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=== History of Rakhine ===

Rakhine's ancient kingdoms are divided into four separate periods. The Rakhine people (Arakanese) claim a history that began in 3325 BC and certain archaeological evidence have been supposed to be found to support this claim. According to legend, the first independent kingdom was established in 3325 BC by King Marayu. Buddhism was introduced into Rakhine during the lifetime of Buddha himself. According to Rakhine Chronicles, the Buddha in his lifetime, visited the city of Dhanyawadi in 554 BC. King Sanda Thuriya requested the Buddha to leave an image of Himself. After casting the Great Image Maha Muni, the Buddha breathed upon it which resembled the exact likeness of the Blessed One. Ancient Dhanyawadi lies west of the mountain ridge between the Kaladan and Le-mro rivers. Dhannyawadi could be reached by small boat from the Kaladan via its tributary, the Tharechaung. Its city walls were made of brick, and form an irregular circle with a perimeter of about 9.6 km, enclosing an area of about 4.42 square km. Beyond the walls, the remains of a wide moat, now silted over and covered by paddy fields, are still visible in places. The remains of brick fortifications can be seen along the hilly ridge which provided protection from the west. Within the city, a similar wall and moat enclose the palace site, which has an area of 0.26 square km, and another wall surrounds the palace itself. At times of insecurity, when the city was subject to raids from the hill tribes or attempted invasions from neighboring powers, there would have been an assured food supply enabling the population to withstand a siege. The city would have controlled the valley and the lower ridges, supporting a mixed wet-rice and taungya (slash and burn) economy, with local chiefs paying allegiance to the king. From aerial photographs we can discern Dhannyawadi's irrigation channels and storage tanks, centered at the palace site. Throughout the history of Rakhine, and indeed the rest of early Southeast Asia, the king's power stemmed from his control of irrigation and water storage systems to conserve the monsoon rains and therefore to maintain the fertility and prosperity of the land. In ceremonies conducted by Indian Brahmins the king was given the magic power to regulate the celestial and terrestrial forces in order to control the coming of the rains which would ensure the continuing prosperity of the kingdom. [edit] Waithali Main article: Waithali It has been estimated that the centre of power of the Arakanese world shifted from Dhanyawadi to Waithali in the 4th century AD. Although it was established later than Dhanyawadi, Waithali is the most Indianized of the four Arakanese kingdoms to emerge. Like all of the Arakanese Kingdoms to emerge, the Kingdom of Waithali was based on trade between the East (pre-Pagan Myanmar,Pyu, China, the Mons), and the West (India, Bengal, Persia). Anandachandra Inscriptions date back to 729 AD originally from Vesali now preserved at Shitethaung indicates adequate evidence for the earliest foundation of Buddhism and the subjects of the Waithali Kingdom practiced. Dr. E. H. Johnston's analysis reveals a list of kings which he considered reliable beginning from Chandra dynasty. The western face inscription has 72 lines of text recorded in 51 verses describing the Anandachandra's ancestral rulers. Each face recorded the name and ruling period of each king who were believed to have ruled over the land before Anandachandra. Some important and badly damaged life-size Buddha images were recovered from Letkhat-Taung, a hill east of the old palace compound. These statues are invaluabe in helping to understand the Waithali architecture, and also the extent of Hindu influence in the kingdom. According to local legend, Shwe-taung-gyi (lit. Great Golden Hill), a hill northeast of the palace compound maybe a burial place of a 10th century Pyu king. The rulers of the Waithali Kingdom were of the Chandra dynasty, because of their usage of Chandra on the Waithali coins. The Waithali period is seen by many as the beginning of Arakanese coinage - which was almost a millennium earlier than the Burmese. On the reverse of the coins, the Srivatsa (Arakanese/Burmese: Thiriwutsa), while the obverse bears a bull, the emblem of the Chandra dynasty, under which the name of the King is inscribed in Sanskrit.

