Shimmering with spirituality

Spectacular spiritual monuments covered with gold. streets full of Buddhist monks clad in burgundy robes and nuns in pastel pink as well as legions of longhi-clad locals carrying their metal lunch-boxes impose their images on my mind during this, my first visitor to Mandalay. 

Myanmar’s second-largest city and the last royal capital of Burma also evokes in me a strong sense of my Buddhist faith.

I follow the tradition of centuries, shedding my shoes and holding flowers and gold leaf in my hands as I worship the golden Buddha images at the temples and pagodas.

Mahamuni Pagoda, a vast Buddhist temple complex and major pilgrimage site in the southwest of the city, is overwhelming. 

As women are not allowed to impose the golden leaf on the Mahamuni Buddha, the most revered Buddha image in Mandalay, I content myself with praying and pass the golden leaf to a respected monk, who climbs the huge Buddha image. Surrounded by hundreds of worshippers, many female Buddhists practise vipassana while watching the men get closer to the Buddha image via a live broadcast on the television.

Kuthodaw Pagoda, at the foot of Mandalay Hill, boasts impressive white marble slabs, on which are inscribed the entire Buddhist Scriptures. It is regarded the world's largest tripitaka book.

One in three of the country's monks is said to live at Mahargandaryone Monastery in Amarapura, the largest monastic school in Myanmar and home to more than 1,200 monks and novices. At 11am every day, the monks queue, their black alms bowls in their hands, for the lunch offering. It's an impressive sight.

Besides being known as the one of most sacred Buddhist cities, Mandalay is also a city of artisans.

Delicate teak carvings in traditional Burmese architectural style can be glimpsed at Shwenandaw Monastery, the former palace of King Mindon and rebuilt in this location near Mandalay Hill.

In Amarapura, the formal royal capital of Myanmar, mothers and daughters join hands in weaving silk. The delicate silversmithing techniques that have been around for hundreds of years are preserved at the traditional silversmith village in Sagaing, a former capital of the Shan Kingdom.

      

If you go

THAI Smile operates five weekly flights to Mandalay (except Monday and Thursday). For more information, visit www.ThaiSmileAir.com.