Tuesday, 14 April 2020

TRAVEL: MYANMAR MANDALAY

Mandalay is a city and former royal capital in northern Myanmar (formerly Burma) on the Irrawaddy River. In its center is the restored Mandalay Palace from the Konbaung Dynasty, surrounded by a moat. Mandalay Hill provides views of the city from its summit, which is reached by covered stairway. At its foot, the Kuthodaw Pagoda houses hundreds of Buddhist-scripture-inscribed marble slabs.

https://www.lonelyplanet.com/myanmar-burma/mandalay

Atumashi monastery

Mandalay Palace

Mandalay Palace is actually not the original building but a reconstruction that was built in the 1990s.

It is also not one building, but actually a series of 40 different houses that were built from wood to closely resemble the originals which would have been built in the 1850s and were sadly razed to the ground by a fire.

One of the highlights of a trip here is the wooden watchtower which is a great place to come if you want to take in the scenic views all over Mandalay.

Shwenandaw Monastery

Shwe In Bin Kyaung is a monastery in Mandalay but it is quite different from many of the other monasteries in the area which are usually very ornately decorated.

In contrast, Shwe In Bin Kyaung is built from teak which has been carved in intricate patterns which makes it one of the prettiest buildings of its kind in the city.

The monastery was built in 1895 and was commissioned by famous Chinese jade trades and the main building is set on large poles made from tree trunks.

https://www.tripadvisor.com.sg/Attractions-g295408-Activities-Mandalay_Mandalay_Region.html

Kuthodaw Pagoda & the World's Largest Book

Sanda Muni Paya

Mandalay Fort

ress Walls in Mandalay would have originally encircled the Mandalay fortress or citadel.

You can only view the walls from the outside but they stretch for some 4 miles and soar to a height of 26 feet.

There is also a 230 foot wide moat here and the site is actually a reconstruction that mimics the original style which would have been built in 1857.

MINGUN BELL

The Mingun Bell is a bell located in Mingun, Sagaing Region, Myanmar. It is located approximately 11 km north of Mandalay on the western bank of the Irrawaddy River. It was the heaviest functioning bell in the world at several times in history

Pahtodawgyi

The Mingun Pahtodawgyi is an incomplete monument stupa in Mingun, approximately 10 kilometres northwest of Mandalay in Sagaing Region in central Myanmar. The ruins are the remains of a massive construction project begun by King Bodawpaya in 1790 which was intentionally left unfinished. The pahtodawgyi is seen as the physical manifestations of the well known eccentricities of Bodawpaya. He set up an observation post on an island off Mingun to personally supervise the construction of the temple

Hsinbyume Pagoda

The Hsinbyume Pagoda is a large pagoda on the northern side of Mingun in Sagaing Region in Myanmar, on the western bank of the Irrawaddy River. It is approximately 10 kilometres northwest of Mandalay and is located in the proximity of the Mingun Pahtodawgyi. The pagoda is painted white and is modelled on the physical description of the Buddhist sacred mountain, Mount Meru

Mahamuni Paya

Mahamuni Paya is known for its seated Buddha statue which measures 13 feet tall.

As you would expect, this is also a famous place of pilgrimage in Mandalay and the Buddha is said to date back some 2,000 years.

When male devotees come here they are supped to apply gold leaf to the statue, and you can see the layers which are gently peeling off, and this also means that there is now a layer of gold leaf that is said to be 6 inches thick in places.