[edit] Le-Mro Main article: Le-Mro [edit] Mrauk U Main article: Mrauk U

Mrauk-U, or Arrakan (city of Arrakan), in the first plan the portuguese settlement of Daingri-pet. In Wouter Schouten : Oost-Indische Voyagie, t.o. p. 148. 1676 In 1433, King Min Saw Mon established Mrauk U as the capital of the last unified Arakanese Kingdom. The city eventually reached a size of 160,000 in the early seventeenth century[1]. Mrauk U served as the capital of the Mrauk U kingdom and its 49 kings till the conquest of the kingdom by the Burmese Konbaung Dynasty in 1784. [edit] Trading City Due to its proximity to the Bay of Bengal, Mrauk U developed into an important regional trade hub, acting as both a back door to the Burmese hinterland and also as an important port along the eastern shore of the Bay of Bengal. It became a transit point for goods such as rice, ivory, elephants, tree sap and deer hide from Ava in Burma, and of cotton, slaves, horses, cowrie, spices and textiles from Bengal, India, Persia and Arabia. Alongside Pegu and later Syriam, it was one of the most important ports in Burma till the eighteenth century.[citation needed] The city also traded with non-Asian powers such as Portugal and then the VOC of the Netherlands. The VOC established trading relations with the Arakanese in 1608 after the Portuguese fell in favour due to the lack of loyalty of Portuguese mercenaries, such as Filipe de Brito e Nicote in the service of the Arakanese king. The VOC established a permanent factory in Mrauk U in 1635, and operated in Arakan till 1665.[2] At its zenith, Mrauk U was the centre of a kingdom which stretched from the shores of the Ganges river to the western reaches of the Ayeyarwaddy River. According to popular Arakanese legend, there were 12 'cities of the Ganges' which constitute roughly half of modern day Bangladesh which were governed by Mrauk U, including Dhaka and Chittagong. During that period, its kings minted coins inscribed in Arakanese, Kufic and Bengali. The inclusion of Kufic and Bengali were not that the Mrauk U kings had embraced Islam, but in order to gain legitimacy over the mainly Islamic Bengalis who were subjects. Much of Mrauk U's historical description is drawn from the writings of Friar Sebastian Manrique, a Portuguese Augustinian monk who resided in Mrauk U from 1630 to 1635. [edit] Colonial Period The people of Rakhine (Arakan) resisted the conquest of the kingdom for decades after. Fighting with the Rakhine (Arakanese) resistance, initially led by Nga Than Dè and finally by Chin Byan in border areas, created problems between British India and Burma. The year 1826 saw the defeat of the Bamar in the First Anglo-Burmese War and Rakhine (Arakan) was ceded to Britain under the Treaty of Yandabo. Akyab was then designated the new capital of Rakhine (Arakan). In 1852, Rakhine (Arakan) was merged into Lower Burma as a territorial division. Rakhine (Arakan) was the center of multiple insurgencies which fought against British rule, notably led by the monks U Ottama and U Seinda. During the Second World War, Rakhine (Arakan) was given autonomy under the Japanese occupation and was even granted its own army known as the Arakan Defence Force. The Arakan Defence Force went over to the allies and turned against the Japanese in early 1945. In 1948, Rakhine (Arakan) became a division within the Union of Burma. Shortly after, violence broke out along religious lines between Buddhists and Muslims. Later there were calls for secession by the Rakhine (Arakan), but such attempts were subdued. In 1974, the Ne Win government's new constitution granted Rakhine (Arakan) Division "state" status but the gesture was largely seen as meaningless since the military junta held all power in the country and in Rakhine (Arakan). In 1989, the name of Arakan State was changed to "Rakhine" by the military junta. [edit] See Also Arakan Mountains From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia (Redirected from Rakhine Mountains) Jump to: navigation, search Arakan Mountains (Arakan Yoma) Rakhine Mountains Range Country	Myanmar

Region	Rakhine State

Highest point	Mount Victoria

- elevation	3,094 m (10,151 ft) - coordinates	 21°25′46.36″N 93°49′10.75″E / 21.4295444°N 93.8196528°E

