It
was a long time aspiration of the history lover in me to visit Brahma Desha,
modern day Myanmar; the aspiration became an urge when the country opened up
for tourists in the last few years. Lack of interest (of the teenage member)
and lack of time (of the adult member) of my family kept deterring my travel
plan; but suddenly I found a Messiah in my beloved college friend Anindita who
is suffering from acute syndrome of wanderlust. So finally we made a plan for a
trip in early November; the tourist season in Myanmar starts from mid-November
(after officially the rainy season gets over), so we made a conscious decision
to avoid the peak tourist rush, at the same time to get a dry weather. We
decided to travel from Kolkata, though my current place of residence is Dhaka,
for the simple reason that Biman Bangladesh offered cheaper price from Kolkata for
some strange reason (it’s a one stop flight via Dhaka). We planned to visit Bagan,
the city of Pagoda for three days and Nyaungshwe Township, famous for Inle Lake
for two days; our stay at Yangon was planned one day each on the day of arrival
and departure.
We arrived at Yangon International airport in the afternoon, equipped with crisp 100 dollar notes; they refuse to accept notes with even a hint of some imaginary scratch at the Money Changer counters and hotels. The flight was on time, immigration was fast and smooth and our cab driver was waiting with an infectious smile and a placard in our name. At the Money changing counter inside the airport, two of the five notes I supplied got rejected for reason unknown. My friend paled at the prospect, as we didn’t have much excess reserve. On our way to Bagan the next day while trying to encash some more, the same two got accepted while another one was rejected; probably this was a unique method of intimidating the potential fraudsters.
We booked our hotel-drop beforehand through a local friend, but that was unnecessary, as taxis are in abundance right in front of the airport and for that matter everywhere across the city. The city, on our way and in later occasion appeared to be clean with an oriental touch; the people extremely polite and cordial. In colourful ethnic lungi and a touch of thanka (sandlewood like paste) on cheeks, the ladies looked radiant; there beauty lied in their femininity and natural grace. Our hotel was in Chinatown, carefully selected to be closer to the tourist attractions and also to sip in the local flavour. The choice proved apt, when the Shwedagon Pagoda came in full view with its magnificence, as we entered our 12th floor room. Without wasting much time in the hotel we took a cab and preceded for the Pagoda, famously known as Golden Pagoda, one of the Seven Wonders of the World and the most sacred pilgrimage place in Myanmar (believed to treasure four relics of Buddha, including eight strands of his curls). Originally built during 6th to 10th Century by Mon people, the pagoda reached its current magnitude in 15th Century during the reign of Queen Binnya Thau. By the time we entered the premises after paying entrée fees and clearing security, it was dusk; the Pagoda with full illumination in the backdrop of twilight was a sight I would treasure in my memories for life. The true magnetism of the great Stupa wasn’t in its splendour only; the divinity and peace that hung in the atmosphere was truly mesmeric. We decided to revisit the shrine at dawn on our second stay.
 |
| The Pagoda |
 |
| One of the four center Temples |
 |
| One of the many small temples surrounding the Stupa |
 |
| One of the temples facing the Stupa |
 |
| One more of such magnificence |
We
travelled by an early morning flight to our destination; the small domestic airport
was clean with necessary arrangements; staff were disciplined and helpful
though language was a challenge. In Bagan airport, after registering our entry
and paying the entrée fee (it goes to the Bagan Archaeological department that
ensures no separate entry fee in any of the Pagodas) we took a taxi for hotel
at New Bagan. Our driver Mr. Aung Aung turned out to an overzealous chap (even
surpassing my own craziness); he not only took a longer root to show us quite a
few Pagodas on the way, but also insisted on a series of photo sessions in
front of each and every site. The hotel was a resort with lushness of green and
aesthetic decors both inside the cottages and outside; the food at their
restaurant deserved special mentioning.
 |
| Dhamma-Ya-za-Ka Pagoda, dates back to 1198 AD built by King Narapatisithu |
 |
| One of the Oldest structures shown by Aung |
Next
two and half days were a ride in a time machine that took us back at least a
thousand years. The terracotta Pagodas and temples with faded frescos,
weathered sculptures, imposing statues and panoramic terrace views had many
tales to whisper in my eager ears; I sailed through, completely immerged in the
atmosphere. The Sunset view from Temple terrace overlooking the Old Bagan was
also bliss. The visit to the Archaeological Museum was very insightful with
stone inscriptions supported by English translations and collections of sculptures
and other remnants from the past. The Golden Palace Museum, a replica of the
Pagan Royal Palace (completely eradicated with time) was also worth visiting, a
sound and music show also takes place in the premises during peak time we were
told. Our mode of transport in Bagan was a Tanga (horse cart) falling in line with
the atmosphere; the driver Mr. Ku Thet became a friend, though we could hardly
understand each other’s language. He showed me the special temple where He and
his wife prayed to have a baby after being childless for nine long years, showed
me the photo of his infant son; he explained me the significance of the typical
structure of the Pagodas. On our way back every day he played soulful love
songs in traditional Burmese, the melody reminded of our fifties’ Gold.
