Tourist Guide To Mrauk-U

The road to Mahamuni from Mrauk-U passes through and halves Vesali. Taking this road, the south wall of Vesali can be seen at the distance of four and half miles from Mrauk-U. Just in front of the wall is a hill on which Thaunggyat-taw pagoda stands. At the top of the ridge extending the southwest of Thaunggyat-taw pagoda is a stupa from where a stone inscription containing Ye Dhamma verse was found in May, 1965.  In 1957, the stone inscription of Niticandra's queen was recovered from a ruined stupa at Unhissaka hill north of Thaung-gyat-taw pagoda. In that year, Viracandra's inscription was found at a ruined stupa on a hill north of Unhissaka hill. The letters in these inscriptions closely resemble to those used before six-century. The names of Niticandra and Viracandra are inscribed on Anandacandra inscriptions. 

by San Tha Aung Anandacandra inscriptions on Shitethaung Pillar in Mrauk-U describe King Dven Candra as the father founder of Vesali. Not only nine Candra Kings but also sixteen kings descended from Dven Candra and other kings ruled over the country with Vesali as the Capital. Situation and Structure    Vesali was the Capital when Candra dynasty reigned over the country. It lies five miles north of Mrauk-U. The city walls and palace site can be clearly observed in photographs taken from aerial view. By studying these photographs and the article 'Rakhine Capital' written by Prof. Daw Thin Kyi (Journal of Myanmar Research Society Vol 52 Part 2, 1970, December) and through field-works, the structure of Vesali will be described as follow. To the west of Vesali runs Rann-Chaung, a tributary of Kaladan River. Lying e

In all places where Rakhine civilization has flourished, including Dynyawaddy (Kyawtaw), Vesali and Mrauk-U, Hindu Vishnu statues can be found. The headless statues found in Vesali measures 5.75 inches from the pedestal up to its neck, and 3 inches of neck. Credit:  Aung, Myar. Famous Monuments of Mrauk-U (Useful Reference for Tourists and Travelers) . (2nd ed.). Yangon

To the west of the Vesali Palace Heights is the palace site of the Crown Prince. To the west of it along the main part of Rann-chaung creek, is the harbour where there was the Stone-stairs. Referring to the famous structure, the city was once known as Vesali, the Stone-stairs City. At present, almost all of it have decayed and destroyed. Credit:  Aung, Myar. Famous Monuments of Mrauk-U (Useful Reference for Tourists and Travelers) . (2nd ed.). Yangon

This shrine is located at Bow-rwa-ze village south of Maha Hti Village. It is a stone-sculpted 'nat' statues six-feet-and-nine-inches in height which is a traditional Rakhine 'nat'. This 'nat' was worshipped and made a devotional offering by the king himself in the moth of "Nayone" in Rakhine calendar annually. In a stone inscriptions made in 1524 A.D. it was recorded donation of acres of farmland for the maintenance of this shrine. The stone inscriptions locates at three miles south-west of the 'nat' shrine. At the foot of the Par-taw hill where there is the stone inscriptions, there is a set of figures ofline drawing inscribed on the boulder. Credit:  Aung, Myar. Famous Monuments of Mrauk-U (Useful Reference for Tourists and Travelers) . (2nd ed.). Yangon

  Detail of the Koe-thaung Temple, the temple of the 90,000 Buddhas, built by King Min Dikkha during the years 1554-1556 in Mrauk U, Rakhin State in Myanmar. PIX : © Thor Jorgen Udvang, Dreamstime.com Located to the north of old Loung-kret city twelve successive kings ruled the kingdom from the seat of this royal city. In the area of this old city still exists Par-ri-taw Pagoda, Nar-ri-taw Pagoda King Kawliya's palace grounds. North of the area is the old city of "Parein" which is located to the east of Mrauk-U. The other side of old Parein city across the river is the area of royal city of Toungu Nay-rein-za-ra that flourished before Loung-gret city (1160-1250 A.D.). Credit:  Aung, Myar. Famous Monuments of Mrauk-U (Useful Reference for Tourists and Travelers) . (2nd ed.). Yangon

Mrauk-U, an ancient capital of Arakan Kingdom, is a hidden archeological  site in western Myanmar. There are hundreds of pagodas and temples in Mrauk-U. Mrauk-U had been flourished from 1430 A.D to 1785 A.D when the Burmese king conquered the Kingdom. Photo: Mexico Kmt

This Cultural Museum, three-stored building is located on the Main Road, Kyaypungri Ward in Sittway. It is the place where cultural heritage of Rakhines among which are literature, reliefs depicting national costumes, hair styles and others, cultural pieces representing different aspects of a race and artefacts of cultural value are collectively exhibited in their originality. On the third store is housed a library. Credit:  Aung, Myar. Famous Monuments of Mrauk-U (Useful Reference for Tourists and Travelers) . (2nd ed.). Yango

