Mrauk U

Mrauk U, in the northern Rakhine state of Myanmar, dates back to the 15th century and its temples bear testament to the period of the fearsome Rakhine kings. This magical site is interspersed with waterways meandering between grassy hillocks and verges upon which many of the temples sit, adding a magical feel to the area. With over 70 relics contained inside the city walls and south of the palace ruins, Mrauk U is a more compact landscape of temples than the more famous Bagan. It affords visitors a fascinating and amazingly well preserved insight into Myanmar’s turbulent history.

 

The Shitthaung or "temple of the 80,000 Buddhas" was built by one of the most powerful kings of the Mrauk-U Dynasty. According to records, the king built this fortress-temple after repulsing a Portuguese attack on the city. The skill and art displayed in its construction and ornamentation are remarkable. Besides, you may observe here the maze-like layout of this pagoda. The real purpose of the pagoda was for prayer, some rituals of initiation, and some of the King's ceremonies, which were usually held secretly. It was constructed of solid sandstone 1.8m (6 feet) thick and is like "rock cave tunnel". No mortar was used in the construction and stones were connected with stone brackets. It is believed that 84,000 of the Buddha's relics with the same number of the Lord's images are enshrined in it. People who entered the tunnels of the temple felt that they were inside an endless tunnel.

 

The Andaw Pagoda, meaning the tooth relic of Buddha, is only 26m (86 feet) to the northeast of the Shitthaung Pagoda. This shrine was built in 1521 A.D. The central tower of the shrine contains the tooth-relic of Buddha. The shrine is an octagonal structure of pure sandstone.

 

The Dukkan Temple stands on a hill that is 9.1m high (30 feet), having a flat surface like that of a drum. It was constructed in 1571 A.D. It is made of hewn sandstones and layers of bricks over the roof. It measures 58m (190 feet) from north to south and 61m (200 feet) from east to west. It is reached by stone stairways situated on the east and south.

 

The Koethaung Pagoda sits on the plain of a rice field; the name means 90,000 and probably signified the number of Buddha images it was supposed to contain. It is the biggest pagoda in the Mrauk U area. Like the Shitthaung, it is a massive fortress-like structure built with stone walls and terraces. There are 108 smaller pagodas surrounding it, all made of sandstone.

 

The Pitakataik is square in plan with an entrance passage to the east like other pagodas in Mrauk U. It is built entirely with stone and the outer walls are decorated with ornate floral and geometric design. It measures only 4.3m (14 feet) from east to west, 3m (10 feet) from north to south and is only 2.7m (9 feet) in height. It looks like a tiny-jeweled casket shaped like a blooming lotus. Of the 48 libraries constructed in MraukU, only this one is preserved; it is the repository for the Buddhist scriptures. It acquired an unpleasant appellation due to its dark windowless interior and is now known as Chin-kite library, meaning mosquito-bite.

 

The Laymyetnha Pagoda or “the fourfacaded pagoda” was built it in 1430 A.D. It is one of the five pagodas built at the beginning of the establishment of the city. It is a square structure, with a long protruding portal towards each cardinal point. The interior room is octagonal. In the center there is an octahedral column intended to support the circular tower erected over the center of the roof. Over each of the four corners of the terrace a smaller circular stupa was built.

 

The Shwe Daung Pagoda is also believed to have been built between the years 1531-1553. It is the tallest in this area and can be seen as far away as 32km (20 miles) from the main Kaladan River. The hill itself is 76M (250 feet) high and is about 1km (1/2 mile) to the southeast of the palace site. It is a solid stupa with a circular base. During the First Anglo-Burmese War, 1824-26, the Burmese forces built earthen fortifications on this hill and mounted guns, which inflicted heavy losses on the British forces. Some of these fortifications can still be seen today.

 

The Mrauk U museum is located near the palace site. It displays some old artifacts of Vesali, Launggret and Mrauk U periods. Various stone inscriptions in Sanskrit, Rakhine and Arabic are also displayed. Some Votive tablets, Krishna Vishnu, Bodhisattvas, dvarapala, lintels coins, musical instruments, and ceramic wares are also on display.

 

The Sakkyar Man Aung Pagoda is located on the east side of Mrauk U. It is part of the five most revered "Mann" paya of Mrauk U. It is located in the south of Yadanar Man Aung Pagoda

 

The Lawka Man Aung Pagoda is also known to be one of the five most revered "Man" paya of Mrauk U. Its architecture is in the form of four steps. The base step is a square shape with four statues at each corner. From the second to the top step, there are small pagodas at each corner. Inside the pagoda, there is a 12-foot high Buddha image made of stone.

 

The Zina Man Aung Pagoda is the third of the five most revered "Man" paya of Mrauk U. It is situated on the south side of the old palace ruins. The structure of the pagoda is octagonal in shape. At the base, there is a mouse with two bodies and a head. On the higher level, there are two more mice.

 

The Yadanar Man Aung Pagoda is also one of the five most revered "Man" paya of Mrauk U. Octagonal in shape; it was built in 1652 A.D.

 

The Mingalar Man Aung Pagoda is the last of the five most revered "Man" paya of Mrauk U.