Topography of Myanmar The Arakan Mountains (Arakan Range, Rakhine Range, Rakhine Yoma, Arakan Yoma, Rakhine Roma, Arakan Roma; Burmese: ရခိုင်ရိုးမ) is a mountain range in western Burma (Myanmar), between the coast of Rakhine State and the Central Burma Basin, in which flows the Irrawaddy River. It is the most prominent of a series of parallel ridges that arc through Assam, Nagaland, Mizoram and Burma. The Arakan Mountains run from Cape Negrais in the south into the Manipur State of India in the north. They includes the Naga Hills, the Chin Hills, and the Patkai range which includes the Lushai Hills.[1] Contents [hide] •	1 Geology and formation •	2 High points •	3 Infrastructure •	4 History •	5 Ecology •	6 Notes

[edit] Geology and formation The Arakan Mountains and the parallel arcs to the west and east were formed by compression as the Indian Plate collided with the Eurasian Plate approximately along the boundary between India and Nepal.[2][3] [edit] High points The Arakan Mountain Range is over 600 miles (950 km) long,[1] with about 250 miles (400 km) of actual mountains. The highest point in the range is Mount Victoria at 3,094 meters (10,150 feet). [edit] Infrastructure The Arakan Mountains are crossed by the An route to Ngape and Minbu and by an all-weather road from Taungup to Pyay on the Irrawaddy. [edit] History Because the Arakan Mountains divide the Rakhine coast from the rest of Burma, they have acted as a barrier between the peoples of central Burma and those of the Indian subcontinent. This played a role in fostering the separate development of the Rakhine people, both linguistically and culturally, from the Burmese. the Arakan Mountains also served as a barrier inhibiting Burmese invasions, and allowing Arakan to develop as an separate political entity. Thus the coastal cities, such as Mrauk U and Waithali, formed the core of Arakan civilization. [edit] Ecology The Arakan Mountains act as a barrier to the southwestern monsoon rains coming from central Myanmar, making their western slopes drier.[1] They include the Chin Hills-Arakan Yoma montane forests ecoregion which is home to an elephant population and also the critically endangered Arakan Forest Turtle which was considered extinct

Myauk-U Archaeological Area and Monuments Property names are listed in the language in which they have been submitted by the State Party. •	Description Capital city of the first Arakanese Kingdom, the site measures 7 by 6 km and contains some 200 Buddhist monuments (temples, stupas, monasteries, etc.) mostly built in the 15th and 16th centuries AD. Located at the junction of the deltaic plain and the Arakanese mountains, the site is an exceptional example of the cleaver use of natural features (hill ranges, waterways, marshes) for fortification. A network of rivers provides easy access to the sea. The religious monuments in various states of conservation and maintenance, have no equivalent in the region. the monuments, particularly several fortified temples, are mostly built in well dressed stone, including skillful vaulting over geometrically complex spaces. Impressive decoration includes outstanding examples of stone carving and sculpture. The Myauk-u kingdom had an important rôle in the history of trade and warfare in the Bay of Bengal, and was the seat of intense cultural and religious interaction between Buddhism and Islam through the Bengali sultanates, between Buddhism and Christianity through the Portuguese. Myanmar (Asia and the Pacific) •	Date of Submission: 04/10/1996 •	Criteria: (i)(iii)(iv)(vi) •	Category: Cultural Submitted by: Department of Archaeology •	Coordinates: Rakhine State,Sittwe District,Myauk-u township Long. 93°11' East Lat. 20°35' North •	Ref.: 824

Mrauk-U One of the best archaeological site as attraction is situated in Yakhine State, on the South-Western part of Myanmar. The ancient capital founded by Rakkhine King Minsawmon in 1433 AD.. Mrauk U period flourished between 15th century and 18th century. The city is 80 km from the north of Sittwe, port city once known as the Golden Gate by the west. The early 17th century was Rakhine's Golden Age for it's trading with western countries such as Holland, Spain, Portugal, Maldives, Italy and south India. The temples and Pagodas are strategically located on the hilltops and look like fortresses.

There are many countless Images spreading all over with some are in ruins and influenced by Indian culture and civilization. Shitthaung Pagoda, Kothaung Pagoda, Anndawthein, Laungbonpyauk, Dukkhanthein, and Pitaakataik are famous ancient Temples with countless stupas. About8km from Mrauk-U is Ve'Sali, an archeological zone from 4th century. This ancient city is earlier than Mrauk-U period. Ve'Sali was succeeded by a series of small cities although Mrauk-U remained.

