Kawgun, caves of antiquity
By Ma Thanegi
Myanmar is already famous as having pagodas dotting the landscape from acres of plains, at almost every turn in the river, on top of high hills, in street corners of cities and at the entrance of each village. There are more not easily seen, which are pagodas and images enshrined within caves.
The region around Pa-an, Kyaik Khami and Mawlamyine, all situated on the long strip of land facing the Bay of Bengal has many natural caves that archeologists and scholars, both Myanmar and British, have been visiting since the early 19th century. The British emissary John Crawford saw some in 1827; Myanmar archeologist U Taw Sein Ko went in 1891 and he recorded his findings in 1893 in the Archeological Survey of India Annual Report. British scholar Major Richard Temple, who was knighted some years later, went in 1892.
They almost all of them noted that many of the caves contained images or books, apparently meaning the palm leaf manuscripts in bundles that were the ‘books’ used in the past. There was one cave “with a hole in the ceiling leading to a chamber filled with books and old ivory” but it is highly doubtful if these relics remain untouched. By the time Dr Naing Pan Hla the famous historian and scholar of Mon descent visited the caves in 1959, several of the images mentioned by the earlier scholars including U Mya and U Po Lat, were already missing. What remains today, however, is enough to enchant the lucky traveler.
In the old days, the above mentioned scholars had to travel by boat, bullock cart and on foot to reach these caves hidden in thick woods but now access is easy, especially to one of the best cave temples: Kawgun, which one can reach by car coming from Yangon, making a turn just before one passes over the Pa-an Bridge.
Just inside the entrance, the Kawgun Cave has an over- hanging Sedge that runs for approximately 100 ft. facing a high ground of almost the same length. Major Temple wrote that "advantage has been taken of the over-hanging edge and the rising ground in front of it to create a profusely ornamental Entrance Hall." The spectacular welcome of this sight leads to more treasures within.
British artist V. C. Scott O'Connor saw it at about the same time wrote in his book "The Silken East' that "ten thousand images of the Buddha tie within the first sweep of the eye, from yellow-robed figures which line the foot-path, to terra-cotta plaques fixed high on the jutting face of the cliff; from golden giants, the height of Goliath, to miniature figures fit for a pen wiper. A great stalagmite, rising up from the floor to near the brow of the overhanging cliff, is completely covered with small images of the Buddha enthroned, and its summit is crowned by a small pagoda."
Although zedi, which is a pagoda in the form of a rounded spire, is usually not found under a roof, many small zedi were erected in caves, usually not far from the entrance.
The wails of the caves are covered with tiny Buddha images in rows upon thick rows. The images are in many postures such as the Earth-touching pose, the Meditative pose. Reclining, and standing, and in sizes ranging from 4 inches to life- sized. The images are not hewn from rock but made of impressed terracotta and plaster plates covering the cave walls. Major Temple noted that apart from the images attached to the walls there were alabaster and brass images placed here and there on some narrow ledges.
The most important find in this cave is the six lines, three sentences of an unknown language etched on one rock wall. No one has been able to decipher this ancient script; It has similarities to the writings of 6th century Southern India as well as contemporary Khmer callig raphy.
Another mystery is a damaged alabaster carving, headless but with an elegant torso, it is believed to be a standing image of the Buddha, donated by a queen according to the inscription on the robes of this image. It is in the old Mon script but unfortunately without a date. The Mon scholar Dr Naing Pan Hla compared it with old Mon writings and placed this inscription as definitely prior to the 11th century.
The translation by Dr Naing Pan Hla of the 23 lines found on that image is as follows:
"I, the Queen of Martaban, living in the town of Du Ei Wut, had this Image of Lord Buddha made; other images of clay and stone I and my servants made as to the best of our abilities and enshrined them in Du Ei Wut town and beyond. May other master craftsmen carve many more marble images."
Her wish seemed to have been granted, as the multitude of images proved. It is believed that many additions were made over the years, for although not easily accessible for years if not centuries the caves have remained living places of worship. The space in front of the entrance to Kawgun has for centuries been the site of festivities to celebrate the annual pagoda festival.
Here as well as in a few other caves, figures of Hindu deities are seen, apparently placed there at almost the same time as the Buddha images. Although a hard concept to accept in many other countries, it is nothing out of the ordinary in Myanmar that people of different races and religions live in harmony with each other, as true today as it was centuries ago.
Book Title : Enchanting Myanmar Vol.5 No.3 July-September 2006
