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Myanmar
travel, Mrauk U, Mrauk U
,
Myohaung, Myanmar, Mrauk U, Shitethaung
Temple ,
temple, Htukkant Thein, Myanmar
tour, Mrauk U, ornaments
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In 1571 the
country was in a state of chaos.
High officials
played intrigues against King Mong Phaloung
and tried to overthrow him.. On the advice
of his astrologers the king to build a
temple (Htukkant Thein) with the help of the
plotters as well as governors, land-lords
and common people.
They acted
according to a saying common at that time,
“when the city is worn out, support its
ceiling.” The temple was built on a 70 metre
by 80 metre platform.
The structure was
built of stone blocks with brick pagodas on
top of the hall and on the four corners.
Inside the temple there are two pavements
with many images and carvings picturing the
various donors.
A very
interesting collection of different costumes
and ornaments can also be viewed,
plus sixty four
varieties of coiffure, forty different
head-dresses, twenty different bracelets,
eighty-one rings, sixteen types of pendant
and various other body decorations are a
creative showcase.
The
Shitethaung Temple, also called the
Temple of Eighty Thousand Images, was
erected in 1536. The building was funded by
a donation from King Mong Ba Gree to
commemorate the victory over the twelve
provinces of Bengal and the Portuguese
marauders who came to assault the capital.
The basic
structure is a hall topped by a main stupa
surrounded by 26 smaller stupas. The
temple is 53 metres long, 41 meters wide and
29 meters high. |
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Mrauk-U
's history goes further into the
past as the date mentioned above.
Mrauk U was founded by a King with
the name Mong Saw Mon in about 1430,
48 kings followed over for 350
years.
On the Kaledan River between
Sittwe and Mrauk U |
The scenery of today is real
beautiful, green hills
change with valleys in a
marvelous surrounding. It
would be a very peaceful and
pleasant environment but in
the last few years a tsunami
of Bangladeshi came over the
Mrauk U area plus the area
down to Sittwe and around.
The Bangladeshi flee from
the continuous natural
disaster since they simply
produce to many kids and run
into a overpopulation
passing even India and
China. Somehow it looks,
similar to Europe, the
Muslim try to outnumber the
local population simply by
reproduction numbers over
time to reach the
majority and take over the
state in the long run. |
Mrauk U Shitethaung and
Htukkant Thein Temple
Rakhine Myanmar
 
Hall inside Shitethaung
Temple Mrauk U
Deep inside Shitethaung
Temple Mrauk U
Mrauk U Htukkant Thein
Temple Rakhine Myanmar |
Very Scenic landscape with pagodas
around is typical of the Mrauk U area.
The hills
and valleys are dotted with dozens of
pagodas, temples and lakes. Rising
approximately forty meters from the dark
ground, this exceptional pagoda was
built under the supervision of King
Thirithudhamma Raza in 1629 as an
ordination hall.
The pagoda and the
structures around are made from solid
stone. Two hundred meters away, a small
lake with a emerald colored surface
within lush green vegetation creates a
dream-like picture.
There are several passage
ways with galleries throughout the inner
temple. The temple is richly decorated with
statues of Buddha as well as images of
the animals or persons which
Gautama Buddha
occupied in his 550 previous lives. People
in native costumes with faded colors are
shown wrestling, boxing and dancing.
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A few kyats for
the person sitting at the left
behind the main
entrance brings a
half hour of
electricity for the
lamps. A Rich
cultural and
traditional heritage
mixed up with
Portuguese, Indian
and Arab influence
came down to present
day Rakhine or it
was known before as
Arakan.
The heydays of Mrauk
U were in the 16th
and 17th centuries,
contemporary to the
days of the Tudor
Kings of England,
the Moguls and the
Ayutthaya Kings of
Thailand.
At that time
Mrauk U was
fortified with 30 km
long fortification
walls and moats. One
of the main
differences to most
places in Myanmar or
Burma is, the
Pagodas at Mrauk U
are built from
stone, elsewhere
they are made from
bricks. The pagoda
Mrauk U
Sakyamanaung Pagoda
made in Stone
Construction
construction
followed the
Kunhaung
architecture, that
means smaller
pagodas have built
at the corners of
the lower basement
of the temples. |
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After
the annexation of Burma by the
British, the capital was shifted to
Sittwe (Akyab) at the seaside.
Sittwe Kaledan river port
ships bound for Mrauk U
Kaledan River Delta at
Sittwe
Kaledan River between Sittwe
and Mrauk U
Monks visiting a monastery
near Mrauk U |
Mrauk U is a 60 km slow
ride on the Kaledan River
from the seashores of Sittwe.
Using one of the slow river
vessels its a 6-7 hour trip
from the Kaledan River Port
at Sittwe to Mrauk U.
Mrauk U had a tradition
of producing coins for
trading, the Vesali kings
started minting coins around
the fifth century.
Inscriptions on the coins
show the title of the ruling
king and his year of
coronation.
Coins before 1640 had
Arakan inscriptions on
one side and Persian and
Nagari inscriptions on the
other. The inclusion of
foreign inscriptions that
ment more easy acceptance by
Indian and Arab traders.
About twenty types of silver
coins and three types of
gold coins have been found
until now. It was the
privilege of the kings to
issued coins.
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In short: Mraung
U, Mrauk U
, Myohaung, Myanmar, Burma, King
Mong Phaloung, Astrologers, temple, Htukkant
Thein, costumes, ornaments, coiffure,
head-dresses, Mrauk U
, Mrauk U
, Myohaung,
Myanmar, Burma, bracelets, rings, sixteen
types, pendant, body decorations,
Shitethaung Temple, Temple of Eighty
Thousand Images, Mrauk U, Mrauk U,
Myohaung, Myanmar, Burma,King Mong Ba Gree,
Bengal, Portuguese marauders, stupa, temple,
passage ways, galleries, Buddha, images
animals, native costumes, wrestling, boxing,
dancing, beautiful landscape, Sakyamanaung
pagoda, ordination hall. |
all at e-books
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Myanmar
travel, Mrauk U, Mrauk U
,
Myohaung, Myanmar, Mrauk U, Burma,
King Mong Phaloung, Shitethaung
Temple ,
temple, Htukkant Thein, Myanmar
tour, Mrauk U, ornaments,
head-dresses
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