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Mandalay Pagoda..

Mandalay travel, Mandalay, Mandalay airport, Mandalay Myanmar, Mandalay trip, road to Mandalay, Mandalay, Mandalay bay, Mandalay bay, road to Mandalay

- In the late afternoon and quite on schedule the Yangon Air twin engine propeller aircraft

bumped down on the new Mandalay airport. After the airplane door opened the heat swept in, its a different heat as the Yangon version. The horizon is ringed by low hills, we climbed down and the bus moved us immediately into the Mandalay airport building.

The problem was as it is in most of Myanmar, there was no electricity, torrential rain a couple of days ago filled up the basement and the spare generator was set under water. Outside the airport building some rotten taxis waited for passengers, it looked like the paint and some wires was the only thing keeping the car together. These soon filled up and went lurching and bobbing away. Coming in through the suburbs from the south, miserable huts made from wood and palm leaves and plastic sheets where everywhere along the road.

We passed some small pagodas came to down town Mandalay and checked into the hotel. There are plenty of hotels in Mandalay the best hotel is just in front of the rebuilt Mandalay Palace, it�s the Sedona Hotel Mandalay, prices are around $ 50,- per night. Many other Mandalay hotels are around, usually run by Chinese with all comfort including satellite TV, restaurant, bathroom with bathtub etc. The rooms there are around $ 20,- - 30,-.

There was no very important reason for Mandalay's existence. Mandalay never had strategic or commercial importance and the whole area has a rather unpleasant climate too. During colonial times the English escaped to Maymyo �today Pin Oo Lwin- , a hour drive to the east in the Shan hills, they even built a railway to Maymyo.

The former royal cities of Ava, Amarapura further to the north is Shwebo and to the south is Bagan all were here before Mandalay was built. King Mindon reigned from 1853 to 1878, in 1857 he gave the order to move the capital from Amarapura to a new site. Chosen was a suitable place near Mandalay Hill. According to the legend Lord Buddah had visited Mandalay Hill once with his disciple Ananda.

But actually here were some other reasons, first Amarapura simply become to small and the swampy area of the Irrawaddy overspill was full with mosquito's and not healthy at all. But there are still some positive impact until today. Today Mandalay is a very flat area which makes it easily possible to use bikes and the proximity to China brings plenty of Chinese motorbikes into the area, its difficult to get petrol but somehow it is managed.

Mandalay Boys

Lord Buddha at Mandalay Hill

Buddha inside Kuthodaw Pagoda close to Mandalay Hill

Mandalay Palace the centre of the universe

Mandalay Palace Wall

Mandalay Palace Royal Barge

- First Mandalay Palace

was constructed. In 1858 the foundations of the wall were laid, three selected persons had been buried alive under each gate-house, and one at each corner of the wall. Four more were buried under the Lion Throne and others at strategic points of the palace.

King Mindon on the Lion Throne Mandalay

All together fifty-two people , a figure considered by the Board of Astrologers to be auspicious.

They were taken from all walks of life, it included the pregnant woman, according to the old Mongolian belief the spirits of mother and child would unite in death to form a composite strong demon.

Mandalay Palace sunset

As a Buddhist scholar of renown and the leading authority of his times on Pali texts, Mindon probably disapproved of this stone-age practice.

If he permitted the woman to be buried alive, he probably did so not because he agreed with the principle, but because these things were expected of him; and, after all, there was nothing to be lost one way or another.

Mandalay Hill

Mandalay Palace Wall Moat and Hill

Mandalay Palace Throne Hall left

Mandalay Palace Hall

King Thibaw and Queen Supayalat in the Mandalay Palace, Thibaw was the last Myanmar or Burmese king and was exiled to India by the British colonialists.

