-bone relic of Buddha should be moved or not as they were near the residences of Latsay lake. The monks answered pointing out the quotations logically that the relics should be moved. So, the king built the new pagodas on the two hills which are 100 feet high by bringing back the relics from such pagodas.

King Na Ra Pa Ti Gyi foretold himself that he would be a king according to astrology. That is why the pagoda in which the rib relic of Buddha was enshrined, was named Htintawmu and the pagoda enshrining the breast-bone relic of Buddha, was named Myintawmu. Nowadays, the pagodas are damaging and covering with creepers.

Zinamanaung Pagoda

2010-01-02T06:28:00.000-08:00

Zinamanaung pagoda is half a mile far away from the palace site and stands on Pantein hillock. King San Da Thu Da Ma Ra Zar ascended the throne of Mraukoo in 1652 AD. Firstly, the king built a pagoda just after he had ascended the throne. And then, the children shouted out that the good deeds done by the king on Pantain hill, were not worth to say “well done.” When the king heard those words, he consulted with the wise ministers. And, they spoke to the king humbly that the pagoda the king built, was very small, therefore, the Devas called god, made the children speak out to remind the king. As the king felt embarrassed about those words, he built another big stone pagoda near the former pagoda in AD 1658. The pagoda is an octagonal structure at the base and the guinea pigs which have single heads and double bodies, are at the corners.

The entrance of the cave is in the east to enter the perfumed chamber. In the past, the bronze Buddha image was in the perfumed chamber. Nowadays, the brick Buddha image was placed in the place of the original Buddha image which was taken away by the British force. The five-tiered porches are above the entrance of the cave, and the guinea pigs were sculpted at the corners of the second terrace. The board of trustee takes care of the pagoda.

Ratanamanaung Pagoda AD

2010-01-02T06:11:00.000-08:00

Ratanamanaung pagoda is situated half a mile away from the north-east corner of the palace site. King San Da Thu Dam Ma built the pagoda in AD 1658. The pagoda was named Ratanamanaung dedicating to that Rakhine people have taken refuge in three gems: Buddha, Dhamma and Samgha in belief from generation to generation. The pagoda was built step by step with the bell-shaped dome, the inverted alms bowl, the moulding, the downturned louts petals, the coloured-glass ball, the upturned louts petals, the banana bud, the umbrella, the triangular vane and the diamond orb.

The pagoda is 150 feet high. There are planetary figures in all directions near the pagoda. The sabbath hall which is 54 feet in length, 13 feet in breadth and 10 feet i height, is in the northern part of the pagoda. That sabbath hall is called white cave. The monk who dwelled in the cave, was given the throne of Mraukoo in 1696 AD, and he ruled Rakhine for one year in the name of Mar Rone Pi Ya. The stone cave is in the east, and the stone Buddha images are inside the cave.

The archery field is out of the eastern wall of the pagoda. That place is called Laykhanpyin. The art of riding elephants and horses and the art of shooting bows, were celebrated in the month of Pyartho in Mraukoo period at the southern part of the field. Nowadays, a monastery was built in the place of the ancient monastery compound and the monks are dwelling in the monastery. The board of trustee takes care of the pagoda.

Mingalamanaung Pagoda

2010-01-02T03:24:00.001-08:00

Oak Ka Ba La, the son of king San Da Thu Dam Ma, ascended the throne of Mraukoo in AD 1674. After he had reigned the country for eleven years, he built a pagoda near Mingalar gate in the north of the palace. The king named the pagoda Mingalamanaung in order to know that Rakhine people complied with thirty eight kinds of blessing from generation to generation successfully.

At the same time, Mingalaoo pagoda was also built in the old capital of Crake. One day, after the king had made obeisance to Mahamuni Buddha image, the courtier told the king in supplication on the way back to Mraukoo that Mingalaoo pagoda collapsed occasionally. And then, the king ordered his companions to go back to Mraukoo and he set off for the old capital of Crake with his two queens by the single boat. When the comrade Thi Ha who governed the southern part heard such news, he advanced towards the old capital of Crake to assassinate him. When king Oak Ka Ba La got to the port of the old Crake city, he disembarked from the boat, but the comrade Thi Ha assassinated him with his spear, therefore, the king passed away. Mingalamanaung and Mingalaoo pagodas remained unfinished, but king Wa Ra Dam Ma, the successive king of king Oak Ka Ba La, completed building those pagodas.

