Pyay
Pyay was formerly known as Prome. Pyay is an
important commercial center for trade between the
Ayeyarwady Delta, Central and Upper Myanmar and the
Rakhine (Arakan) State. Pyay is only 161 km
north of Yangon travelling along a well-maintained
highway by car. You can see green paddy fields along
the side of the highway. Several trains run daily
from Yangon on the first railway line built in
Myanmar in 1877. In the last few years the railway
branch lines have been extended north towards Bagan.
It is a city halfway between Yangon and Bagan.
Visitors can stop over in Pyay and travel on to
Bagan and Mandalay. Pyay is situated on the eastern
bank of the Ayeyarwady River on a lovely location.
Pyay was anglicized as Prome after the Second
Anglo-Myanmar war and in ancient times was known as
Thaye-khittra (Srikshetra). Srikshetra, the ancient
Pyu capital about five miles to the east, is
interesting place to visit because of their
historical importance and archaeological sites.
Interesting Places
Interesting Places in Pyay are Shwesandaw Pagoda,
Sehtetgyi Pagoda (the gigantic sitting Buddha
image), Baw Baw Gyi Pagoda, Be Be Gyi Pagoda and
Payama Pagoda. Other interesting places around pyay
are Ahkauktaung, Shwe Myatman Paya, Shwe Nat Taung
Pagoda and Shwe Bonthar Muni.
Srikshetra Ancient Days
An ancient 'Pyu' Capital lies 8 km south-east of
Pyay ( Prome), is located about 285 km north-west of
Yangon. Archaeological discoveries indicate that the
city attained its height of prosperity between the
5th and 9th centuries. In Tha-ye-khit-taya, one will
find palace site the prototype of Bagan vaulted
temple such as Lemyethna and East Zegu, the
cylinder-shaped Bawbawgyi Pagoda, Payagyi and Payama
stupas each with a high conical dome and the
Archaeological Museum.
Shwesandaw Pagoda
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The Shwesandaw Pagoda is well
known in Pyay. Shwesandaw meaning the Golden Hair
Relics. The Pagoda is situated on the eastern
bank of Ayeyarwaddy river and Myanmars most venerated
structure stands here. The former name of the pagoda
was known to be Mya Thi Htin. It has a height of 127
feet high and standing on the plinth making a total
measurement of 290 feet from the base. There are 64
surrounding smaller pagodas around the main one.
There is a chamber in the southern sector of the
platform housing a duplicate of the Buddha's tooth
relic of Kandy. Having been placed beside the
original tooth-relic of Kandy for a time it is
believed to have absorbed the aura of the original
and become just as potent. The tooth-relic from the
Shwesandaw Pagoda is customarily taken out from its
chamber in the month of Dazaungmone
(November-December) every year and ceremoniously
taken on a tour of the city once every three years
so that worshippers might pay homage to it and
revere it with their own eyes. |
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Sehtatgyi Paya
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Looking east from the stupa youll
see an enormous seated Bhudda figure rising up from
the treeline. From the Shwesandaw terrace you look
across to the image eye-to-eye. Sehtatgyi meaning
Big Ten-storey for its height. |
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Museum
About a kilometer and a half from the
highway turnoff by the old palace side, stands a
small museum and a map of the area. Inside the
museum is a colletion of artifacts collected from
Srikshetra exacavations.
Bawbawgyi Paya and Bebe Paya
South of the museum,
outside the city walls, are cylindrical Bawbawgyi
Paya and cube-shaped Bebe Paya. Standing over 45
meters high, the brick and plaster of Bawbawgyi Paya
is the oldest stupa in the area. Other cube-shaped
pagodas in the area include one thought to have been
used by a hermit, featuring eight Buddha reliefs
along the lower half of the interior wall and a
vaulted ceiling of brick. Accessible by car. Only
about 6 hours drive from Yangon. There are also
express buses carrying passengers everyday.
Around Pyay
Shwedaung
This small town is about 14km south of Pyay.
There are two famous pagodas in this town. The
Shwemyethman Paya and the Shwenattaung Paya.
Shwemyethman Paya meaning 'Paya with the Golden
Spectacles' a refrence to a large white face sitting
Buddha image inside the main shrine. The Buddha
image wears a golden rimmed spectacles. Spectacles
were added during the Konbaung era. There is a
saying that this image can cure illnesses especially
for eyes.
Shwenattaung Paya means 'Golden Spirit Mountain'.
This pagoda dates back to the Sriksetra era. Legend
takes it back all the way to 283 BC, from which it
was reconstructed by a long range of Burman kings
with the aid of local nats (spirits) A large pagoda
festival is held here each year on the full moon of
Tabaung (February/March).
Akauktaung Mountain
Akauktaung Mountain stands on the bank of the
Ayeyarwaddy River to the north of Pyay in Bago
Division. It takes 15 minutes by boat ride to reach
the Akauktaung. Different sizes and styles of Buddha
images are carved into the wall of the bank and the
visitor can climb and visit the Akauktaung pagoda,
which lies at the top of the bank.
Paung Te
From Yangon, on the way to Pyay, you
will come across Paung Te. The sacred tooth relic of
Buddha is enshrined in the Paung Te Swedaw Seddi.
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