Ruins of Ko Thaung temple or temples of 90000 images ( structure with tunnels inside ) in Mrauk Oo, northern Rakhine state. The 3 sides of the structure have terraces with small pagodas. Inner galleries are now in-accessible. Previously it ran 230 Feet by 230 Feet and 50 Feet high.

Tourists need to fly to Sittwe ( capital of Rakhine state ) from where there are boats upstream Kissipanadi river ( Kaladan river ) to Kyauk Taw ( a former Rakhine capital ). From Kyauk Taw people can have car transport south to Mrauk Oo. Recently there have been boats running between Sittwe and Mrauk Oo so tourists do not need to pass Kyauk Taw to get to Mrauk Oo.

Northern Rakhine state is full of mountains, first flowing river streams, sea islands and so on. However traveling there is still in a difficult situation especially during the rainy season ( June to Sept ). Traveling there by land may be possible in the near future since now there are progress in building of land transport route including bridges across rivers. The hotels there (up to 2001) have electricity only 4 hours a day from 6 to 10 pm.

Latest news (2002): Now some of the hotels have diesel power generator and can supply 24Hrs electricity. Please check with your travel agent. Rakhine State: Chitthaung Pagoda AD 1535

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 Nya Kyaw manage for the war by appointing him general and giving the title of Maha Nan Da Thu Ra. And, they went for the war in 1522 AD. King Min Bar could take back the twelve Bengal cities due to the failure of king Thu Ra Tan in the war.

After king Min Bar had defeated king Thu Ra Tan, he went to Buddha Gaya and did meritorious deeds at Mahabodi temple. He took the Buddha relics of the pagodas destroyed by the heretics and the derelict Thiripada Buddha footprint to Rakhine. He didn’t place Muslim princess Pay Thi Da in the palace of Mraukoo, but he placed her in the isolated palace in the island near Ponnagyun. Nowadays, the island is called the island of Paythida palace. King Min Bar consulted with Agga Sein Day Ya monk, Agga Mu Ni monk, Shin Mya Wa, minister Vi Ma La and Maha Pin Nya Kyaw to enshrine the Buddha relics he took in the pagoda. 20,000 Buddha images made of sandstone and 60,000 Buddha images made of seven jewels, were sculpted in the vestibules and the caves of the pagoda in dedicating to 80,000 future Buddhas. The pagoda was surrounded by five rectangular-shaped cave tunnels and then, the sandstone Buddha images were placed in order. The ordination hall was built in front of the great pagoda inside the stone wall. Many pagodas were also built inside the stone wall. According to the record of the scholars, after Phoekhaung hill had been levelled fairly, building the pagoda was started in 1535 AD, which was devoid of lunar and solar eclipse. Shin Mya Wa drove the stake into the ground for the site of the building. Besides the name of Chitthaung, the pagoda was called Ranaungzayya dedicating to the success for Portuguese’s attack on Mraukoo. No sooner had a hundred and eight reliquaries been enshrined in the pagoda then the five planetary arrangements were made.

Making the first planetary arrangement

In the first planetary arrangement, the Buddha image was placed in the perfumed chamber which is in the center of the great pagoda. The sitting Buddha image with the posture of Bumiphattha Mudra, was made of single sandstone, and it was built to mean that Buddha was sitting cross-legged by facing eastwards when he won Mara’s attack on him for the Bodhi tree and the jewelled throne. Building the Buddha image facing the eastwards, meant that the eight elements associate with the nature of arising and passing away of the living things and non-living things. Those elements were regarded as eight planets or eight gods or eight directions. Among the eight planets, Monday planet associated with the moon, exists in the east. Therefore, the Buddha image was built facing the east in the first planetary arrangement in terms of the Monday planet because the moonlight makes the mind of human beings peaceful.

Making the second planetary arrangement

The king of lion influenced on different animals, lives in the cave alone. The king of lion associated with Tuesday planet, exists in the south-east. After Bodhisatta had renounced the world, he cut his hair and Ghatikara Brahma offered the yellow robes. Therefore, by carving that Brahma figure, it was placed as the second planetary arrangement in the south-east called Tuesday corner. Making the third planetary arrangement

The king of Deva ignores the foolish persons, and salvages and helps the wise persons with his suppernatural power. Moreover, he is also a supporter for Buddha Sasana. Therefore, the figure of king Deva riding Ayeyarwon elephant and accompanying by his queens __ Thu Si Ta, Thu Nan Dar, Thu Pa Bar and Thu Mar Lar, was built as the third planetary arrangement in the north-east called Sunday corner.