The Buddhology Museum was built on the road close to the lane leading to the Sittway Airport. In the museum are the exhibited the casted images of Vesali, Lemro and Mrauk-U periods, relics, palm-leaf manuscripts, ancient coins and currency notes. Also known are Maha-kyan Buddha Image (some say it is of the Buddha Image worshipped by sucessive kings) casted with the previous metals left over after casting of the Mahamuni Imgae. The original collector of these ancient artifacts is the presiding monk of Maha Kuthala monastry, Bhattanda Wunnita who contributed a lot for the establishment of the museum. As the museum is the one which contributes of the perpetuation of the Buddhism, one should take time to observe the ancient artefacts of high value. Credit:  Aung, Myar. Famous Monuments of Mrauk-U (Useful Reference for Tourists and Travelers) . (2nd ed.). Yango

The pagoda is located on a hill known as Nnda Sula Phavata at the north-eat corner of Kanndawgri Lake in Sittway. Tradition has it that it is the site in the envirouns of which Lord Buddha in his previous existence as the king of variegated ground lizards had lived. Formerly, there were fourteen pagodas enshrining the relic of the calf of the left leg of the Blessed One. Among the two hundred and forty-seven pagodas enshrining the relic of Buddha built by King Thuriya Sakka, this pagoda is one among them. Credit:  Aung, Myar. Famous Monuments of Mrauk-U (Useful Reference for Tourists and Travelers) . (2nd ed.). Yango 

Dhanyawadi Dhanyawadi (Lat, 20˚ 52′ N., Long 93˚ 3′ E.) is located 6 miles east of the Kaladan river, and about 60 miles up-river from its mouth at Akyab. The city site is about 16 miles north of Vesali, and some 21 miles north of Mrauk-Oo (Mrohaung). See Map III. The city is backed up against the ridge which separates the Kaladan valley from the Lemro valley. The remains show that there was an outer and an inner city. Parts of the walls and the moats can still be seen in many places. The modern village of Thayettabin lies in the southwestern part of the outer city, and the Mahamuni Shrine lies in the southwestern of the inner city. The old city was of fairly of the ridge. On the western side only a small portion of the outer tributary of the Kaladan. The chaung may have once formed the moat on the west. The remaining parts of the former moat have been silted over and have become paddy fields. The inner city was the site of the Palace. Royalty and officialdom resided

Vesali  Vesali (Lat: 20˚ 40′ N. Long. 93˚ 9’E.) lies 16 miles south of Dhanyawadi. It has on its western flank the Rann Chaung a tributary of the Kaladan, and on its eastern side, the ridge which separates the Kaladan Valley from the Lemro Valley. The shape of the city is rather unusual since the walls were built in such a way as to obtain the fullest advantage of the well-drained land to be found in the foothill zone. The shape is somewhat oval, the north and east running in more or less straight lines, while the walls on the south and the west are curved. See Map V and Plate 8. A tributary of the Rann chaung now traverses the city site. According to the local chronicles, the city’s full name is “Vesali, the city with the stone stairs”. These stone stairs led to the pier where sailing ships must have docked in those days. Remains of those stone stairs leading to the pier can still be seen at ebb-tide, on the northwest of the city.   The north-south diameter of the o

Vesali described by the chronicles The annals of the great cities in Rakhine history, the story and glory of Vesali has been well recorded. This great city lies about five miles north of Mrauk-U. The city of Vesali was strategic sea-port in trade between India and central Myanmar. In Ananda Candra Stone Inscriptions inscribed in eight century A.D. of Vesali period, it is beautifully coined that "King Dven Candra founded the city that ridiculed the beauty of 'abode of celestial beings' (nat-pray) commemorating victory over one hundred and one kings." Map of Vesali Twenty successive kings ruled the kingdom from this city spanning from fourth to eight century A.D. For trade currency purposes, five sizes of gold and silver coins were used in the coins used earlier bore the titles of the ruling monarchs. As flourished in Vesali, pagodas were built, images of Lord Buddha sculpted, monasteries constructed and donated, and the use of Sanskrit became common and later u

“Having built a city which is more beautiful and splendid than the city of the celestial beings as if mocking the latter city . . .” – Anandacandra Stone, Verse 21 To hear about a Lost City , one that you’ve never heard of before, particularly when it is older than the one you’re already in, can be an exciting prospect. And while Mrauk U was fascinating with its monumental, semi-abandoned temples amidst what had essentially become a historic backwater, I was told that it was merely the fourth and final Rakhine capital, and therefore relatively recent. Exterior of the Mrauk U city wall. Only six miles north of Mrauk U was their second capital, Vesali. It’s often included in local day trip packages to the Mahamuni Paya and past Dhanyawaddy, their first capital about 2 hours away. There was also, reportedly, very little there to see there. So instead, I spent $2 renting a bicycle and was off down the rough road into the backwaters of the already exc