User:Arakanindobhasa

THE Mahamuni Pagoda.Link title

The Mahamuni shrine is situated north latitude 21'^ east longitude 0-5"^ 8 miles ^^st Qf the Kaladan river and 48 miles north of Mrohaung, the once famous capital cf the Arakanese kinffS.

History. — The earliest dawn of the history of Arakan reveals the base of the hills, which divide the lower course of the Kaladan and L^mro rivers, inhabited by sojourners from India governed by chiefs who claim relationship with the rulers of Kapilavastu. Their subjects are divided into the four castes of the older Hindu communities; the kings and priests study the three Vedas • the rivers, hills, and cities bear names of Aryan origin; and the titles assumed by the king and queen regnant suggest connection with the Solar and Lunar dynasties of India.

The Lfemro river was then called Anjanadi, from its crooked course. MSrayu the first of Arakanese kings, founded the city of Uhanj'avati on the banks of the Slrimanadi (now the Xhare creek). The ICaladan meandered past the S'lilagiri (now Kyauktaw) under the appellation Gaccha-. bhanadi and joined the sea (samudra) below Urasa, the present Urittaung. The Mallapabbata Gandhagiri, and J5rupabbata separated the Kaladan from the Mallayunadl (Mayu river), and to the west rose the Kasinapabbata. Later on, but still before our era, four towns (chaturgSrrta) were founded where the Launggyet creek joins the Lemro ; the modem villager Nankya, Barin, Bato, and L*'tma indicate the sites of the "four cities;" and the Aftjanadi changed its nailie '^o L^mro (Le- Tiyomyit), or the " four-city river." Vaijali (Vesali) is said to have first been founded by King Vasudeva. The ruins of this town can still be traced ^amiles north of Mrohaung, 2 mileseast of the village of Paragyi. Both Dhanyavat! and Vesali were repeatedly destroyed by neighbouring mountain tribes, but again rebuilt by the Aryan settlers.

With Candrasuriyaor Mahacandrasuriya appear the dim outlines of the history cf A.*akan. This monarch erected a new city and palace on the site of Old Dhanyavat! ; to this ruler historical annals and traditions unanimously ascribe the foundation of the original Mahamuni shrine intended to receive the brazen image of Gotama. The records cf Farther India make Candrasuriya a contemporary of Mahamuni, the great sage. Buddhism, as it now prevails in Burma, is decidedly an offshoot of the Southern Buddhist school. In the i ith and 1 2th centuries the priests of Pagan united their church ^-ith the mother-church of Ceylon. In the loth century Buddhism, established in Burma by Sona and Uttara who were sent by Asoka, must have become nearly extinct. Manuha, King of the Talaings, ■was brought captive to Pagan by Anawratha doLh'centurvl ; he was, however, allowed to build a residence for himself, and in this palace nearly all Is Indian art, and Tric"j.t';';rsig"S supreme, as is evident fran the stone sculptures still preserved in the edifice (see Report on Pagan). , The religious zeal of Anawratha and Kara pat ijayasura again secured supremacy to Buddhism. But there are old Buddhist traditions among the Talaings and Arakanese, traditions which could not have originated with the Southern Buddhist school, but are the remnants of the old Northern Buddhism, which reached Arakan from the Ganges when India was mainly Buddhistic ; they form a substratum cropping up here and there apparently without any connection ; its centre is the Mahamuni pagoda, the most Important remains 'of ancient Buddhism in Burma, antedating in this province both Brahmanism and the Buddhism of the Southern school. The legend asserts that during the reign of Candrasuriya, King of Dhannavati (Morthem Arakan), Gotama Buddha came with many of his followers to this count"y.' ................... p