Tourist Guide To Mrauk-U

Shwetaung pagoda is located on the hill which is 300 feet high and half a mile away from the east of the palace site. The pagoda is the solid conical structure. The future Gaw Ta Ma Buddha lived in the mountain as a king peacock in a previous life of his to fulfill his minor perfection. The name of the mountain is Gandagiripatpada. King Thu Ri Ya Sak Ka in Dynyawaddy period, built a pagoda enshrining the head relic of Buddha in the pagoda according to the prophecy of Buddha. After fall of Laungkyat, king Min Saw Mon looked for a place to found the new city. When he was looking for it, the earth deity pointed out the place of the new city from Shwetaung mountain by wearing the white clothes. When king Min Saw Mon founded Mraukoo, he renovated Shwetaung pagoda as well as five city-settlement pagodas. In the regime of king Min Bar, a yogi called Zawgyi made the soil of Shwetaung to be gold by blowing bellows it. King Min Pha Laung donated the whole pagoda the golden robe by embellishing i

Laymyatnar pagoda stands 150 feet far away from the northern part of Htoakkanthein pagoda. The pagoda built by king Min Saw Mon in 1430 AD, is one of the first five pagodas in Mraukoo. The pagoda is called Laymyatnar pagoda because the four entrances of the pagoda face the four directions. The pagoda was built in the form of arising of the great pagoda amidst the four surrounding pagodas. Dadugatba and the inverted golden bowl are above the bell-shaped dome. The pagoda is enclosed with the stone wall in four directions. There is the entrance at each of the eastern and the western stone walls. There are five Buddha images in the niches of the wall between the two entrances. There are eight stone Buddha images facing eight directions at the center of the cave tunnel. The total number of Buddha images are twenty eight depending on the verse of Thanboatday. The pagoda built by Na Ra Nu in AD 1433 who was a younger brother of king Min Saw Mon, is in the northern part of Laymyatnar pagoda.

The mountain is called Barkula mountain because Ashin Bar Ku La stopped for awhile on the mountain when he came to Dynyawaddy taking Buddha relics from king Athor Ka of Patalipoat kingdom. On the other hand, it is also called Burpu mountain as Bur Pu ogre lived. Future Gaw Da Ma Buddha lived in the mountain as a barking deer in a previous life of his while he was fulfilling the minor perfection. The name of the mountain is Nithapatpada. King Thu Ri Ya Sak Ka of Dynyawaddy kingdom erected a pagoda enshrining Thiri relic of Buddha in it after Buddha had gained Parinibbanna. King Min Saw Mon rebuilt the pagoda in AD 1430 as the pagoda fell into ruins. There are still two pagodas built in Mraukoo period and one pagoda built by the townpeople during the British regime.

Moatsatetaw pagoda is situated on the hillock which is 100 feet high and 300 feet far away from the northern part of Myatansaung pagoda. The pagoda was built by king Min Saw Mon as one of the five city-settlement pagodas in AD 1430. The hillock has two levels and the first level was made of stone and it contains a repository for Buddhist scriptures. It is surrounded by the stone wall in four directions. Three stone Buddha images are in the cave. The cave has damaged due to the burglar. Moatsatetaw pagoda is loacted on the topmost level of the hillock. The pagoda was built at the center of the brick substructure called the big terrace which is 100 feet in lenght, 100 feet in breadth and 55 feet in height. The form of the pagoda is that Dadugatba is put over the bell-shaped dome. The pagoda is 50 feet high and 100 feet in circumference. There are four surrounding pagodas at the four corners. A Buddha foorprint was in the east of the pagoda. Nowadays, the trustee of Chitthaung pagoda mo

Shwegutaung pagoda stands on the hill in the east of the palace site. The pagoda was built in the east of the palace, and the successive kings of Mraukoo worshipped that pagoda as a palace-head pagoda. The pagoda was built by king Min Saw Mon is AD 1430. The pagoda has three levels of the pagoda court in the west of the hill. There is a wall containing eight small caves in the lowest level. The peacock figures exist between every two small cave. In the previous time, the Buddha image cast in nine jewels, was in the cave. In the present, that Buddha image is dwelling in Nyaungpin Market monastery to be worshipped. The pagoda has a cave at the base and in the previous time, the cave had the bell-shaped pagodas. Each of the small pagodas is at the four corners. The small caves adjacent to the wall, are in the south, the north and the west. The British chief commissioner Mr. Aran Hal built a conical pagoda on the cave in AD 1937. The original upper part of the pagoda had been in ruins, b