The pagoda is the conical solid structure and it was only made of stone. The pagoda is enclosed with the stone wall. There are the stairways and the entrances at four facades of the wall. The two terraces of the pagoda have eight porches in which the stone Buddha images were placed. Only after U Thar Tun Oo from Warzay quarter had ordained and renounced the world near the pagoda, the forest was cleared and the ruinous pagoda was repaired. The leader of repairing the pagoda, was Layman devotee Maung Shwe Pyot. The statue of monk Dam Ma Pi Ya which was made of cement, was erected in the place of his dwelling as a commemoration. When the pagoda was repaired, the masons didn’t use the original stone sculptures for decorations of the porch. Instead, they discarded them around the pagoda and the decorations of the porch were made of only cement which was more convenient. There are big stone pillars to light the open oil lamps around the four directions. The ordination hall is in the east of the pagoda. Nowadays, the Buddha images in the ordination hall are the images which were shifted from the hill which is half a mile away from Mingalamanaung pagoda.

The single-palace image donated by king Thi Ri Thu Dam Ma and queen Nat Shin May in 1638 AD, is near Mingalamanaung monastery. That Buddha image which was made of stone, is 7 feet high. The throne with the stone sculptures, is splendid. The figures of male and female from the four continents, can be seen standing side by side at the four directions of the prayer hall of the Buddha image. The board of trustee of the pagoda maintains the pagoda.

Latkwaytaung Pagoda

2010-01-02T03:20:00.000-08:00

King Na Ra Aba Ya Ra Zar ruled the throne of Mraukoo in 1742 AD. He built five pagodas on Datswan mountain which is 100 feet high and one mile away from the west of the palace.

It is called Latkwaytaung pagoda because the pagoda was built enshrining the ring finger relic of Buddha in it. The five pagodas can be seen like a thumb, an index finder, a middle finger, a ring finger and a little finger by looking at in distance. Those look like spreading the human’s hand. That is why the mountain is called Latkwaytaung mountain. The devotee U Than Tun Oo renovated the pagodas in the British regime because they fell into ruins. Mauktaw gate exists between Rathaytaung and Latkwaytaung.

Haritaung Pagoda

2010-01-02T03:10:00.000-08:00

The pagoda on Haritaung mountain was built by Na Ra Aba Ya Ra Za in the year of AD 1750. The pagoda is called Aritaw pagoda because it was built enshrining Aritaw relic of Buddha in it.

Some historians say that the word “Hari” was derived from “Chari” in Sanskrit. Nevertheless, such Hari mountain has existed before king Na Ra Aba Ya Ra Za. That mountain was called Galone mountain, Thiri mountain and Hari mountain respectively since the time of founding Mraukoo of king Min Saw Mon. It is found in the record that king Thi Ri Thu Dam Ma Ra Za was called king Min Ha Ri because he was born in the place near Hari mountain.

The History of Mahamuni Buddha Image

2010-01-02T02:49:00.000-08:00

By SAN SHWE BU
(J.B.R.S Vol. 6, Part3. 1916)

The great outstanding feature in the history of Arakan is the account of Buddha’s sojourn in this country and of his supervision over the casting of his image. The story of his seven day’s visit with five hundred Rahandas— his lengthly discourse pregnant with prophesy delivered on the top of the hill opposite the town of Kyauktaw– His Journey into the city of Dynnyawaddi at the request of King Sanda Thurya— the casting of the image by men and gods, have been very clearly set fourth by the able researches of the late Dr. Forchammer and need hardly be mentioned again in the present sketch. The Mahamuni tradition is the oldest of the kind we have. It permeates the whole religious history of Arakan and the images that at present sanctify a thousand temples and pagodas in this country are the replicas of the first great and only faithful copy of the Master.

