Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Sri Krishna
temple is the more architecturally beautiful, though there's not much to see in-
side. The interior of the red-coloured
Sanatan Dharma
down the road is larger and features
severalstatues,thoughismorefunctionalthanbeautiful.Duringthedaytimeyou'lloftenfind
snack trolleys outside the temples, selling incredibly sugary Indian sweeties.
The fire lookout tower and fire station
Ifyou'reinthearea,keepaneyeoutforthecity'sformer
firelookouttower
(29thSt,at81st
St), from which lofty vantage point dangers were surveyed - essential in a large city whose
buildings were mostly made of wood. It's no longer in use, but the city's main
fire station
remains alongside on 29th Street; the firemen certainly don't mind visitors popping in to see
their pair of vintage 1970s engines, which look at least two decades older and are still used
on occasion.
Eindawya Pagoda
Off 28th St • Daily 24hr • Free
The most striking temple in central Mandalay, the
Eindawya Pagoda
is centred on a glitter-
ing, gold-leaf-covered stupa - it's a delight to pad around it (barefoot, of course) in the early
evening, when the play of light produces a rather magnificent effect. The temple was con-
structed in 1847 on the orders of King Pagan Min, who was living on this very site when he
ascended to the throne. If you've a little time, head out of the western entrance and cross the
road to a lovely, secluded area of monastic dwellings - arguably the calmest, most charming
place in the whole city.
South of the centre
South of the centre, the city's atmosphere becomes more workaday; this is best exemplified
by the
gold-pounders
on 36th Street , and the stone-carvers near
Mahamuni Paya
. Said
temple is probably the most attractive in the city, and well worth a look, as is the “forgotten”
teak monastery of
Shwe In Bin
.
Mahamuni Paya
Off 82nd Rd, just east of Mandalay-Sagaing Rd • Daily 24hr; Buddha cleaning daily 4am • K1000
Host to one of
Mandalay's biggest festivals
and the most important Buddhist site in the city,
the large
Mahamuni Paya
complex is a joy even for non-religious visiting travellers. At the
heartofthepagodaisa
Buddhafigure
some3.8minheight,takenfrom
MraukU
in1784by
the army of King Bodawpaya - this tale is portrayed in a series of paintings, lining a gallery-
like wing to the northeast of the main hall.
Male devotees visit to apply
gold leaf
(from K1600) to the figure; women are not allowed
within the inner area and instead hand their ultra-thin golden squares to a male assistant. The
figureitselfissaidtoweighsixtonnes,andthegoldleafcoveringitaddsanothertwotonnes;
pictures here show just how much bling has been accreted here since 1984, and the weight
has really gone to Buddha's calves, to such a degree that he appears to have elephantiasis. In
