Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
A short walk further south, just off Merchant St, is another colonial-age religious
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.
The dilapidated
building has a ruinous charm.
Mahabodhi Mingala Zedi
BUDDHIST TEMPLE
West of Tagaung Mingala Zeditaw, a little way towards the river, stands this
temple patterned after the Mahabodhi stupa in Bodhgaya, India.
Leikyunyinaung Paya
BUDDHIST TEMPLE
This temple, about a mile directly south of Mahabodhi, was renovated by the mil-
tary regime in the early 1990s to create a facsimile of Ananda Paya in Bagan. Forced la-
bour was used in the renovation, so many locals avoid praying here.
DON'T MISS
PATHEIN PARASOLS
Pathein is famous throughout Myanmar for the quality of its handmade parasols,
used to shade the carrier from the searing sun. Covered in silk or waterproofed
cotton, the parasols come in a variety of bright and organic colours.
One type that can be used in the rain is the saffron-coloured monks' umbrella,
which is waterproofed by applying various coats of tree resin; a single umbrella
may take five days to complete, including the drying process. Parasols and umbrel-
las can be ordered in any size directly from the workshops, and are a bargain given
the amount of work that goes into making them.
Workshops welcome visitors who want to observe this craft, which is a lot more
interesting than it might sound. The most centrally located shops are at the south-
ern end of Merchant St, but here you'll only see the finishing decorative steps of
the typical 40-stage process needed to make the best parasols.
To see the whole process head to
Shwe Sar Umbrella Workshop
( 042-25127; 653
Tawya Kyaung Rd; 8am-5pm)
, the best of several workshops scattered in the vicinity
of Twenty-Eight Paya, off Mahabandoola Rd. This workshop has been run by the
same family for three generations, and is just around the corner from the Settayaw
Paya.
Festivals & Events
Vesakha
RELIGIOUS