Interesting as all these facts may appear there is however one great flaw which defies any attempt at reasonable explanation. King Sanda Thurya ascended the throne of Arakan in 146 A.D_ all available records are pretty well clear on this point. If we take 483 B.C as the date of Buddha’s death there is a very large gap of over six hundred years between the two events, viz:_ his sojourn in Arakan and his death at Kusinara. This is a very big thing to explain away and judging from the extreme paucity of documents that treat of those far-away days. I am inclined to think that the problem is one likely to be added to the long list of unsolved riddles of the universe. It is true books belonging to this country have a fatal defect, that they represent facts and beliefs at the time they were written, or acquire the from in which we now find them, without much reference to facts at the time at which they are supposed

to have happened. Besides this Burmese books especially bear unmistakable signs of being treated, that is to say, they often take up an important event, enlarge upon it, and then relate how it was prophesied_ generally by Buddha_many centuries before.

In spite of these adverse peculiarities of the East I entirely agree with the learned Doctor that the Mahamuni Tradition is not an after-thought. It is genuinely old and was implicitly believed in by successive generations that came after it. Kings of Arakan, even after they had shifted their capitals to various other places, always recognised it as a sacred duty to visit it from time to time and generally made it the occasion for great religious feasts of charity. In such cases they invariably left some votive offering, may be a small shrine or an image, as a memento of their distinguished visit. On the other hand it is not my purpose here to try and reconcile this great discrepancy in time as I am convinced of the utter futility of the task. The very fact that neither Buddha nor any of his five hundred Rahandas who accompanied him into Arakan ever made mention of this unique event in the many subsequent discourses delivered in India is sufficient to tempt one to lay down the pen so far as this point is concerned.

My scheme in the present work is simply to trace the history of this famous image from the time of its installation on a small hill close to the ancient city of Dannyawaddi till it was finally carried away to Mandalay by Bodawpaya of Burma . So this is really a continuation of the story begun by Forchammer but in which I propose dealing with principal events only. After the sacred image was finished and suitably installed it was allowed to remain undisturbed for a period of over nine centuries. During that time it became the religious centre of the kingdom and all its neighboring states. Its fame spread far and wide and it so worked on the envy of the Burmans that much of the early wars between these two people were actuated by the sole desire on the part of Burmese kings to remove the image into their country.

In 1078 A.D.Min Bhi-lu of Arakan was killed by a noble who usurped the throne. Min Re-baya the heir apparent fled with his family and took shelter at the court of Kyan-sittha of Pagan. The fugitive prince remained in exile for twenty five years during which time a son was born to Min Re-baya and is known in history as Let-yar-min-nan. It is true that Kyan-sittha promised to restore the royal fugitive to the Arakanese throne but the lack of suitable opportunity prevented that monarch from redeeming his promise. On the death of Min-Re-baya Alaung-si-thu who had already succeeded his grandfather determined to place Let-yar-min-nan on the throne of Arakan. To carry out this object he sent 100,000 Pyus and an equal number of Talaings both by land and sea into Arakan.

There was some show of stub-born resistance at first which the more disciplined troops of Burma gradually but surely overcame. Thus Let-ya-min-Nan came unto his own in 1103 A.D. and as the Pyus were instrumental in bringing this about he is also known to the Arakanese as ysLwmodef;rif; (the king created by the 100,000 Pyus). When these soldiers had accomplished their task and just on the eve of their departure for Burma they visited the shrine of Mahamuni. There they found it so richly stored with gems and gold that overcoming all religious scruples they began to despoil the temple of all its vast wealth. From the image itself the Pyus scooped out the greater portion of the back, the Talaings cut off the whole right leg and carried away these treasures into their country__ a distinct fulfillment of Gotama’s dicta.

