Thaton Mon
State
Suvarnabhumi...
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Thaton, Mon
Kingdom, Suvarnabhumi, Moattama,
Martaban, Mon State, Theravada
Buddhism, Shin Arahan, King
Anawrahta.
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Once the
capital of the flourishing Mon Kingdom of
‘Suvarnabhumi’
established in
the 3rd Century B.C., Thaton has lost much
of its former grandeur and importance.
Situated due east of Yangon - across the
Gulf of Moattama (Martaban)- it is located
on the rail and road route from Yangon to
Moattama in present-day Mon State. Thaton is
very close to Kanchanaburi more about is
here,
Thailand travel.
The birth of
Theravada Buddhism arose there in those
early times when two missionaries were sent
by India’s King Asoka to introduce it into
Myanmar.
It was a
thriving port then, carrying on trade with
South India and Sri Lanka (Ceylon).
In the 11th
Century, Shin Arahan, a monk from Thaton
went north to Bagan and converted King
Anawrahta to the purer Theravada form of
Buddhism.
Anawrahta’s religious zeal led to
his conquest of Thaton in 1057 when he
obtained not only the ‘Tripitakas’ he
desired but also brought back the Mon king
and his court, thereby affecting the
influence of Mon culture in the Myanmar
capital.
As the present-day Thaton
has been built over the old site,
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Thaton or the old Suvarnabhumi
- House in Myanmar |
very little of the
ancient city can be seen today. What remains are
traces of the city walls and pagodas of interest
like the Shwesaryan,believed to date back to the 5th Century B.C. and
enshrining four Buddha teeth and the Thagyapaya.
Nearby are the ruined fortifications of Taikkala - a
site at Ayetthema Village- regarded as the actual
city of
Suvarnabhumi.
A bit to
the south is an interesting old
pagoda, the Tizaung Pagoda.
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Thaton Nun with umbrella walking Myanmar Thaton Elephant Pagoda Myanmar |
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Thaton now
occupies a fairly level area in Mon State
which is fairly hilly, being a coastal
region hemmed in between the Moattama and Taungnyo Hills in the east and the Gulf
of Moattama or Martaban in the west. Islands such as
Balu-Kyun, Kalagok-Kyun, Hintha-Kyun, Green
Island and Onion Island fringe the coast. It
is a rice, rubber and sugar cane producing
region.
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