Other Destination
Pyay & Its Environs
Location
Pyay is an important
commercial center for trade between the Ayeyarwady Delta,
Central and Upper Myanmar and the Rakhine (Arakan) State. Pyay (Prome)
is only 161 km north of Yangon travelling along a
well-maintained highway by car. You can see green paddy fileds
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.
History
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 in
Pyay
• Shwesandaw Pagoda
The Shwesandaw Pagoda
is well known in Pyay. The Pagoda is situated on the eastern
bank of Irrawaddy river and Myanmar’s most venerated structure
stands here.
•
Sehtatgyi Paya
Looking east from the
stupa you’ll 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.
•
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.
•
Archaeological 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 excavations.
Around Pyay
•
Shwedaung
This small town is
about 14km south of Pyay. There are two famous pagodas in this
town. The Shwemyethma Paya and the Shwenattaung Paya.
•
Shwemyethma 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.
|