Making the fourth planetary arrangement

No sooner had Buddha world appeared then four Lawkapala gods appeared to take care of the world. Datarahta god takes care of the east and also Wirulaka god, the south, Wiruphat kah god, the west and Kuwayra god, the north. Those four Lawkapala god figures were placed as the fourth planetary arrangement in the north-west called the corner of Rahu.

Making the fifth planetary arrangement

The figure of king Min Bar, a donor of Chitthaung pagoda together with queen Phaw Saw in his right hand side and princess Pya Thi Dar in his left hand side, was placed wearing the clothes like Brahma as the fifth planetary arrangement in the south-west called Saturday corner.

Those four different figures represent that the four different persons are taking refuge in Buddha dwelled in the perfumed chamber.

The great pagoda was built with five rectangular-shaped cave tunnels. The first tunnel was used as the place for the king’s bodyguards while the king was paying reverence to Buddha image and entering the sabbath hall.

In the second tunnel, the figures of 550 previous stories of Buddha who fulfilled for the minor perfection called parami, were carved fully on the wall. The figures of 101 kings of human beings who are taking refuge in Buddha including the king of dragon, the king of Galone bird, the heavenly musician and the king of ogre, were carved holding the lotus buds with their hands at the topmost row. In the south, some previous animal lives of Buddha which were free from illtreatment, were carved too. Buddha circled in the whirlpool of defilement called Thanthara as sixteen lives of crane, nine lives of brahminy duck, six lives of pigeon, three lives of parrot, five lives of bird with melodious voice, four lives of mystical-winged human beings, fifteen lives of bird of paradise, ten lives of monkey, eleven lives of elephant, fourteen lives of ox, one life of horse, eight lives of buffaloes, two lives of peacock, seven lives of mynah bird, twelve lives of cock and thirteen lives of boar. Thakuna story (the ungrateful lion story) Sulapaduma story, the grateful tortoise story and Dathaphadica ten brothers story, were carved demonstrably in the wastern wall of the second tunnel. Besides, Rakhine oil lamp dance, Poewar dance, Shawl dance, Rakhine drum dance and Rakhine actute and right angle dance, were sculpted too. The sports of Mraukoo period such as the posture of wrestling, boxing and the stick martial art, were sculpted. The figures practising the elephants for the war on the basics of the war strategic book and the figures in the form of going for war holding the shields, can also be seen. The figures in the posture of playing the ancient musical instruments such as the harp, the xylophone, the cymbal, the bugle and the flute, were carved too.

King Buridet dragon story, Zanaka story, king Zawana brahminy duck story, the elder brother and younger brother brahminy duck story, king Panthuboatdi parrot story, Thinsiwa in the form of biting by the tiger and Utayna story, were also sculpted in the northern wall of the second tunnel. In the past, the figures on the wall were coated with the glaze and painted with different colours. The remains of the paint still can be seen on some figures until now. The stone pillars sculpted with Wathonedaray figures can be seen at the right side of the passage along the second cave tunnel. Such figures are pillars of the ordination hall. Three mouldings of the wall have 1104 small stone hollows chiselled the stone to offer light to Buddha.

There is a hall adjacent to the bakc of the great pagoda. The hall was used by the ancient Rakhine kings for the coronation. The Buddha image wearing like the clothing of the anoited king, was cast with nine jewels. The size of the image depended on the king’s desire. The Buddha image was consecrated in the presence of the head of samgha order and the senior monks, and the anoited vow of the king was made by putting the image on the king’s head. The ceremony was called Buddha Bithayka Bitheik Mingalar.

The Buddha image cast wearing in the form of the king, is called Beikthayka Muni. Rakhine call those Buddha images Mahakyein images. The sabbath hall for the king is adjacent to the southern part of the coronation hall. There are thirty one niches around the second tunnel and every niche has two Buddha images sat back to back.