The eastern Myatasaung pagoda and the western Myatasaung pagoda built by king Min Saw Mon, are situated on the hills which are 41 feet high and 500 feet far away from the north of Laymyatnar pagoda. Those pagodas are the contemporary pagodas of founding Mraukoo. The pagodas were made of stone, and the wall of the surrounding pagoda and the stairway, were made of bricks. Both of the pagodas have the same size and similarity. The stone Buddha image which is 6 feet high, is inside the pagoda. There are four surrounding pagodas which were made of bricks at the four corners within the brick wall. There were monasteries in which the monks lived near the pagoda. That monastery was called Myatansaung monastery. It has been said that the monks from Myatasaung monastery went to Srilanka for their missionary work in the time of king Min Hla Ra Zar and king Min Ra Zar Gyi. Nowadays, the pagodas look collapsed and it is necessary to restore them.

The pagoda is located on the hill which is one mile away from the palace site. The pagoda was erected by king Min Saw Mon in AD 1430. When king Min Saw Mon moved the capital from Laungkyat to Mraukoo, he invited twenty monks to Mraukoo from Laungkyat including Maha Vi Zay Ya, a head of Samgha. Kin Min Saw Mon honoured monk Maha Vi Zay Ya with donating a big monastery at the appropriate place in the south of the palace. That monastery was named as Mahavizayyaranthi monastery. The pagoda was also built on the hill near the monastery. The pagoda was called Maha Vizayyaranthi in reference to the name of the monk. The pagoda is one of five city-settlement pagodas. When monk Shin Maha Ra Hta Tha Ra and monk Shin Tay Zaw Tha Ra visited Rakhine, they sojourned in that monastery for three months of lent in 1516 AD. The pagoda is octagonal in shape at the base and it is built in the form of tiers of the terrace. There are eight opening caves in the four directions of the first and the second ter

King Min Saw Mon took the throne of Mraukoo in 1432 AD. Two years later, after king Min Saw Mon had gained the throne of Mraukoo, he erected the Buddha image on Kyatchar mountain in AD 1432. In the same year, he also built Yanaung Buddha image, Natebuza Buddha image, Bopyo Buddha image, Sutawpan Buddha image, Thattawchay Buddha image and Latthukywe Buddha image at seven mountain ranges. King Min Bar ascended the throne of Mraukoo in 1530 AD. In the year of accession of king Min Bar, he managed to recapture twelve cities of Bengal. Before the king began the military operation, he consulted with ministers. Therefore, minister Kaung Kyaw Tin Sar spoke to the king humbly according to the ominous saying that all the mosques must be placed only Baungdweat quarter, and the new umbrella must be replaced for the old one of Wathay Buddha image after renovating it, and all muslims must be shaved heads. In accordance with the minister’s advice, before he started the military operation, the king d

The pagoda was built by king Min Kha Ree in AD 1433. The pagoda is called Nyidaw pagoda because king Min Kha Ree built the pagoda he wanted the successive generations of Rakhine to imitate him that he paid respect to his elder brother Min Saw Mon according to 38 kinds of blessing. The pagoda has a perfumed chamber. The evidence of belief of 28 Buddhas, can be found because the 28 niches of 28 Buddhas were made at both sides of the entrance way to the pagoda. The stone sculpture of the early Mraukoo period, was sculpted at Buddha throne.

Htuparyoon pagoda stands on the flat land in the north of Laungpanprauk pagoda. The pagoda was built by king Min Ran Aung in AD 1454. King Min Kha Maung and his queen Shin Htwe reconstructed the pagoda in AD 1613 and donated the golden robe for the whole pagoda. In Mraukoo period, the kings came to the pagoda to make reverence to the pagoda for the victory after their coronations. The pagoda is surrounded by two layers of the wall. Every four direction of the wall has the entrances. The man-lion statues with the body of the lion and the head of the human being, were made at every corner of the innver wall. The pagoda was made of sandstones, and the base of the pagoda is octagonal in shape. The lotus leaves and buds were made at the terraces. Every four direction of the two terraces has the opening caves. There are stone Buddha images in such caves. The pagoda was built in the form of zigzag. In the reign of king Min Pha Laung, there were free dispensaries between the two walls. The c

Ratanamankin and Ratanasanrwe are the pagodas built of King Ba Saw Phyu on the spur of Haymawon mountain in AD 1459. Only the stone Buddha images can be worshipped in the perfumed chamber as the pagoda fell into ruins. It is a distinction that the Buddha image and the throne were built separately without joining to the western wall in the perfumed chamber.