When Let-yar-min-nan came to Arakan the capital was Ping-tsa. On his astrologers advising him that the city was no longer fit for occupation because all its good fortune had departed, he found the new city of Parin. Fifty years after this Da-tha-raza ascended the throne. The new king was powerful and just and the country enjoyed general peace and prosperity. Following the example of all pious kings who went before him he decided to visit Mahamuni. His Ministers were sent in advance to make the necessary preparations for his stay there. But they return with the information that the temple could not be found. He then entrusted these men with his personal jewel instructed them to give away as reward to any person or persons who could direct them to sacred spot. After much trouble and by the assistance of two Mros they found the place__ the men being rewarded as ordered by the king. When news of the discovery reached the royal ears he immediately set out for the place with his entire court. The image was found in the ground buried up to the neck. The right leg and the greater part of the back were missing. The shrine was completely destroyed by fire. The king at once saw the exposed nature of the place. He knew that its general isolation among the hills was the too frequent cause of the shrine being desecrated by the wild tribes who made periodic visits of plunder into these parts. He therefore conveyed the image by water into the ancient city of Dinnyawaddy.

The chronicles tell us that invitations were then issued to all the neighbouring kings and princes to visit Arakan and share with him the supreme merit to be acquired by undertaking the entire repairs of the most sacred image and shrine. The gathering of ruling princes was a representative one. First they repaired the image itself by supplying the missing parts. Then they erected the shrine on which were lavished all the skill, energy and resources they could command. In the building of the surrounding walls the work was proportionately divided between the different races that were present. Thus some were asked to carry out the work on the east of the shrine, some to the south and so on. The temple and the walls were decorated with exquisite carving. The latter contained human figures representing all the races of the earth. There is no doubt about it that this second building of Mahamuni was a great historic event. What little is left of it at the present day amply proves it. The spot selected was a small hill at the north east corner of the city. The nine kutis of treasure left buried by king Sanda Thurya was also unearthed, removed and buried again at the northern end of this hill. The stone slab placed on the mouth of the pit was so immense that a thousand men, say the chronicles, would not even be sufficient to shift it from the place. The whole thing was finished in seventy-one days.

Several races undertook to visit the temple once in every three months for the purpose of carrying out such minor repairs as were considered necessary from time to time. But some of the tributary tribes were given definite work to perform and were required to always leave behind certain persons to guard the place. The details of the allotment of such specific duties were also recorded in stone tablets at the four cardinal points. These records no longer exits in their usual places though I am told they were there until quite recently by an authority of no mean repute.

In the closing scene of its variegated history Bodawpaya of Burma comes in__ a fit character for a fit occasion. After his final conquest and so- called pacification “solitudinem faciunt pacem appellant” he directed the famous image to be conveyed into Burma. This was accomplished in the year 1785 A.D.. The excess of patriotic fervor led some people a few years ago to declare that the real image was lost in the creek close to the site in the course of its removal and that the soldiers fearing the king’s wrath took away a substitute. Attractive as this country proclaims the image that now adorns the Arakan pagoda at Mandalay to be the genuine one.

It will be seen that the present account deals with the principal events only. But it must not be supposed that during the long interval between these epochs the image and the shrine were allowed to remain in peace. The frontier tribes such as the Chins, the Mros and the Saks periodically descended from their mountain homes and harassed the kingdom whenever it was known the ruler of the country was weak or incapable. On such occasions they always made it a point to visit the shrine and after taking away all the riches it contained they invariably set fire to it. Whenever this happened the then reigning king would fourth with rebuild it and make good the loss. In the chronicles this occurs with painful regularity.

What seems to me to be rather a curious fact is that even at the time of Da-tha-raza, towards the middle of the 12th century, this well-known temple and image could not be easily found. At the present day none of us has any idea of the original site though the chronicles describe the place pretty clearly. I think there are two reasons to account for this. In the first the names of hills and creeks in familiar use in those days are no longer employed now; and the daily occupation of all our time in western education and per suits has so alienated our interests that it has become almost impossible for us to identify the old names with the present ones. Secondly the abundant rainfall so favors the rapid growth of vegetation that the few years of neglect is sufficient to entirely cover up any structure with dense jungle. But whatever the true reason may be it would be tremendously worth our while to discover this spot as there is no knowing what interesting archaeological finds we may come across.