| Bago
& Its Environment |
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Bago
Ancient
capital of Mon Kingdom in the 14th to 16th century is located
80km to the north eastern Yangon. The city known as “Pegu”
was
historically named. Bago is of second Myanmar Empire created
by King
Bayinnaung.
- we known as Hanthawady
- Bago, today, is the capital of Bago division.
- can reach there either
by car or by train
- takes about two hours to get there
- Bago is popular for its cheroots industry
- other products are rice, dried fish and handicrafts
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many places to visit in Bago; Shwemawdaw
pagoda, Shwe thalyaung reclining Buddha image, Mahazedi pagoda,
Kyaik-Pun pagoda, Hinthagon pagoda,
Kanbawzathadi place site.
Long long
ago, the place where Bago stands today was completely submerged
in water. One day, at a low tide a small
patch of land appeared above the sea.
It was very tiny islet and there was not enough space for
two birds to land. The
male hintha bird landed first and
the female bird perched on her male's back.
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Shwe-Maw-Daw
Pagoda
- Stands
as a landmark of Bago.
- 2500 years ago, during the Buddha's
lifetime, two sacred hairs were
given
to merchant brothers (Mahasala & Sulasala).
- brought them back to Bago and
enshrined them on the Sudana hill then a
pagoda was erected over
it.
- At first 75ft (23m)
- In 840, kings Thamala and Wimala,
founders of Bago kingdom, raised the
height of the stupa to
88ft (27m).
- In 982, king Anurama added Tooth
Relic of the Buddha and in 1385 king
Razadirit added another
Tooth relic of the Buddha.
- In 1796, king Bodawpaya raised
it to the height of 297 ft (90m)
- It was destroyed by a series
of earthquakes in 1912, 1917 and 1930.
- The upper portion of the pagoda
tumbled down.
- The pagoda lay in ruins until
after the World War II. |
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Kanbawza
Thadi Palace
- Bayintnaung became
a king in 1551 after the death of king Tabin Shwe Hti.
- Bayintnaung is well known as the
brilliant warrior king and the founder of
Second Myanmar Empire.
- The achievement of king Bayintnaung
was fully recorded not only in
Myanmar history
but also in foreign's.
- Due to his zeal, bravery, wit, tactfulness,
uprightness and sympathy for
the people, he had
won the respect and affection of the neighbouring
countries. |
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The Royal capital " Hanthawady" and the Royal palace.
" Kanbawza Thadi" at Bago has been well known to Myanmar
people.
- It is
located south of Shwemawdaw pagoda and covered 204 acres. The
square city measured 1.8 km each side and
featured
20 gates in total.
- The
work of excavation and restoration of old capital and palace
was begun in 1990.
- The
small museum displays Mon, Siamese and Bagan style Buddhas,
clay tobacco pipes, glazed tiles & pots, Martaban
jars,
bronze weights & scales, pieces of the original teak stockade
and weaponry. |
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Shwe
Tha Lyaung Buddha Image
-
built by king Magadipa in 994 A.D.
- well
looked after during the king's life time.
- But
after the king's death people were less interested in this reclining
Buddha
image.
- On the
other hand, the capital was shifted by king Bayintnaung to the
eastwards
- was
covered with earth and bushes
- Fortunately,
many years later, an Indian contractor of Yangon-Bago
Railway Construction Project found the image while digging the
earth to
make bricks.
- In this
way, the once neglected image was restored to its original splendor
and
glory.
- the
length is 180ft (55m) and 52 ft (16 m) in Height. |
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Kyaik
- Pun Pagoda
- Located in new Ottha town area,
1.5 km west of Yangon- Bago
road.
- History says these gigantic
30m high images were built by the
Mon king Dhamazedi
in the 15th century.
- Kyaikpun is a Mon word which
means four Buddhas.
- It dedicates to the four
Buddhas of the present world.
- But it has another interesting
story.
- There were four virgins
sisters who were not interested in
wordly life.
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They were more bent on religious life.
- They
agreed to take a vow that they would not marry.
- In
commemoration of their vow, they built four sitting Buddhas.
- Each
image bears the name of the sisters and her vow, "If
I break this vow, may this image crumble down to the
ground".
- Years
later, the image bearing the name of the youngest sister crumbled
to the ground.
- She
died enable to face the shame and disgrace.
- It
meant that she broke the vow. |
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Maha
Kalyani Sima
(Ordination
Hall)
- The
original Sima was prototype of the Kalyani Sima of Ceylon.
- It was
built by king Dhammazedi in 1476.
- In order
to install Therevada Buddhism tirmly in his kingdom, he sent
some
monks
to Ceylon where they were once again initiated into the order
in
Kalyani
Sima.
- When
they returned, they brought the sand of the Kalyani River of
Ceylon.
- After
spreading the sand on the present site, the first Sima in this
land was
built.
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King Dhammazedi built another 396 Simas around the country.
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Original Sima was burnt down by Phillip De Brito in 1599.
- Subsequently
it suffered from fires or quakes and a new sima was rebuilt
in 1902. But it was destroyed once again by
the
earthquake in 1930.
- The
reconstruction work of the present one was completed in 1954. |
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Mahazedi
- built by king Bayintnaung
in 1560
- It is believed Buddha's
Tooth relics and emerald bowl received from Srilinka
are enshrined.
- It was renovated again
and again as the pagoda suffered damage by a series of
earthquake in 1564 and
1582.
- In 1600 AD, Philip De
Brito put down the umbrella and look away all the gold and
jewels.
- Frequently, a new umbrella
had to be hoisted to it.
- The bell part of the
pagoda crumbled down by the great earthquake of 1930
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Over a hundred years, pagoda lay as a heap of stones and bricks.
- It was renovated and
completed in 1982 by the contribution of the people.
- 225 ft (68 m) height |
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Hinthagone
Pagoda
- Located
behind the Shwesandaw Pagoda. Mandalay Hill and Shwesettaw
Pagoda, with the contribution of the people.
- According
to the legend, this was the hilltop where the two birds landed
when rising from the sea. |
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Taungoo
200km
away from Yangon. It’s also an ancient capital of Kaytumadi
in the 14 th to 16th century, now called Taungoo. Taungoo is
Second Myanmar Empire created by King Bayinnaung. Taungoo
is
famous for its product bananas, tea, coffee, betal nuts
and cardamom.
Pyinmana
110
km from taungoo. Just beyond the town, there lies the Yezin
Dam. The Yezin Agricultural Institute and the Institute
of Animal
Husbondry are also located. |
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Allied
War Memorial Cemetery
Located
at Htauk Kyunt, 32 km from Yangon, on the way to Bago. It has
27,000 tombstones of Allied soldiers who lost their lives in Myanmar
during the
world War II. The cemetery is peaceful place and is beautiful tended. |
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Thandaung
Hill Station
Thandaung has
magnificent and lovely elimatic and topological features. Thandaung
Hill Station is surround by a number of
mountain ranges and located on the edge of a flat mountain which
is 4200 feet above the sea level. It is situated in Thandaung
Township, Kayin State.
Thandaunggyi
was once a village that of Thandaung Town. It is 28 miles away from
Taungoo. The 13 mile long road from
Taungoo to Thandaung Myothit is situated on the plain and the
remaining part, 15 miles long from Thandaung Myothit to
Thandaunggyi is a mountain road. |
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