- Mandalay and the British Colonialists

Mandalay Palace British Occupation

Myanmar People during British Colonial Times

King Thibaw of Mandalay -was the last King of Burma or Myanmar- and Queen Supayalat , picture below - the picture is from 1880. His short reign (1878�85) ended with the occupation of Upper Burma by the British. He was strongly influenced by his wife, Supayalat, and her mother. In an attempt to play the French against the British Thibaw�s government granted the French economic concessions in exchange for a political help. To cover their interests the British colonial administration in Rangoon, Calcutta, and London started all kind of foul play to King Thibaw to gain
King Thibaw and Queen at Mandalay
King Thibaw and Queen

King Thibaw meet the British
The first Mandalay Tram or Streetcar before the British occupation

The first Mandalay Tram or Streetcar before the British
occupation

immediate annexation of Upper Burma.

The British colonialists forced him to sign a treaty to split the country, cut Burma off from the sea and took some of the best teak forest and rice growing regions under their control.

Today there are great hotels in Mandalay. On the road to Mandalay are plenty of sightseeing objects. The road to Mandalay is actually some kind of Myanmar history travel via the great Irrawaddy or Ayeyarwady River. Just the right spot for your very exotic holidays. Hotels in Mandalay are the Mandalay swan hotel, excellent travel hotels, the Sedona Hotel Mandalay and dozens of other Mandalay hotels. All are easily reachable by Yangon Air, Air Bagan and Air Mandalay. Visit Mandalay in Asia, not in Las Vegas and you will experience the journey of a lifetime.

Mandalay Monastery

- Mandalay and the Irrawaddy River or Ayeyarwady River

Mandalay Irrawaddy or Ayeyarwady River at Monsoon
Irrawaddy or Ayeyarwady River Pagodas

Mandalay Irrawaddy or Ayeyarwady River Pagodas
Irrawaddy River Banks

Mandalay River Banks
Irrawaddy river

Irrawaddy river near Mandalay

Around Mandalay are no real river steamer for travel anymore like it was during English colonial times.

On the Mandalay stretch of the river travel boat service is available to cross the river to Sagaing, Mingun and some up and down river travel destinations.

This is all done with more or less bigger boats. The exception is travel with "The Road to Mandalay", a river vessel who shuttle traveler between Mandalay and the ancient Pagoda City of Bagan. The same is offered via a other travel company who runs the RV Pandwa for the same purpose, the Pandwa is a very old renovated river vessel from colonial times.

Like most river travel it has a romantic and anachronistic air, the flat-bottomed construction with open-sided decks of the long gone Irrawaddy Flotilla Company are still the best on the Irrawaddy or Ayeyarwady river.

Mandalay River Ship

Sagaing Sunset over river opposite Mandalay

Road to Mandalay

Mandalay freight ship Ayeyarwady or Irrawaddy River

Mandalay on the river

Mandalay at Mingun

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- The Great Maha Muni Temple and Pagoda in Mandalay

Mandalay Maha Muni Prayer

Maha Muni Mandalay old lady pray

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Maha Muni Pagoda

The Maha Muni or Arakan Pagoda was built to enshrine the great Maha Muni sculpture which for many centuries had been the highlight of the kingdom of Arakan, today its Rhakine State, as well as the most important of the Buddhist sacred objects in Mandalay Myanmar or Burma.

It was cast in brass when Buddha visited Arakan, at that time a remote Indian kingdom. The legend is that the casting work was done supernaturally by none other than Sakra, the old Hindu Lord of Paradise, who had become converted to Buddhism. When completed, the portrait, which was indistinguishable from the original, was embraced by the Buddha.

Naturally, several kings wanted to have the sacred image in their capital, in particular the greatest of Myanmars historical figures, King Anawrahta. He organized a raid into Arakan with the idea to remove the Buddha image plus some sacred relics to his capital at Bagan.

He was not lucky, the size and weight of the sculpture was just to much for the white elephant which accompanied his army as a suitable means of transport for the sacred image, the elephant could not carry it.

It was finally removed in 1784 by King Bodawpaya, who is declared, in an inscription at the Maha Muni Pagoda, to have drawn the image to its present resting place.

