nomadsally: 9. BURMA: MANDALAY

Ordination Hall on Mandalay Hill

A two hour taxi drive to Mandalay from Pyin Oo Lwin was nerve-wracking on the narrow, shoulder-less road filled with hundreds of huge cargo trucks. Finding a clean light-filled room in the Royal City Hotel was delightful.

Royal City Hotel

Mandalay Location on Ayerarwady River

Mandalay was once the magnificent royal city of the Myanmar kings. The Palace was located inside the 2.5 kilometer square Mandalay Fort, ringed by a 230 foot wide moat and 26 feet high walls of deep red-brown stone. In 1885 the British ejected thee Burmese elite and deported King Thibaw, then demolished part of the royal city to create a parade ground and complex for their governor.

Kuthodaw Pagoda was our first outing in Mandalay. It is known for having the longest book in the world, which is located within these small white stupas. What impressed me most was the sound of beautiful chanting by many young people who were standing under a huge banyan or holy tree.

Offering Prayers at Kuthodaw Pagoda

The Holy ( Banyan) Tree

Praying Inside the Monastery

Mandalay Hill is a major view-point and requires either a 45 minute barefoot climb or a taxi ride to arrive at the escalator for the Shwenandaw Monastery. There are also elegant monasteries and an Ordination Hall nearby (built for a former king). Many dedicated Buddhists make the hillside climb in bare feet. We climbed the hill in taxi and then took an escalator to the pagoda.

Carved out of teak wood in the 1880's, this temple monastery was surrounded by glass mosaic pillars, many of which are now being replaced by contributions. The view of pancake flat Mandalay is excellent on a clear day.

Arriving at Shwenandaw Monastery with Mandalay View

MAnother Visitor

Mandalay has always has a reputation for outstanding craftsmanship. Here it is possible to visit gold pounders and watch how gold leaf is crarfted out of gold fragments. Other craft shops to visit include: gold embroidery, fabric murals, laquerware art, puppet crafts and of course, weaving.

Puppets Are Popular and Beautiful

My special interest was to visit the many busy looms clicking and clacking away weaving the traditional Myanmar silk pattern designs. Amanapura has been a weaving center for hundreds of years and many small family weaving businesses are producing colorful fabric for the coveted longyi (wrap around skirts that most women wear).

For years there were only about three designs for the traditional silk longyis (sarongs) of the Burmese . Nowadays these weavers work hard to come up with new designs for the new season starting in October.

Traditional Woven Designs of Mandalay

For years there were only about three designs for silk longyis. Nowadays these weavers work hard to come up with new designs for the new season starting in October. The names given to the designs are as lovely as the weavings.