 |
| The Thatbyinny built in 1144 AD by King Alaungsithu |
 |
| The famous Ananda Temple built by King Kayansitha |
 |
| The majestic Lord in Ananda |
 |
| From the courtyard |
 |
| Fresco of Brahma |
 |
| The Lawkananda Pagoda in the bank of Ayeyarwaddy river |
 |
| View from the Pagoda |
 |
| Nanpaya, a Hindu temple built by King Makuta |
 |
| Scuptures at the temples |
 |
| Nanpaya |
 |
| Famous aurches, a characterstics of Pagan architecture |
 |
| A cluster opposite Mayazedi Pagoda |
 |
| Mayazedi Pagoda bulit by Prince Yazakumar in 12th Century |
 |
| A unique Deity inside the temple where our driver prayed for child |
 |
| The grand gateway of the ancient citadel |
 |
| Mahabodhi Pagoda, a replica of the one in Budhgaya by king Htilominlo in 13th century |
 |
| Bupaya Pagoda at riverside |
 |
| The temple at Bupaya |
 |
| Gwadapalin temple built by King Narapatisithu in 13th century |
 |
| An ancient village with strategically formed Pagodas near Myin Kabar |
 |
| A closer look |
 |
| The Archaeological Museum |
 |
| Collection of weapons |
 |
| Statues of Lord Buddha |
 |
| The Golden Palace Museum |
 |
| One of the gatekeepers of a temple |
 |
| Rooftop view |
 |
| Sunset from Shwegugyi |
 |
| Shwegugyi with the Crescent moon |
The
Inle lake township is a sleepy place near the lake, surrounded by the mystic
mountains; the magical landscape being its attraction. Another early morning
flight took us to the Nyaungshwe airport from which the Town was about an hour’s
delightful taxi ride. Our hotel was at a quiet corner in the lap of nature, the
room overlooked the mountain range. The day we arrived, we went to Red mountain
vineyard estate. A wine tasting outlet beside the winery provided a panoramic view
of the valley with the backdrop of Lake and Mountain; the sunset from the place
was a photographer’s delight, the wine was not that much to talk about though.
Next morning we went for a day long cruise on the lake, visiting traditional workshops
of silverware, handicrafts, handlooms and cigars; we also visited their fishing
villages and a floating garden of vegetables. A hearty lunch of surprisingly delicious
lake-fish platter in a restaurant on the lake was an added bonus. The flock of
seagulls that welcomed us on the Sun kissed water in the morning and the silhouette
of the home going lot at twilight left a mark in my mind to be cherished for
long.
 |
| A traditional house near hotel |
 |
| The Vineyard |
 |
| Sunset from resturant |
 |
| The fishing village |
 |
| Heading for market |
 |
| The Acrobat with his fishing net |
The
day we came back from Inle to Yangon, it was almost lunchtime; but we decided
to forego lunch and visit the War Cemetery at Taukkyan district directly from the
airport. It’s a memorial for the soldiers of Colonial British Army who fell in
the Burmese frontlines (around 27,000) while fighting the Japanese force. The
Cenotaph was written in English, Hindi, Urdu and Gurumukhi; that explained the nationality
of the most of the martyrs. Around 4000 gravestones were beautifully laid on
the surrounding ground; those were the luckier ones whose graves were marked in
the frontline terrain, lot of them unidentified though. Rest of the lot
remained as a name, inlaid on the walls of the Memorial. There were registers
with the names and identities of the soldiers, available for Public inspection.
I left the place with a sense of void and a deep surge of melancholy.
 |
| The war cemetery |
 |
| The grave stones |
This
time also we stayed in Chinatown and post check in, went to the Strand Road
area that reminds of Yangon’s colonial past; for obvious reason I found the
place very similar to Kolkata’s Esplanade, though a lot more quieter. The Rangoon
Tea house there provided an old world charm with an elaborate menu, a major
part of it dominated by Indian delicacies; it signified the massive influx of
Indians in erstwhile Ragoon during Colonial Burma. We spent the evening roaming
around the area and also doing some shopping from ‘Myanmar House’ a fixed price
shop also from the previous era that offered beautiful local crafts, weaves and
gems.
On
the day of our return, we went to Shwedagon Pagoda for the second time at 5.30
in the morning, witnessing the Shrine at solemn dawn and also in the jubilant
morning Sun. I sat at a corner facing the Stupa for a long time, following the
quiet worshipers and the meditating monks; it was a different feeling of
ecstasy that filled my heart.
 |
| Very similar to Writers' Building of Kolkata |
 |
| The Rangoon Tea House |
 |
| The Grand Western Entrance of the Pagoda |
 |
| At dawn |
 |
| In the morning Sun |
 |
| A 'just married' couple obliged |
A
treasure of memories I have carried back from this land of history; ‘a small
return gift you owe my friend’ churned in my mind, as the aircraft took off
from Yangon; ‘a few stories of your glorious past it would be’, I promised.
***
Copyright (c)ananyapal2016 ALL RIGHT RESERVED
