Mandalay, Myanmar

The resonant name of Mandalay - Myanmar, reaches out far beyond the country's borders, with all the associations of its rich and exotic past. This royal city, regarded as the heart of Myanmar culture, is not very old. It is in fact quite young, having been built in the same year that Macy's department store first opened its doors to customers in downtown Manhattan in 1857. The original name of the city was Yadanabon Naypyidaw. But the people simply called it Mandalay as it lies near Mandalay Hill. The name may have derived from Pali word "Mandala".

Mindon and Thibaw

Thibaw

Mindon

Mindon justified his decision to move the city from Amarapura to Mandalay on a prophecy by the Lord Buddha, who told his disciple Ananda on Mandalay Hill that on the 2,400th jubilee of Buddhism a great metropolis would be built at the foot of the hill. Some historians, however, noted the shift might have been to stay out of reach from most feared Congreve British rockets, which proved so fatal that Maha Bandoola was killed in the Danubyu fortress; Amarapura was too close to the Ayeyarwady River, and the British naval ships could have come very quickly along the river rather than inland route. The Ayeyarwady River was the usual route of British offensive throughout all three wars. Adolph Bastian, a German traveler, wrote in his 19th-century memoir, A Journey to Burma (1861-1862), that King Mindon resettled in Mandalay because he had seen British envoys coming upriver by steamboat to his capital in Amarapura and recognized that he would be in easy range of British artillery.

A deeply religious Mindon was a reformer, and under his rule the city enjoyed a cultural and economic golden age. Sadly, though, the era of the mighty Konbaung kings ended soon after his death, when his successor King Thibaw was forced to cede Mandalay to the British colonialists in 1885. Together with his notorious wife Supayalat and their children, the last king of Myanmar was exiled to India, where he died in 1916.

Myanmar Religious and Cultural Center

Kuthodaw

Having been the capital of the last two Myanmar kings who were staunch defenders of Buddhism, Mandalay has deservingly been the religious and cultural center of the country to this day, and one of the main attractions of Myanmar travel. Famous pagodas such as the Mahamuni, the Thakkya Thida, the Shwe Kyee Myint, Eindawya, Kuthodaw and Kyauktawgyi lie scattered all over the city, each with its own interesting history and unique features. Mandalay can rightfully claim to be the center of Buddhism in the whole wide world with scores of great monasteries, each one functioning like a university of Buddhist studies, and with the largest number of monks to be found in one single place in the world. One's pursuit of Buddhist studies is considered incomplete until and unless he has studied in Mandalay.

Mandalayans

The generous and charitable nature of Mandalayans can be seen from the fact that tens of thousands of monks residing in grand monasteries - with all their requirements supplied by the citizenry. The monks receive fabulous offerings especially at Kahtein-Yellow-Robe offering ceremonies. A long procession of monks doing their alms-receiving-rounds in the mornings is a common sight in Mandalay.

Arts in Mandalay

A lot of Myanmar arts and crafts such as sculpting images of the Buddha, making very thin gold foils to be applied to the images and pagodas and hand-loom-weaving of silk textiles are still centered in Mandalay. The weavers are still weaving the patterns that were once worn by the courtiers in the royal palace. Mandalay had also produced great dancers, song-writes, singers, writers and traditional musicians. The city can boast of the Institute of Indigenous Medicine, the only one of its kind in the whole country.

Mandalay Climate

The climate of Mandalay is a different story. The city used to be notorious for its intense heat. However, things have changed for the better now. After several tree planting campaigns, the city is getting greener and cooler. The resurfacing of the roads and streets with asphalt has controlled dustiness to a certain extent.

Inspite of rapid influx newcomers from border regions, to visit Mandalay is to touch the heart of Myanmar and to experience its quintessence.

Tourist Attractions in Mandalay

Mandalay is a great location to travel the surrounding tourist attractions; the former royal captitals, Pinya, Innwa (Ava), Sagaing and Amarapura. And there is Pyin Oo Lwin, formerly known as Maymyo, just 43 miles away by road. Standing on a plateau about 3,500 feet above sea level that well-known hill station is famous for its fine climate and the beautiful scenery around it. There are water falls and caves in its vicinity. The uphill drive across the forest dotted with breath-taking scenic spots is highly refreshing.