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Myanmar, known as Burma prior
to 1988, has retained it's Buddistist way of life. Myanmar has thousands of spectacular
golden temples and pagodas in all parts of the country |
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| Perhaps the most pleasurable way to see Myanmar, feel its pulse, live its legends and understand its history, is to travel the Ayeyarwady River. Gone from the river are the kings' magnificient carved and gilded royal barges. Today the river includes double-decked diesel powered ferries, bamboo rafts, barges, small colourful ferries and fishing boats. |
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The Shwedagon
Pagoda in Yangon is considered the most magnificient
monument on earth. It's stupa is plated with 8,000 solid gold slabs and
it's tip is set with diamonds, rubies, sappires and topez. A huge emerald
in the middle of the stupa catches the first ray of the sun. |
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Every
Burmese has a birthday once a week - perhaps not in the sense of celebration,
but the day of the week on which a Burmese is born affects many decisions
in their lives. It dictates, for example, the first letter of their name
and where they pray at the Shwedagon Pagoda, along with many other shrines,
features planetary post for each day of the week. More... |
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| The
Pagodas of Pagan.
Scattered across an ochre plain beside the Ayeyarwady River, Pagan is
one of the world's most breathtaking expressions of religious zeal. Rising
up through the heat haze are the crumbling peaks of more than 2,000 Buddhist
pagodas, a forest of brick domes and white pinnacles stretching into the
far distance. |
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Many
of the Buddha statues sitting in the niches have been destroyed by looters
or some been stolen. They believed that royalty hide their precious gems
in the chest cavity of the Buddha. |
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| Ananda
Temple - its name stems from Burmese for 'infinite
wisdom of Buddha', was completed in 1091. The centre of the temple is
a vast cube dominated by four 9.5 meter-high Buddhas richly coated in
gold. The vaulted passages around it are pierced with many niches containing
smaller Buddha. |
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The expression
on this Buddhas appear to change from serious to mirthful as the viewer
steps backwards. |
Shinbyume
Pagoda in Mingun would have been the world's largest
pagoda had not King Bodawpaya died in 1819 thus halting all further work
on the pagoda, leaving instead a very impressive pile of bricks. In 1838
a large earthquake cracked the pagoda and reduced parts of it to rubble.
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However, King Bodawpaya did succeed in casting
the world's largest uncracked, ringing bronze bell, |
 Young girls useThanaka, a sandlewood paste, on their face to protect their skin from the sun. |
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 Token on a cheroot |
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 The offering of Alms |
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 From the verdant banks rise small teak and thatched bamboo dwellings. These dwellers are forced to relocate as the seasons change and the river rises. |
 TV Repair Shop |
Carpentry |
 Bike Shop |
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GoldLeaf Pounding |
Silver Tooling |
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Lacquerware Workshop |
 Getting around |
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| Let
Them Entertain You ! |
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