Bawdishwegu pagoda is situated on the spur of Haymawan hill in the eastern part of Linpanpyauk pagoda. The pagoda was built by king Ba Saw Phyu in AD 1470. The base of the pagoda is octagonal in shape and the pagoda looks like a truncated pagoda. There are god figures associated with the planets at the corners of the pagoda. The pagoda is 30 feet high and 106 feet in circumference. The whole pagoda was made of blocks of stone. There is a cave opening in the east to enter the pagoda. Two hundred and eighty stone sculptures were sculpted in six classes on the walls of the entrance way to the cave. The figures based on 550 Zataka stories, were carved fully in both sides of the entrance way to the cave. The figure of the king who goes around the city, clothing styles of the ministers, the clothing styles of the general and the decorations of the elephant and the horse, were carved in detail. The small Buddha images are over those figures. The stone Buddha image which is 6 feet high, is i

King Ba Saw Phyu ascended the throne of Mraukoo in 1459 AD. The king let the western-palace queen live in the western-palace chamber in the west of the palace near Mauktawgate. The western-palace queen gave birth a daughter called Saw Shwe Kya in such place. Minister Min Nyo of Bardugyun composed a lullaby, and presented it to sing in the cradle-swinged ceremony for princess Saw Shwe Kya. That Lullaby became well known as Rakhine princess lullaby in the history. Princess Saw Shwe Kya built a Buddha image and a cave in the site of her palace chamber as the donation in AD 1471. It is situated in the south-west of Anawma pagoda. The upturned lotus petals, were sculpted of stone at the terraces, and they are the scarce hand-artistic works of Mraukoo period. The pagoda is called Shwekyathein with reference to the princess’s name. In the past, the prayer hall was in front of the cave. Nowadays, the original prayer hall had already collapsed, therefore, the new prayer hall was built over the

The pagoda is situated on the right side of the way to Myothit quarter and it is half a mile way from the west of the palace site. The minister Na Ra Zall built the pagoda in AD 1471. The pagoda is called Narazall pagoda because it was built by minister Na Ra Zall. Na Ra Zall was a minister who had to choose the suitable time for the king. Thoat Daw Lyar, the son of king Ba Saw Phyu, took the throne of Mraukoo in 1481 when his father passed away. In the fifth year of his accession, monk Shin Maha Ra Hta Tha Ra and monk Shin Tay Zaw Tha Ra from Ava, arrived in Mraukoo. Both of the two monks dwelled for three months of lent in Mahavizayyaranthi monastery king Min Saw Mon donated. One day, they met princess Saw Nan Min Phyu, a daughter of king Thoat Daw Lyar, on the way back to the monastery from the downtown. So, monk Tay Zaw Tha Ra admired the beauty of the princess by writing Ratu which includes three stanzas of the verse. The princess received that Ratu while she was paying reve

The king who gained the throne of Mraukoo in 1494 AD, was Thein Ga Thu. At his reign of 7 years, he built a great pagoda as a customary good deed of the kings in the north-west of the palace site. The pagoda was called Tayzarama pagoda in reference to the name of the monk because it was built near the monastery of monk Tay Za Ra Ma, the head of the monk order. The pagoda is conical in structure. There are four porches in the second and the third terraces. Both sides of each porch have small pagodas in the form of Mahaboddhi temple. The pagoda was renovated by king Na Ra Pa Ti and king San Da Vi Za Ya. There is a particular stone cave built separately in the east of the pagoda. The ogre stone sculpture at the porch of the cave, is artistic. A stone Buddha image is in the cave. At the south of the pagoda, the list of the farms donated for the image, was inscribed in the cave. There are four stone inscriptions. Nowadays, the pagoda board of trustee takes care of it.

The hillock on which Myawtawmu pagoda stands, is 100 feet high and two furlongs away from the palace site. Although the original donor was not known exactly, the year of renovation of king Min Pha Laung, must be recorded. The place on which Myawtawmu pagoda stands, is a plateau. The brick wall was made around the plateau and the entrance has porches. The brick stairway is an access to climb the top of the mountain. Kwansee entrance gate can be seen if one views from that place. In Mraukoo period, the soldiers who came back from the war, had to enter the city from only that entrance gate. he pagoda was called Myawtawmu pagoda because the women used to wait for the returning of their husbands, soldiers, to homes from that place. And, it was also the place the women prayed to Buddha by donating light for the victory of the war of their husbands. In the reign of king Min Kha Maung, a zone officer had to live with his family near Myawtawmu pagoda while he was performing his duties at Ponna

