Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
bodhisattva who floats on the ocean and appears to those in trouble. Turtles swim in the
water surrounding the small pavilion.
Also in this northwest corner is an unusual golden Ganesh shrine, dedicated to the
elephant-headed god worshipped by Hindus as the god of wisdom and wealth.
Settayaw Paya
BUDDHIST TEMPLE
This charming paya, spread across a green hilly setting, is dedicated to a mythical
Buddha footprint left by the Enlightened One during his legendary perambulations
through Southeast Asia. The footprint symbol itself is an oblong, 3ft-long impression.
Tagaung Mingala Zeditaw
BUDDHIST STUPA
(
Interesting from an artistic perspective, this pagoda is centred on a graceful stupa
that sweeps inward from a wide, whitewashed base to a gleaming silver superstructure.
It's about 2 miles south of the city centre.
Look for the small squirrel sculpture extending from the western side of the upper
stupa, representing a previous life of the Buddha as a squirrel. One of the pavilions at the
base of the stupa contains a very large sitting buddha image.
Twenty-Eight Paya
BUDDHIST TEMPLE
( 9am-5pm)
This rectangular shrine contains 28 sitting and 28 standing buddha images.
None of them are particularly distinguished except that the latter appear in the open-robe
style rather than the closed-robe pose that is typical of Mandalay standing images. You
may have to ask the caretaker to unlock the building.
At one end of the hall stands a group of crude sculptures depicting a scene from the
Buddha's life in which he teaches a disciple the relativity of physical beauty by compar-
ing a monkey, the disciple's wife and a
deva
(celestial being).
St Peter's Cathedral
CHURCH
MAP
GOOGLE MAP
(Mingyi Rd)
The focal point of a Catholic educational compound is this
1872-vintage cathedral distinctively plastered emerald green. If you're not here for daily
mass at 6am (also 4pm on Sunday), friendly Father William, the Chinese-Kayin priest,
will happily let you peek inside.