The place in which the third cave tunnel and the fourth cave tunnel have, is called Atonkat. The eastern passage leads to the west. From the west, the passage leads to the north. From the north, the passage leads to the east. By climbing the stairs from that place, one can reach the room in which the Buddha foodprint, was placed. It is at the right side of the entrance of the perfumed chamber. The arch roofs were made of stone in the cave tunnel. Not having echo in the tunnel, is very strange. The Buddha footprint was taken by king Min Bar from Buddha Gaya. It is the form of pressing on the mud. By going to the west from the Buddha footprint, one can see the cave Buddha images in both sides around the wall. Go to the south from the west. By going to the east from the south, one can reach the end of the fourth cave tunnel. The end of the fourth tunnel is in the left side of the entrance of the perfumed chamber. There are twenty eight Buddha images in the niches in the fourth tunnel. Such Buddha images were erected in terms of Thanbuday verse.

Many pagodas were built on the southern, the western and the northern walls of the great pagoda. There are a big pagoda and seventeen small pagodas in the south. There are three small pagodas in the west. There are one big surrounding pagoda and fourteen small pagodas in the north. The flat stones engraved with the figures on both sides, are between the two small pagodas of those. Nowadays, the figures which can be seen in the north, are king Saddhan elephant, king Buridat dragon, the fighting of Mar Ra Yu and Be Lu Wa Sadham, the romantic dating of Mar Ra Yu and Ru Si Ta Mar Lar princess, and the figure of Thurathadi Maydaw.

The hand postures of the Buddha images inside the pagoda and the standing Buddha image at the mouth of the porch, are Waradara mudra. That Mudra represents the prophecy of Buddha. Pacinka mudra, Bumiphattha mudra, Zarna mudra and Gonemanda Daythana mudra, can also be seen. The big stupa surrounded by 26 small pagodas, was built on the roof of the great pagoda. Those represent Thataveiththa 27 stars.

Reference 1. Rakhine Touristy Stupas, 2008 by Htay Win The Ancient Capital of Rakhine State Mrauk-U (Myo Haung) is another interesting historical site in Rakhine, fast becoming a tourist attraction. Mrauk-U was founded in 1430 AD and flourished till 1785 as recorded in its history. Known as the Golden City by foreign travelers of the era it was a focus of trade due to its strategic on the coastal region of Bay of Bengal. Many historical sites such as the old palace grounds and ancient pagodas principally Shitthoung Pagoda (Eighty thousand pagodas), the old city of Vesali, the Mahamuni Image of Kyauktaw offers a glimpse into the Rakhine history. A new tourist site which is becoming increasingly more popular in recent years is the old capital of Rakhine (Arakan) called Mrauk-U. Some of the local people refer to it as Myo ( or Mro) Haung, the old city. It was first constructed by the Rakhine King Min_Saw Mon in 1430 AD, and remained its capital for 355 years until 1784 when the Rakhine Kingdom ceased to exist as a separate entity and became an integral part of the Myanmar Kingdom. The Golden City of Mrauk-U became known in Europe as a city of oriental splendor after Friar Sebastian Manrique visited the area for about (8) years between 1629 to 1637 AD and though he was a Portuguese Augustinian missionary he wrote his fascinating "Travels" in Spanish and published it as a book in 1649 and 1653. Father Manrique's vivid account of the coronation of King Thiri_Thudhamma in 1635 and about the Rakhine Court and intrigues of the Portuguese adventurers fired the imagination of later authors, especially after an English translation was published by the Hakluyt Society in 1927 in 2 volumes. In Volume One of this English translation we can read the intriguing account of Rakhine in mid-17th century. Manrique wrote of his astonishment when he was shown a pair of pendant ear-rings, set with priceless rubies as large as a small hen's egg. He said when he beheld these kyauk-nagats he could scarcely fix his eyes on them due to the radiant splendor they cast; he just stood amazed. In the markets also he saw "being sold in abundance, diamonds rubies, sapphires, emeralds, topazes, gold and silver in plates and bars, tin and zinc, which were very difficult to get in his home country.