The three pagodas stand on the hill which is 100 feet high and half a mile away from the east of the palace site. King Min Saw Oho, the tenth king of Min Saw Mon dynasty, built the pagoda in AD 1515. Three Nipuzar pagodas are: lower Nipuzar, middle Nipuzar and upper Nipuzar. The words “Nipuzar” was derived from Napuza in Pali. Napuza means the place worshipped by the people. The nat figures worshipped by Brahmans called Ponenaw who lived in Mraukoo in the past, can be found near Nipuzar pagoda. Nowadays, such figures of Nat were kept in Mraukoo archaeological museum. The upper Nipuzar and the middle Nipuzar have been damaged and covered with creepers. Only the lower Nipuzar pagoda has the easy accessibility. That pagoda is also damaging at the upper part of the inverted alms bowl. Nipuzar is a stone pagoda and has terraces. The golden balls and the mouldings remaining at uppter part of the inverted alms bowl, still can be seen until now. The stone Buddha image which is 10 feet high, i

The pagoda stands on the flat land which is one mile far away from the north of the palace site. The pagoda was built by king Min Saw Oho in AD 1525. The pagoda was named Laungpwanpyauk according to the ominous saying. The pagoda is surrounded by the stone wall in two layers. There are stairways and entrances to the pagoda in the east and the west. There are glazed-multicoloured big flowers around the inner stone wall. Each big flower has one yellow pollen and four sepals. There are 166 big flowers and 240 small flowers around the stone wall. The pagoda is octagonal in shape. Every terrace has niche Buddha images inside the porches which are similar to the pediments of the throne. The eastern porch is a very beautiful stone sculpture. The Buddha image in the eastern proch, is Pudumoathti Buddha image. The pagoda is inclining towards the east because the burglars broke in the bell-shaped dome. Nowadays, the pagoda was repaired by the department of archaeology and it is 75 feet high.

King Min Saw Oho ruled the throne of Mraukoo in 1515 AD. Such king built many pagodas on the seven mountain ranges. Three pagodas were built on Sankar mountain in the west of the palace. Such mountain is called Rathay mountain because a hermit lived on the mountain during the Birtish regime. The devotee U Tha Tun renovated the pagodas damaged during the British regime. Nowadays, the small pagoda is nearly destroying because of digging of the treasure hunters.

King Min Khaung Ra Za built Thattawshay pagoda on the hill which is 50 feet high and a mile away from the west of the palace site in AD 1525. Thattawshay pagoda is the conical pagoda with the cave. The devotee U That Tun Oo repaired the pagoda in the British regime because it destroyed.

King Min Khaung Ra Za built Thattawra pagoda on the hill which is 50 feet high and one mile away from the palace site in AD 1525. Eighty years ago, U Pha Taw renovated the pagoda because it fell into ruins. The base of the pagoda is in the form of substructure, and the upper part of the pagoda is in the form of conical pagoda. The pagoda is enclosed with the four small surrounding pagodas. The stone sculptural flowers, were sculpted at the whole cave.

Datphyutaung Buddha image is situated half a mile away from the palace site and stands on the hill which is 100 feet high. The original pagoda was erected by king Min Bar in AD 1530. That pagoda was named Datphyutaung because the white-bone relic of Buddha was enshrined. In the past, it was a stone pagoda, but it had already collapsed. Nowadays, the townspeople, therefore, erected the stone Buddha image on the lotus throne. The Buddha image is 8 feet high. The contemporary donors made the figures in the form of preaching Dhamacakka sermon and other figures on the mountain. The townspeople donated the prayer hall for the image and the pagoda board of trustee maintains the image.

Shwegugyi Pagoda is situated in the valley between Shwetaung and Myawtawgutaung. The pagoda was built at the year of accession of king Min Bar. The pagoda has the substructure at the base, and the superstructure in the form of the inverted bronze bowl, is above it. The conical pagoda was erected at the top. The great pagoda is surrounded by four small pagodas. The sitting Buddha image made of the single stone, is in the perfumed chamber. The figure of Vishnu conveyed from Hindu Nat Shrine, is at the entrance to the cave. Both sides of the entrance porch have the stone sculptures in the form of paying homage to Buddha image. Nowadays, the whole pagoda was covered with the golden robe. The board of trustee preserves the pagoda.

Thingyishwegu is one of the nine great caves in Mraukoo. Thingyishwegu stands on the hillock which is 30 feet high and one mile away from the south-east of the palace site. Thingyishwegu Buddha image was built by king Min Bar in AD 1532. The whole hillock was consecrated as the great ordination hall. The stone pillars used as the boundary pillars of the ordination hall, are still five feet high. Although the great cave had destroyed, the four facades of the wall have still remained. The Buddha image sat on the lotus throne in the cage, is 12 feet high. Nowadays, Shwetaung monk maintained the cave by expelling the residences around the hillock.