Mahamyatmuni pagoda
Mandalay is known for many reasons as the centre of Myanmar traditional arts and handi-craft, the landmark Mandalay hill and the two-snakes, the most beautiful city-plan and the grand-palace, the world biggest book and business-centre, and so on.
Out of the above conditions, there is one point that exactly not to put aside and led Mandalay to be more interesting and perfection the beauty and history. That is nothing else but Maha Myatmuni or Rakhine Buddha image which is one of the most venerated spots and famous Buddha Images in Myanmar as well as abroad.
The history of the grand Buddha Image is said like that in 544 B.C, Lord Buddha came to Rakhine state for promotion and propagation of Buddhism. The ruler in Rakhine was Sadra-Suriya of Danyawaddy Era.
That event was recorded in Brahmani alpha of Taung-Pauk-Gyi stone-inscription carved on natural stone-hill and written in Pali language. Based on paleographic structure, it might belong to 3 B.C regarded by the experts and scholars.
Being visited by Gautama Buddha and a number of 500 disciples, king Sandrasuriya and his peoples heartly hosted and respectively listened Dhamma for seven long days conducted by Buddha personally. They wanted to something venerable in the absence after Buddha visit so the king together with the people came in presence of Buddha and pledged whether they may be allowed to cast a Buddha image.
With the approval of Buddha, they cast a Buddha-image made of alloyed-metal that is exactly the same size to the live-Buddha in very details. Then, the Buddha himself had infused the image by touching on his breast for seven times and consecrated on the spot. Ever since, kings and people of Rakhine well venerated the image as live-Buddha, for centuries. Geographically, Rakhine region is the Western part of Myanmar and sharing border with India. It is only 256 away from Calcutta, Bengal, Vinga, Bhagiranadi and Rajagyo that meant there is nothing impossible if Buddha visit reached to Rakhine region.
So the Buddha image is seriously believed to be alive with the Buddha's breath, leading the most sacred and glorious image in Myanmar up-to-how.
The successive kings of Rakhine and pious people had ensured the image free from any destruction and taking away to other region.
During the reign of king Bodawpaya (Badon), there was a rebel of Rakhing and the king had his son, the Crown-Prince led a vast army and marched to Rakhine. After battles for sometime, the Myanmar army beated over the regional troops and settled the rebel successfully. On their victorious return, the sacred Buddha-image and other images were brought along with them. On the way back, it took them about one month over mountain-range and stopped over night 34 camps. Finally, the grand Buddha image came to the seat in a temple and has never got away. During the reign of king Thipaw, a new-temple was constructed to shelter the image and a vast amount of gold (5462 tides) was donated for the image. Then the golden-canopy was donated. Later, the fine teak-wood shelter of that image was replaced of brick-building after a serious fire by the leadership of Taung-Khwin Sayadaw with public donation that you see now.
The grand Buddha image is 3.8 metre high and covered a two-inches layer of gold as a result of constant application of gold by faithful. It accounts for its' other name "The soft-gold Buddha image" and also inlaid with pile of Jewellery on the kingly costume over the breast offered by temple-visitors and well-wished donors. The weight of gold over this grand image is estimated over twelve-tons. The image is in the posture of Bhumi-passa mudras. The left palm rest on the leg whereas the tips of finger of the right-hand is touching to the earth, calling upon the witness of earth-goddess. It is in the form of trophy over the devil, in the attitude so-called the triumph.
Buddhism has flourished in Myanmar since ancient times, and the religion predominates today, with the result that Buddhist religious ceremonies and practices feature strongly in the lives of Myanmar's people.
Washing the face of a Buddha image is an important example; this sacred ceremony has been handed down the centuries. The ceremony is performed upon Mahamyatmuni (the Grand Buddha Image), a most sacred image, at the Temple of Mahamyatmuni in Mandalay.
The face washing ceremony takes place at 4.30 am every morning. Buddhists come and wait there before dawn, and some, even, sleep there so as to be sure not to miss the event. They carry towels hoping for them to be used to wipe the face of the image, in occurrence they consider supremely auspicious.