It was told that only in Mandalay under the colonnades of the Arakan Pagoda - today Maha Muni Pagoda - the image should stand.

A permanent crowd gather before the railings of the shrine behind which the around 3 m high Buddha image is placed.
Apply the gold leaf to the Maha Muni sculpture	The shrine attendants accept flowers which could be bought at a nearby stall. Gold-leaf is sold by packet and the purchaser is entitled to apply the gold leaf to the sculpture by himself. Every day in the early morning a face washing ceremony is performed Face washing of Maha Muni Buddha

Pilgrims wait for their turn to perform this illustrious task. Out in the courtyard, in front of a wall, are six survivors of the thirty magic images of Ayutthaya, captured by King Bayinnaung when he went to Siam �today Thailand- for white elephants and sacked the Siamese capital.

A potent bronze monster, triple-headed elephants and snarling, demons, were now, at least, put to a useful

Six of the thirty magic images from Ayutthaya

purpose by Burmese children who played hide behind them.

People believe that whatever sickness one suffers, it can be cured by rubbing the corresponding sections of the statues. For example, if you have stomach trouble, you rub the navel of the figure. You will now witness those parts shining where the people rub most.

Maha Muni Pagoda Interior Maha Muni Pagoda Yard

Toy Shop Maha Muni Pagoda

Antiques Shop Maha Muni Pagoda

Accessories ShopMaha Muni Pagoda

Brass Shop Maha Muni Pagoda

- Mandalay Arts & Handicrafts around the Maha Muni Pagoda

Mandalay Artist creating marble Buddha Sculpture	Mandalay Artist creating small marble Buddha Sculpture	Mandalay Brass Cast Buddha	Mandalay Marble Scultures and Gold
Mandalay silver works Mandalay Brass Casting Mandalay Wood Carving Mandalay Marble Buddha Sculpturing

Woodcarving Shop at Maha Muni Pagoda

Myanmar Silk Weaving at Mandalay

Palmist at Maha Muni Pagoda

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- Mandalay has plenty of Monastery, one is the Shwe Nan Daw Monastery which was part of the Royal Palace long time ago.

Mandalay Shwe Nan Daw
Monastery Interio

Mandalay Shwe Nan. Daw Monastery. Mandalay travel,.

It was also the place where King Mindon passed away.

His successor, King Thibaw, believed the building to be haunted by Mindon's ghost.

He ordered that this beautiful teak structure is
to be moved to its present location in 1880.

Because of this, it was the only royal structure that managed to survive the WWII destruction that burned the teak palace to the ground

Mandalay Shwe Nan Daw Monastery Front

Mandalay Shwe Nan Daw Monastery teak woodcarving detail

Buddha Statues

Buddha Statues 1

Buddha Statues 2

Buddha Statues 3

- Mandalay and Vicinity - The Pagoda County of Sagaing, Mingun and Monywa

Kaung Hmu Daw Pagoda Sagaing

Kaung Hmu Daw Pagoda Center Sagaing

Mandalay New Pagoda

Sagaing and Mingun on the opposite side of the Irrawaddy or Ayeyarwady river at Mandalay is somehow a pagoda Disneyland. In the Sagaing Hills are probably the most interesting pagodas on earth, with a unbelievable variety of pagoda architecture.

At Mingun is the never finished Mingun Pagoda and more.

Mingun Hsinbyume Pagoda Mingun

Mingun Pagoda

King Bodawpaya had the Mingun Pagoda construction started at 1790 and the target was a height of 150 m. Construction was stopped in 1797 when funds run out. The rest did a the great earthquake of 1838, the huge brick hill, now about 50 m is in ruins.

Soon-U-Ponyashin Pagoda Sagaing

U Min Thone Sae Pagoda Sagaing

Sagaing Irrawaddy Sunset

Pagodas in the Sagaing Hills and a incredible sunset over the Irrawaddy or Ayeyarwady River.

Ox Cart

Shan Plateau Red Tree

Village Well

Farmer

Mandalay Travel

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