Things to see and do Mandalay

All in teak, this monastery was built by Thibaw in 1880, from materials recovered from apartments in Mindon. It was at the time part of the Royal Palace. The apartment of King Mindon, was moved outside the walls because his son evoked bad memories. Thanks to that, he escaped the palace fire! We can still see 10 large jataka, in good condition. Architecturally speaking, one of the most beautiful sites talking about Mandalay. If you need to find a good reason to pay 10 US$ for the package, look no further.

Its name means "the Great Fulfilment of the Great World", in pale. It stands to the east of the Kyauktawgyi pagoda. Dating from the origins of the city, it was built by King Mindon on the model of the Shwezigon Pagoda in Bagan. It is famous for housing the Buddhist scriptures. On 729 stone tablets are engraved all the tripitaka approved by the ^Fifth Synod invited by King Mindon. A unique collection in the Buddhist world.

The hill and the 1,700 steps to climb are well worth a visit, with crowds of tourists arriving for the sunset. The view over the Mandalay Valley and the palace is breathtaking. The renovation of the terrace was completed in 1995, leaving a platform at the top of the sacred hill tiled with a surprising patchwork of yellow earthenware, flowers and mirrors. Our advice, come down just after sunset, when the tourists are still on the terrace, to enjoy the temples built along the steps.

The Mahamuni pagoda, or Phayargyi, is a real must in Mandalay and the most famous place of pilgrimage in Upper Burma for the bronze image of Buddha it houses. Its history goes back twenty-five centuries. The image is revered by all. Especially on the Sabbath, full moon and religious festivals. One can hear the murmur of prayers recited in mid-voice. According to the chronicles, Buddha visited the kingdom of Dinnayawadi some 2,500 years ago. Some twenty years after Gautama's Enlightenment, King Sanda Thuriya of Dinnayawadi felt the desire to meet Buddha and receive his teaching. His desire coincided with a visit by Buddha to the State of Arakan with 500 monks on the full moon of Kason (May), in 123 AD. The king, his wife and the little prince set out on a journey to Buddha's camp. His Majesty prostrated himself so well before Buddha that the latter did him the favour of a visit to his palace. There he preached the Dhamma for seven days. Afterwards, the king begged him to present to the multitude of the faithful traces of his incarnate being, so that they could venerate and worship him in his absence. It was then that a huge statue was cast in bronze. It was consecrated by Buddha himself, who infused it with the warmth and breath of his own breast. Since then, the image has been regarded as a true replica of Gautama, which justifies the miracles attributed to him. The image first stayed in the state of Arakan. During the reign of King Thibaw, a fire ravaged Mandalay, miraculously sparing the Mahamuni image. The only alteration was that the pure gold crown and the melting gold treasure were mixed together. It is reported that the whole thing weighed 5,450 ticals, 1 tical being equivalent to 14 grams. The restoration, in which French architects participated, lasted until May 1884. In one of the halls, paintings represent the history of the temple and the different stages of its construction inscribed in the history of Burma. The early risers will not miss the ceremony of the washing of the face of Buddha which takes place every morning at dawn, from 4:30 am.

Triangular gong room. The Burmese believe that if a man and a woman repeat the same word three times and at the same time when the gong rings, then they will get married. Next to the triangular gong room, another room houses six statues of men and animals. They are said to have the power to heal the sick who lay their hands on the part of the statue corresponding to their own suffering limb.

Dating from 1878, the pagoda is located at the foot of Mandalay Hill. It houses an image of Buddha carved from a single block of marble from the Sagyin quarries north of Mandalay, measuring nearly 10m. Its transport from the canal would have required the work of more than 10,000 men for two weeks. It is clearly for the impressive statue of Buddha that this pagoda is visited. As for the rest, we will surely have seen it elsewhere. At nightfall, the place is a little more animated and frequented by followers.