Burma

Every people might take its message to heart in their own individual way. The restraints it enjoined and the ideals it held up became the occasions for Burma to unfold her own inmost nature.

The abounding treasury of Buddhist legend furnished the subjects to exercise her poetic fancy. In the fifth century, long after Buddhism had declined at its source in India, and when it only prevailed in Ceylon, its real progress beg-an among the people who were to give it an enduring home. Buddhism is popularly credited with five hundred millions of adherents.

Burma Buddha Mural Painting Bagan

 Burma Buddha Mural Paintings Bagan Temple

But the seven millions of Buddhists in Burma and perhaps twentieth of that number in Ceylon, together with the half million Jains of India, are the practical Buddhists of the world.

With the rest the Buddhist profession has sunk to an empty name, as in China and Japan, or it is lax, as in slain, or it is utterly transformed, as in Tibet.

The phrase ..further India.. gives point to a wide misconception. The surprise of so many persons on finding that the Burman have no caste to take the commonest instance—betrays the notion that Burma is part of India. The phrase Indo-China is also misleading unless in respect of geography. In respect of climate, flora and fauna, Further India is not inapplicable. A probable Indo-Aryan admixture exists in the north-coast (Arakan - Rakhine). But Burma Proper and Pegu - Bago are as distinct from India as Tibet itself.

Burmese Lady with Umbrella 18 Century

The original Burman tribes

are conjectured to have pushed their way south from the mountains of Tibet. They divided into three principal branches, Arakan (Rakhaing, Yakaing) on the west, Shan on the east, and Burma (Bama), which attained to the chief position, in the middle, on the northern Irrawaddy (E-ya wadi). Nothing is known of the early golden Myanmar of these nations. But it is certain that in 1000 A.D. Burma was a large and powerful kingdom, with its seat at Pagan - Bagan.

About that time the first historical conquest of the lower Irrawaddy was effected. From the fact that the country was not permanently subdued it may be inferred that the power of the Mon or Peguan race (later called Talaing) was not greatly inferior to that of the Burman. The Mons, from the affinities of their language, are conjectured to be of Annamitic origin. There is mention of the Pagan kingdom independently of the Burman chronicles, and there is above all the evidence of the ruins of Pagan, probably the mightiest of their kind. They testify to the power of the kingdom and the influence of the religion which actuated the kings to build temples on such a scale.

in a great degree owing, as the Burmans believe, to the drain of the temple-building. But the force of the religion was unabated. Burma fell a prey to Shan invaders, who snatched the dominion for nearly two hundred years but failed to consolidate it, splitting up into principalities like those of their native hills. The
weakness of Burma allowed the Mon power to develop. The sixteenth century saw the rise of Pegu - Bago and the establishment of a shifting empire over Burma. Exhausted.. by wars, Pegu - Bago in turn declined and lay at the mercy of Siam ( Yodaya) when Paung (Taung - ngu) came to the rescue. In the seventeenth century the Peguan dynasty brought the Mutt umpire to its zenith, from which it waned in the eighteenth.

common people. They acted according to a saying common at that time, “when the city is worn, support its ceiling.” The temple was built on a 70 metre by 80 metre platform. The structure is 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. It is a very interesting collection of different costumes and ornaments. 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.

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. 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 life's. People in native costumes with faded colors are shown wrestling, boxing and dancing.

Burma Shwedagon Pagoda 18 th. Century
 
Burma Entrance Shwedagon Pagoda 18 th. Century

Burma Shwedagon Pagoda 18 th. Century

Ayeyarwady’s name has been curved in stone inscriptions in the days of yore just as the name Myanmar is
mentioned in the same. Ayeyarwady has fed Myanmar's with food and sustenance and has witnessed the water -
Burma The Ayeyawady (Irrawaddy) 17th Century

Burma Ayeyawady (Irrawaddy) Freight Sailing Ship 17th Century

Taungoo

This is another old city, 200 km from Bago. It bestirred nostalgic memories of Natshinnaung, warrior poet whose love for lovely Princess Yazadatukalyar knew no bounds.

A notable spot nearby is Thandaung, a hill resort. Nearby is the Mawchi Mines which produces tin and wolfram. Famous products here are bananas, tea and coffee.

Pyinmana

Beyond is the Yezin dam and a complex of teaching institutes on agriculture, animal husbandry and forestry

Meikhtila
The rain is scarce here less than 125 cm a year. There are no more paddy and rice fields but crops as groundnuts, sesamum, beans and pulses are thriving products. Meikhtila Lake is well-known and prominent. There are songs eulogizing peace and beauty of the lake.
There is a nursey rhyme which runs:
“ Please pick up a small frog from
Lake Meikhtila,
If you have caught one,
Kindly offer me a small creature
with pouting small eyes and thin body.”
Meikhtila’s location is strategic. It is the point of access to the Shan State in the east, with Taungyi, its capital, 170 km away. To the west lies Kyaukpadaung, where there are oilfields and the Ayeyarwady valley  

From Meikhtila to Mandalay it stretches 152 km. Before reach in Mandalay, one will come across Kyaukse, the ancient home and granary of Myanmar agriculture, the rice bowl of successive Myanmar Kingdoms.

Here, famous Bagan King Anawrahta started to build his First Myanmar Empire that lasted more than two centuries.

It is too well known to dwell at length about Mandalay, the royal capital of the last two Myanmar Kings of Konbaung dynasty. It is the hub and heartland of Myanmar culture, arts and crafts and the seat of Theravada Buddhism. These culture heritage still lingers.

Bagan
Burma Bagan Lady 18 Century

Bagan is also highly reputed for Myanmar art and architecture, sculpture and painting, archaeological findings and artifacts and is world-famous for thousand and one pagodas, stupas, cetis, religious edifices and buildings. Suffice it to say that, these cultural values can only be appreciated by a personal visit there. The Road to Mandalay or the river cruise is in fact, a window to the beauty and wealth of Myanmar Naingngan.

Tattooing in Myanmar

Before or after the monastic novitiate, it is the custom for the Burman to have themselves tattooed from the waist to the knee (No. 152). Not to submit to this ordeal is to incur the reproach of cowardice. The tattooing is ;in intricate pattern of animals and tracery.

Owing to the extent of surface involved, the process is most painful. It occupies days or weeks, according to the fortitude of the subject, who is drugged with opium for the occasion. The instrument has a handle weighted at the butt, and a long point of bronze, split like a ruling-pen.