It was the English author Maurice Collis who made Mrauk-U and Rakhine famous after his book The Land of the Great Image based on Friar Manrique's travels in Arakan, was published in 1942. The Great Image is of course, the Maha Muni Buddha Image which is now in Mandalay, though originally it was made and venerated in this area about 15 miles from Mrauk-U where another Maha Muni Buddha Image flanked by two other Buddha images is now worshipped. You can visit this place also on the hillock called Sirigutta, about (6) miles east of Kyauktaw town.

How to get there About ten years ago it was difficult to travel to this area but you can easily visit Mrauk-U now. From Yangon there are daily flights to Sittway the capital of Rakhine State. There are Travel and Tour Companies in Yangon and Sittway which operate tours to Mrauk-U and the surrounding area.

In Sittway you should visit the newly built Rakhine State Cultural Museum and Library and the Buddhist Museum where many interesting antiquities of Rakhine's colorful past are on display. From Sittway to Mrauk-U you can take a boat on the Kaladan River and then go into some of its tributary streams. Mrauk-U, on Thinghanadi creek is only 45 miles from Sittway and the sea coast. It is a very pleasant river journey. If you are visiting in the winter months you can see flocks of wild geese, ducks and other migrating waterfowl. To the east of the old city is the famous Kiccapanadi stream and far away the Lemro River. The city area used to have a network of canals. In Mrauk-U itself you can visit the Archaeological Museum which is near the Palace Site. This site is right in the centre of Mrauk-U which was built in a strategic location by leveling three small hills. Recently the Archaeology Department has been excavating the Palace Site which was occupied by Rakhine Kings for over two hundred years. Even the pagodas are strategically located on hilltops and look like fortresses as indeed they were once used as such in times of enemy intrusion. There are moats, artificial lakes and canals and the whole area could be flooded to deter or repulse attackers.

There are innumerable pagodas and Buddha images all over the old city and the surrounding hills. Some are still being used as places of worship today; many in ruins are now being restored to their original splendor. You should at least visit some; the most famous and well worth seeing are the Shitthaung, the Andaw, the Dukkhan Thein (Sima or Ordination Hall), the Koethaung, the Laymyetnha and the Shwe Daung pagodas. The Shitthaung or "temple of the 80,000 Buddhas" is a fascinating place full of small images, scenes in sculpture of Buddhist stories with the kings and queens, courtiers and common people portrayed in their mediaeval costumes and head-dresses, all frozen in stone throughout the ages. You should take a good torch-light to examine the myriad interesting scenes and figures lining the dark corridors of this temple. You can see some Rakhine men boxing and wrestling, some girls dancing and playing, and then there are also the mythical birds, beasts and half-human celestials and demons. Try and find the figures of both the male and female Vasundhra/ Vasundhari symbolizing the God /Goddess of the Earth. The Shitthaung Pagoda, located about half a mile to the north of the palace site was built by one of the most powerful kings of the Mrauk-U Dynasty, called by the people, Minbargyi, but according to records on inscriptions as King Minbin who reined from 1513 to 1553. The king built this fortress-temple after repulsing a Portuguese attack. The Portuguese mercenaries later served under Rakhine kings. There was also surprisingly an elite corp of Japanese bodyguards protecting the kings of Rakhine. The Andaw (meaning the tooth relic of Buddha) is a pagoda only 86 feet to the north-east of the Shitthaung Pagoda. Built by King Min Hla Raza in 1521 it is said to enshrine the tooth relic received from a Sri Lankan king by King Minbin. This temple is a hollow octagonal building made of pure sandstone blocks; there are two internal concentric passages, with a prayer hall on the east. Like other temples it is on a small hillock. Visitors should see the frescoes giving detailed portrayals of life in the Mrauk-U court; these frescoes are found in Laymyetnha and the Shwe Daung Pagoda. Laymyetnha Pagoda was built by King Min Saw Mon in 1430 AD as one of the original pagodas at the time of the founding of Mrauk-U. The name of the Pagoda means "Four faced" as there are four entrances to this square sandstone structure with a central solid stupa 80 feet high. There are 28 Buddha images as mentioned in the Sambuddha scripture.

