Mandalay is the last royal capital of Myanmar. Eighty percent of the city’s historic sites were destroyed in World War II, but fortunately, there remain a number of interesting things to see. Here are a few of our favorites.
Some believe that Buddha once gazed at Mahamumi Paya, a thirteen-foot-high seated image of himself. Made of bronze, the body has been distorted by years and years of men placing gold leaf on it for blessings (the face has been untouched). The accumulation of gold leaf is estimated at 5 metric tons and is now 5 inches thick.
In our family, this will be known as the site where our daughter received her first dose of discrimination: females are not allowed to approach the Buddha; instead, they may gaze at his image from a side gallery. Women may also purchase gold leaf and leave it in a glass receptacle so that later, men can put it on the Buddha on their behalf or – as our guide cynically added – resell it.
On the Temple grounds, we enjoyed the six bronze statues that once stood in the temples at Angkor Wat in Siem Reap, Cambodia. They were originally taken by the Thais but later captured as booty by Myamar’s King Bayinnaug. The bronzes are now believed to have healing qualities. If you touch an area where you have pain, for example, the back of this elephant, you will be relieved of your discomfort.
Our guide told us that a hundred days after Buddha died, his disciples met to decide how to save his words. They collected and shared all the teachings – and then memorized them. Years later, King Mindon of Myanmar decided that he wanted to put them into a book that would last forever, and so he commissioned Kuthodaw Pagoda, 729 slabs of marble to hold the word of Buddha. Two hundred monks arrived from all over Asia and worked for one year to compete this ambitious task. Each tablet is enshrined in its own whitewashed pagoda.
One of the most amazing sites was of the only surviving building from the Mandalay palace (the rest were destroyed by the allies during World War II in an effort to cripple the Japanese, who were using the palace as a headquarters). The structure, made entirely of teak, stands out in the elements and – tragically – is slowly deteriorating. The entire exterior is covered with small carvings such as this one.