Pyay Prome

The founding of the early Pyu kingdoms are legends related to a king called Duttabaung there are some more extensive archaeological information about the Pyu. It indicates that the Pyu are a ethnicity of Tibet who appear to have settled in the Irrawaddy valley about the same time as the Mon but much further north. Three major sites are known until today which are Sri-ksetra near Prome, Beik-thano near Taung¬dwin-gyi further to the north, and Halin in the Shwebo district north of Mandalay. Continues excavation and archeological research uncovered Pyu bricks, pottery, coins and jewellery at Hmaing-maw south of Kyauk-hse, Bhindaka near Pyaw-bwe, Chun Hla north of Shwebo, Mataya north of Mandalay, and at Kyaikatha near the delta of the Sittang River. All this indicate that Pyu culture was much more widespread and more closely related to earlier Neolithic cultures as previously thought, it reveal that the Pyu had an imposing civilization.

On the road to the ancient town of Prome or Pyay or Pyi in central Myanmar Burma

Some early accounts of Sriksetra or today Pyu or Pyay tells that there have been over a hundred Buddhist monasteries with courts and rooms with roofs from gold and silver, coated with cinnabar and plenty of colors. Rooms of the king's residence were covered with embroidered rugs. Beans, paddy and millet were raised, a strange thing is definitely their laws, today records from that area contain no mention of punishment nor any kind of chains or torture. Their way with criminals is, take fifty shoots of bamboo and bind them, if they repeat the crime, they beat their backs with five strokes. For light offences three strokes, murderers are put to death without long blab la and mo mercy. When boys and girls reached seven years their hair were shaven and they served some times in the monastery. Reaching the age of twenty and not opting for a stay in the monastery they let their hair grow again and become ordinary folk again

Farmer in Prome or Pyay or Pyi in central Myanmar Burma

The Pyu at today Pyay lived in fortified walled towns supported by a rich agricultural environment. Their king had a splendid court with numerous wives and concubines and there was some classification of society according to wealth, business and position. A system of justice was in place and the Pyu, like the Mon, implemented laws according to the Buddhist faith

Archaeological excavations at Sriksetra or today Pyay have uncovered numerous votive tablets and Buddha statues of both Theravada and Mahayanist which suggest that the Pyu were familiar with both Buddhist sects. Some Brahman images also indicate that some of the people were either Hindu or practiced Brahman rituals. The dead were cremated and the ashes placed in urns within the precincts of pagodas.

Huge inscribed Pyu stone urns were used for kings, gilded metal for the remains of priests and senior members of the royal family, and earthenware for commoners

The most interesting remains around Pyu is a short ride (about 8 km) to visit the remains of the ancient city of Thayeikhittaya or Sriksetra. Some records indicate that the ancient Sriksetra was founded shortly after the great Buddhist Council, held in 443 B.C.

The remains (within a area of about 19 square km, totally embraced with a wall in ancient times) are hidden behind thickets of thorny bushes, small trees, toddy palms, cactus and beautiful white flowers. To explore the place it’s best to take a guide since the ruins are quite scattered around, and the museum, the main starting point for a walk around, is far.

- Srikshetra was the largest and most elaborated city built by the ancient Pyu.

It was the capital of the Pyu tribe from the fifth until the 15th. Century. It seems that the capital before was Beitthano near present day Magwe; excavations there are progressing now. Anyway, not much is visible anymore some fragments of the palace wall, a collection of ancient relief’s, statues and other items dated mainly from the 15th Century are on display in the museum.There are plenty of other objects like Buddha statues and images, clay votive tablets, bronze figures of musicians and dancers, some coins and lots of other artwork rendered in different materials but mainly in stone.

Prome or Pyay or Pyi plenty of other ancient objects like Buddha images Myanmar Burma

To make the trip somehow efficient the best is to hire one of the persons from the museum to show the way around, they are the only one who really knows the area. Exploring the place is done by walking only, passing small ponds by dusty walkways, sometimes heavy covered by foliage. Good high shoes are advisable (no sandals) since a Myanmar snake and other small animals could be hidden somewhere.

Myanmar has the highest mortality in the world from snakebites. The two pagoda ruins are some of the better-preserved, built 15th. Century.
Prome or Pyay or Pyi Pagoda Ruin 15 Century Myanmar Burma

Prome or Pyay or Pyi Pagoda Ruins from the 15th. Century Myanmar.