BACK IN TIME
Discovering Myanmar’s most famous ancient capital
nce the capital city of the Burmese kingdom, Ava, or Inwa as it is known today, is rather quiet with only a handful of tourists visiting. But its well kept treasures are worth exploring.
“Hello, good morning,” a woman merchant waves to me, doing her best to sell me souvenirs from her basket, which contains necklaces, brass ornaments and other curios. Unlike in other cities where tourism is regulated, Inwa is full of hawkers hanging around tourist spots.
Inwa was the ancient capital of the Burmese kingdom from the 14th to 19th centuries. Though it is past its glory days, having being invaded, looted and rebuilt time and time again, a few exotic places remain.
Inwa was abandoned after a 1839 earthquake which destroyed the city, and the best way to explore it is via horse and carriage.
My first stop is the Bagaya Kyaung Monastery, to the southwest of Inwa Palace. The monastery was built in the 1770s by the order of King Hsinbyushin for Buddhist monk Shin Dhammabhinanda.
Consisting of the Dhanu and Bhawga halls, the monastery was built using 267 gigantic teak wood posts supporting its enormous 57m long and 31m wide structure. However, what makes it special are the carvings on the outer structure.
The Bagaya Kyaung Monastery is a masterpiece constructed entirely of teak and is decorated with intricate carvings such as floral arabesques, figurines and the reliefs of heavenly birds and animals.
Though a few of the carvings are damaged, the monastery remains elegant and it is considered an ancient arts museum.
My next stop is the Yadana Hsemee pagoda complex, and I am still relentlessly being followed by women merchants on bicycles.
Yadana Hsemee is a small group of pagodas, mostly ignored by tourists. However, these pagodas showcase the development of brick monasteries, which later replaced wood monasteries in the early 1800s.
The best place to see a Burmese brick monastery and their splendid stuccoes in Inwa is at Me Nu Ok Kyaung.
The Me Nu Ok Kyaung Monastery is a fine example of Burmese architecture during the Konbaung Dynasty, the last dynasty of Burma. The monastery, also known as the Brick Monastery, is a well-preserved building. The very ornate structure is decorated with intricate stuccoes.
Construction of the monastery was ordered by Queen Me Nu, wife of King Bagyidaw of the Konbaung Dynasty, in 1818 as the residence of the supreme patriarch.
During those days, all monasteries were built using wood. However, most wooden monasteries and palaces have been destroyed by fires.
This brick monastery was built in the same style as wooden monasteries of its time. It has a multi-tiered roof and its stucco ornamentations to imitate the wood carvings in wooden monasteries. Besides its elaborate decorations, its enormous size also mirrors the glory of Inwa at that time.
After exploring the monastery, I notice my “souvenir friend” from the morning still lingering about. So I decide to buy something from her. She is glad to close the sale and leaves on her bicycle.
However, just as I am about to leave the monastery, I am greeted with another “hello”.