The Shwe Daung pagoda or the "Golden Hill Pagoda" is also believed to have been built by King Minbin between the years 1531-1553. It is a landmark pagoda as it is the tallest in this area and can be seen as far away as 20 miles from the main Kaladan River. The hill itself is 250 feet high and is about half a mile to the south-east of the Palace Site. It is a solid stupa with a circular base. During the First Anglo-Burmese War, 1824-26, the Myanmar forces built earthen fortifications on this hill and mounted guns which inflicted heavy losses on the British forces. Some of these fortifications can still be seen today. Standing on a plain of rice fields is the Koethaung Pagoda; the name means 90,000 and probably signified the number of Buddha images it was supposed to contain. It was built by King Min Taikkha, the son of King Min Bin who built the Shitthaung or temple of 80,000 images, so the son exceeded the father by 10,000! It is the biggest pagoda in the Mrauk-U area. Like the Shitthaung, this pagoda is also a massive fortress-like structure built with stone walls and terraces. There are 108 smaller pagodas surrounding it, all made of sandstone. With a winding corridor it is like a cave tunnel which you have to traverse until you reach the central chamber. The inner gallery has collapsed and is no longer accessible. There is an octagonal pagoda in the middle surrounded by over one hundred smaller pagodas. Unlike some of the other temples, not only sandstone, but bricks were also used in this pagoda. Apart from the pagodas, visitors should not miss seeing the Ordination Hall, Htukkan Thein, and the exquisite little library the Pitakataik. Htukkan (or Dukkhan) Thein is located about 300 feet to the north-west of Shitthaung Pagoda. Built in 1571 by King Min Phalaung it is on a hillock 30 feet high, with two stone stair ways (8) feet broad on the east and south.

No longer used as an Ordination Hall, it is now one of the well-known pagodas of Mrauk-U. There is a long vaulted passageway which leads to the central shrine room which is 15 feet in height. This room is said to be the place where the Buddhist Archbishop used to sit to discuss religious affairs with Senior Monks. See the seated stone ladies preserving in sculpture the ancient hair-styles, among the many other interesting figures. There are also 140 niches with Buddha images. The little library or Pitaka-taik, the Repository for the Buddhist scriptures was built in 1591 also by King Min Phalaung. It measures only 14 feet from east to west, 10 feet from north to south and is only 9 feet in height. Built entirely of stone there are lovely designs on the outer walls making it look like a tiny jeweled casket shaped like a blooming lotus. There were 48 libraries in Mrauk-U but only this one is preserved, though it is sometimes obscured by thickets of bushes and partly covered by moss and weeds which flourish in the 200" of annual rainfall in the region. This library is reputed to have housed 30 sets of the Buddhist Tipitaka which King Narapatigyi (1638-1645) received from Sri Lanka. Unfortunately it acquired an unpleasant appellation due to its dark windowless interior. It is now known as Chin-kite library, Chin-kite meaning mosquito-bite. The Rakhine people say that Chin-kite is a Myanmar mispronunciation of the Rakhine word Khraung kaik, the name of the city wall which is close to the north of the library. If you have difficulty in finding this library asks for the Htupayon Pagoda as it is just north of this pagoda. The artificial, man-made lakes named Anomakan and Letsekan on the southern part of Mrauk-U were once part of the defense system. They are now peaceful havens for visitors as well as for the local people, and for animals, birds and fish. Letsekan is (3) miles in length and half a mile wide. Some of the old city walls can also be seen.

The Portuguese and other Europeans were given a separate quarter at Mrauk U, only about half a mile west of the palace site. The place is called Daingripet and this place for the European settlement is on the other bank of Aungdat creek. The old church built by Father Manrique, now in ruins, can still be seen in this place. It is near the Daingri tank built by King Ba Saw Phyu (1459-1482). Rakhine has other historical sites which are earlier than Mrauk U, at Vesali, only 6 miles to the north, and at Launggret a little further away, but easily reached by car in about half an hour. If you are interested in spectacular places of historical interest and natural beauty Mrauk-U is the place. There are now comfortable hotels and guest houses where you can stay while exploring this ancient land, which was once a seat of oriental splendor. where to stay in Mrauk-U Ref. Book: The Golden Mrauk-U

Reference: 1. http://www.trekearth.com/gallery/Asia/Myanmar/South/Rakhine/mrauk_u/ ________________________________________ •