| Sittwe
and Its Environment |
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Sittwe
Sittwe is the capital of Rakhine State.
Situated on the sea coast of north
of the Kaladan River. Sittwe port is the gateway to famous Mrauk-U.
Sittwe is a seaport with a rich hinterland
producing crops, fish and
Rakhine Longyis.
It s located on the confluence of Kisspanadi
or Kaladan river and Bay of
Bangal. As it is the gate-way to Ngapali ( Sandoway ) and Mrauk-U
Myo-
haung, it is a major stop-over. The city itself shows the marine-life,
and
cultural Museum, Buddhist Museum and Sakyamuni Buddha-image
should
be studied. |
Cultural
museum
It is a modern four-storey building
lied at the corner of Yandwin Steet and Main Road near Myoma market
in Mawleik ward,
Sittwe. The ground-plans of ancient cities, the evolution of
Rakhine literature, Ananda candra inscription, religious buildings,
Buddha-images, scenes of traditional festivals, musical instruments,
arts and handicrafts, so on are enjoyed.
Buddhist
Museum
It is, in
fact, a modern building of Mahakusala monastery on Strand Road just
before the jetty. Because the untiring effort of
Ven. Abbot. Baddhanta Wunnita Sayadaw, thousands of Buddha-images,
arahat-figures, relics are well kept, including over
7,000 Buddha-images of Laymro period and Mrauk-U period. Bronze
inscriptions, palm leaf inscriptions, coins and notes,
composed by nine different animals.
Sakkyamuni
It is th only image of its kind in Myanmar since it is curiously adorned
with over a thousand of small Buddha-images.
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Mrauk-Oo
(Mro-haung)
Capital of the Rakhine Kingdom,
which flourished from the 15th to 18th
century, Mrauk-Oo is reached by a 5 hour boat trip along
the kaladan River
from Sittwe, which is 90 minutes by air from yangon.
Mrauk-Oo is noted
for its fort-like temples and pagodas of stone and brick;
and for its
statuary and relief, which are distinctive. |
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Once
a centre for one of Myanmar’s most powerful kingdoms,
Mrauk-U is in the Rakhine region. It was founded in 1430 AD
by the Rakhine King Minsawmon who was the last king of
Launggret City. The Rakhine region is located in the south-west
of
Myanmar between the Bay of Bengal and the western part
of the Yana mountain ranges. Mrauk-U is about 50 miles from
the
north-east of the capital Sittwe. It is situated on the
banks of Aungdat Chaung, a tributary of Kaladan River, 72 km
from the
coast. The easy way to visit Mrauk-U from Yangon is by
plane to Sittwe from Sittwe to Mrauk-U we can take a boat. The
boat
trip takes about 5 hours.
Rakhine state had four main periods
which has very long history, like Dhinyawaddy, Vesali, Lemyo
and Mrauk-U periods.
Among them Mrauk-U period (1430-1784) AD was the most
brilliant of Rakhine culture and lasted 354 years and it had
49 kings.
It can be divided into three
periods. First
period of Mrauk-U was roled by king Minsawmon to king Minkkaungyazar
for 101
years and it had 12 kings. Second
period was roled by king Minbin to Minsanay for 107 years and
it had 9 kings. Third
period
was roled by king Nayapatoegyi to king Thamada for 46
years and it had 28 kings.
According to the Rakhine historical
records, the Dinnyawadi Era lasted from approximately BC3,000
to AC 300 and the
Wethali Era from approximately AD 300 to AD1,200. These
are also records which show that in the period between the Wethali
and Mrauk-U eras round about AD 1,200. Some capital cities
were mared and new cities founded at Lemso, Pusin, Neiyizara
and Launggyet.
The Department of Archaeology
has succeeded in locating the cities of the ancient cities of
Dinnyawdi and Wethali and
excavation have begun on experimental basis at Wethali.
As far as Mrauk-U is concerned, its place site, place walls,
moat,
pond, its pagodas, stupas, monasteries are still standing
and very much in evidence. We are certain that generations of
Rakhine kings built their places and ruled people in Mrauk-U
as well as in these ancient cities of Rakhine region.
The
Shitthaung or Yan Aung Zeya,
the most complex and well preserved of the surviving Mrauk-U
temples, was
constructed in 1533 AD by the most powerful of Rakhine
kings, king Minbagyi. The name means “Shirne of the 80,000
images”.
