Tourist Guide To Mrauk-U

While Buddha was resting on the top of Tanttawmu mountain, he prophesied, “Dear Anan Da, I had ever been the kings of human beings and the kings of animals many times in my previous lives in the city of Dawrawaddy. Among them, I had ever been a king of rattlesnake in a previous live of mine in Pathura mountain where is in the north-east of this mountain I stand, therefore, the pagoda called Andaw, will be built enshrining my molar relic after I had attained Parinibbanna.” This pagoda is situated on the top of Andaw mountain where is in the left river bank of Thandwe river and one mile far from Thandwe. The governor Za Choke of the city of Dawrawaddy, built the pagoda enshrining the molar relic in 762 AD according to Buddha’s porphecy. Rakhine successive kings such as king Maha Soe, king Ra Zar Gyi and king San Da Thu Dham Ma, renovated it. The residents of Thandwe and Andaw villagers renovated the pagoda again in 1870 AD. The form of Andaw pagoda is octagonal in shape at the base....

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 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.

Ba Saw Ye, the governor of Thandwe, gained the throne of Mraukoo in 1531 AD. He was called Min Pyin prince because he was given Lamucriminpyin by the king to govern. When he became a king, he was called king Min Pyin, but later, his name became Min Bar. He accepted giving him the title of Thi Ri Thu Ri Ya San Da Mahar Dam Ma Ra Zar at the coronation. His chief queen was Phaw Saw Min. King Min Yay Kyaw Saw fought king Min Saw Mon who was ruling Laungkyat, the last capital of Laymyo period. Consequently, he had to take shelter under king Thu Ra Tan, and he had to give him twelve Bengal cities of Rakhine in order to get back the throne of Laungkyat. Therefore, the twelve Bengal cities of Rakhine fell to king Thu Ra Tan for 125 years from 1406 AD to 1531 AD. One year later, after king Min Bar had gained the throne of Mraukoo, Shin Mya Wa and Maha Pin Nya Kyaw suggested him to recapture the twelve Bengal cities of Rakhine, which fell to king Thu Ra Tan in 1406 AD. The king let Maha Pin N...

Htoakkanthein pagoda is located on the hillock which is 30 feet high and 300 feet away from the western part of Chitthaung pagoda. The donors of the pagoda are king Min Pha Laung and his chief queen Shin Lat. The pagoda was built in AD 1571. While King Min Pha Laung was governing the country, it was in chaos, therefore, his friends told him, “Build the pagoda called Htoakkan if the country is in chaos, and prop it up if the house is old.” Therefore, the pagoda was named Htoakkanthein. The pagoda is 100 feet wide from the south to the north and 137 feet long from the east to the west and it stands on the hillock which is 20 feet high. The structure of the pagoda is that there is a great pagoda in the form of the stupa at the center of the substructure (base monastery) and there are four small stupas in the four corners. Dhadugappa is placed over the inverted alms bowl at the central pagoda and the surrounding pagodas. The entrance is in the south in the substructure (base monastery) a...

Ratanapoon pagoda is situated on the hillock which is 10 feet high and 20 feet away from the northern part of Andawthein pagoda. The pagoda was built by king Min Kha Maung and his queen Shin Htwe in AD 1612. The pagoda was named as Ratanapoon because the treasures were heaped in the pagoda and in other words, the pagoda was called Ratanapoon in order to know that Rakhine people have taken refuge in three gems called Buddha, Dhamma and Samgha in strong faith. Ratanapoon was derived from Ratanapunya in Pali. The pagoda resembles Sanchi stupa in India and Kaungmudaw pagoda donated by king Thar Lun is Sagaing. Ratanapoon pagoda is enclosed with the wall. There are the entrance staircases in the east, the north and the south of the wall. There are lion figures which were made of stone at the entrances outside the inner wall. The pagoda is enclosed with seventeen brick pagodas. There are three stone pagodas adjacent to Ratanapoon pagoda in the east. The stone Buddha images are in the cave...