With the firm belief that the image breathes with Lord Buddha's breath, die image's teeth must be brushed every morning as must a human being's. The monk who performs the brushing is supposed to be the most learned one. It is his daily duty, with no exceptions, until old age prevents him, or when another monk is designated. The criteria for selection are, however, by no means dear and of unknown origin.
To wash the face of Mahamyatmuni, the monk must climb upon the image's lap. He then sprays Thanaka, ascented water which is a daily donation at the shrine, all over the face and brushes the mouth in the manner of teeth-brushing. Then he wipes the face with the towels of the faithful and finally fans it dry.
After the ceremony, worshippers, male only, may apply gold leaf over the image. Women wait outside in an appointed area from where temple officials take their pieces of gold leaf and apply them to the image on their behalf.
At Mahamuni in Mandalay, one of interesting things is that a gigantic trainglar-gong hang on a iron-bar that is lifted by two bronze-figures on each-side. That large trainglar-gone was dedicated by the donation of well-wished donors for some 40 years ago. It has a dimension of 7' 5" height, 10' 3" length with a various thickness of 7" in hook at the top, 8" at the rim and 5" at the lower end. That is the largest one of its' type in Myanmar and has a weight of 3264 visses or 11 tons (noted Nyein-Chan-Thar-Yar in Myanmar language). The two figures who bears the iron-beam and gigantic trainglar-gong, have a high of 15 feet, 2 1/2 times to the real-human, and various weights of 1274 visses (noted Aung-Kyaw-De-Wa) and the rest 1234 visses (noted Aung-Kyaw-Zay-Yar). These figures are believed to possess the magical healing power thus the diseases infected persons come to these figures and pray to free from their disease by touching and pressing on the body parts which they really feel of their body This gigantic trainglar-gong and two figures of its' supporters were cast by U Mya Thaung who was the master of casting and famous for the cast of Mahabandoola bronze-figure as if real and stimulus-patriotism. He was died some years ago but his workshop of casting bronze-figure is still running by the name of "Mahabandoola" to honour the late-master and supervised by the sons of Ko Pa, Ko Nay Win, Ko Nay Tun and Ko Paing to keep the tradition very well. Their workshop is stationed in Tampawaddy ward in Mandalay, the centre of making bronze-cast for many items and visiting spot of tourists. The other works of the late-master can be viewed at Kandawgyi Park in Yangon as 10 Leograph-figures, at Shwe bonyatana Palace in Shwe-bo as the General Mahabandoola and so far.
Other things worthy seeing at the temple are antique objects of bronze images of Hindu gods in the Cambodian style, which always draw a crowed. These images also have a turbulent history.
It is said that when King Sam Praya sacked Angkor Thorn in Cambodia, he ordered the images to be removed to Ayutthaya. After King Bayingnaung attacked Ayutthia, the images were taken away to Hansawaddy.
During the reign of King Nanda, King Naresuan of Siam attacked Hanthawaddy. King Taung U and King Rakhine promised to join King Naresuan but King Taung U abducted King Nanda and took him to Taung U. The Rakhine warriors were furious. They had previously carried Mahamyatmuni and the bronze images back to Rakhine. When King Badon sacked Rakhine, he brought back Mahamyatmuni and the bronze images to Mandalay.
There are six images, which were offerings to Mahamyatmuni. They are of Erawan (Indra's triple headed elephant), two Gatekeepers, three lions. The images are believed to cure the sick if sufferers press them in the place where they are diseased, such as the throat, legs, etc.
Maha Muni Temple not only reflects the strong Buddhist belief of Burmese people but is a place of pilgrimage for Buddhists from neighbouring countries. True Buddhists should visit the temple at least once in their life-time and attend the face washing ceremony. If Phra Maha Muni breathes with Lord Buddha's breath, the temple and the face washing give breath taking scenery to audiences and all Buddhists.