I ts architectural design is in the form of a cave temple
with an inner ambulatory corriator. On the walls of the stupa
are figures
carved in rock figures numbering 80,000, Another meaning
is “Temple of victory”. It sits on a bluff known
as Phokhaung Taung
northern ride of the royal place.
One’s of famous pagoda is
Koethaung pagoda.
It is situated at the eastern, side of the royal palace. Build
in 1533 AD by
King Min Taikkha, son of king Minbin. It is the biggest
pagoda in Mrauk-U. But the inner gallery has collapsed. This
pagoda is
very similar to Shitthaung pagoda. So Rakhine people said
Father 80,000 and son 90,000.
The Htukkhan
Ordination Hall. It is a structure
of stone bricks, a tall massive building, constructed on a high
mound and its
height is approximately 30 feet. |
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It
is lied some 100 meters to the west of Shitthaung temple, and
of
another fortress-like structure. It was erected in 1571 A.D by
King
Minphalaung. The walls of the temple and chapel projecting eastward
are
build of stones. Through the east entrance, the interior-walls
of the temple
are completely adorned with various figures of demon, ogres,
dvarapala
and seated ladies together with yellow glazed statuettes.
The seated ladies
are decked with richly ornaments of crown, corona, pendent,
necklace,
rosary, sash, chest-band, bracelet, arm-let and so on with various
styles of
coiffure, in fotus offering. |
The Mahamuni Shrine,
one of the famous Pagoda is Myanmar, is situated 30km
from Mrauk-U. |
Andawthein
It is, just to the west of Shitthaung temple, of a small atone
building. It is in rectangle ground-plan having double
corridors
around the central cube, in about 30 feet high. The interior
walls are embellished with Buddha-images in niches set of low
arch-pediments.
The solid stupas can be
also seen in Ratanabon, Sakya-manaung, zinamanaung and so on.
Most of them were built in 15th
and 16th century A.D.
The Andawthein Photo’
less than a dozen meters to the north-east of Shitthaung stands
a smaller, eight sided monument
built by king Minhlarzar in the year 1521 AD and was rebuilt
again in 1596 AD by Minrazagyi to enshrine a piece of tooth
relic
supposedly brought from Sri Lanka.
There are famous five
Manaung pagoda in Mrauk-U. They are
the Sakyamanaung pagoda, the Lokamanaung
pagoda, the Zinamanaung pagoda, the Retanamanaung pagoda
and the Mingalamanaung pagoda.
Museums:
There is an archaeological museum in Mrauk-U where object of
antiquity stone inscriptions, ancient arts
and handcrafts are all on display. The cultural
legacy that Mrauk-U has bestowed on posterity consists of stone
sculpture,
porcelain, glazed pottery curving and bronze castings.
At the Bandoola Maraitery in Mrauk-U there are many ancient
Buddha
images and other carvings and sculptures pertaining to
Buddhism.
Dannyawady or Mrauk-U is
full of Myanmar beauty and Myanmar Scenes, famous pagoda and
has many historical object
of culture value. |
Vesali
It is one of the ancient cities of Rakhine and that it was lasted
from 327 to 776 A.D. almost all the kings of Vesali were
surfaced with Cadra and cast coinages with dates but it
is today a small village inhabited by about 100 house-holds.
It is known as Kyaukhlaykhar
meaning flights of stones-steps since there is a one mile long
stone-steps from the river to
the city-gate of the western city-wall. Very recently,
the city-walls, palace-sites and other have been excavated.
The ground
plan of the city is, similar to Srikshetra, in oval like
rectangle measuring about 5 miles for each encircled by a moat
of 200 feet
width.
Vesali
Payagyi
The founder of Vesali city, King Dwin Canada carved this Buddha-image
in 327 A.D and set a dedicatory inscription in Pali
verse.That Buddha-image is carved out by a single block
and the earliest image of Vesali. The walls are adorned with
floral
designs in relief. Vesali has yielded Ananda Canda inscription
( now at Shitthaung pagoda ), Payagyi inscription, coins, pottery,
bronze-lamp, headless deva figure, bronze Buddha-image
and votive tablets.
Thandwe ( Sandoway)
Thandwe is reached by air on a 45 minute flight from Yangon.
It is located about 10km norh-east of Ngapali
which is
known as the "Naples of the East" with its white sandy
beach which is the best in Myanmar. |
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GWA
Gwa has also a beach resort namely
Kanthaya. |
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