- Location: Mrauk-U, Myanmar
- Denomination: Buddhism
- Architect: Wu Ma Wa
- Founder: Ming Bin
- Date of founding: 1536
Perhaps, it is not a secret to anyone that the main attractions of Myanmar are its temples . Here the Buddha is revered in all his incarnations, and the love of the local population towards his spiritual leader is expressed through a huge number of statues that seem to be the same at first glance. However, a trained eye of a religious scholar or culturologist is able to distinguish the most subtle details that carry a certain meaning - not this look, a slightly different hand arrangement, a different shade of clothing. And among a huge number of gold-paved pagodas, one rather modest temple was crouched, which, however, is executed according to all the rules of Buddhism. This is the Shittahung, or the temple of 80,000 Buddha images. By the way, initially there were 84,000 of them, but because of the difficult fate of the temple, some of them were lost.
More on the Shittahung Temple
This article will allow us to transfer to the small town of Mrauk-U (Miau-U) near the Bay of Bengal. He has an extremely rich history, and in his neighborhood many notable sights. And all sightseeing tours begin, as a rule, from the Shittahung temple. It was built here in honor of the conquest of the twelve provinces of Bengal. The building dates back to 1535, and the main merit in the construction of the temple belongs to King Ming Bin. It is located to the north of the royal palace, on a hill, and adjoins the territory of Andau. However, this type of location is characteristic of many Buddhist shrines. The main architect was a local resident of Wu Ma, but a temple was built at the expense of workers from the captured provinces. Once the Shittahung served as a venue for royal ceremonies.
On the territory of the temple complex, near the south-western entrance is a small building that houses the "Shittahung Column". This is an obelisk, in height reaching 3 places, which brought here King Ming Bin. With firm certainty it can be called the oldest book of Myanmar , as three of its four sides are completely covered with inscriptions in Sanskrit.
The internal structure of the Shittahung temple
Ancient Buddhist shrine is a kind of architectural complex of more than two dozen stupas. In the center of this ensemble is a large bell-shaped stupa, on the four corners of which are similar smaller structures, and a huge number of small stupas around.
As for the temple itself, from the prayer hall, one can go to the corridors that encircle the main Buddha image that is located in the cave hall. From the same room you can get to the outer gallery. Here are represented more than a thousand sculptures, which embody the history and traditions of the times of construction. In the same gallery you can see the statues of the founder of the temple, King Ming Bin, and his princesses.
One of the doors in the prayer hall leads to the spiral hall. Here you can also see a huge number of Buddha statues, which are stored in niches in the wall. In this room, the main relic of the Shittahung temple is also preserved - the trace of Gautama Buddha. According to legend, he left it after he reached nirvana. The natural coolness in the hall by the pilgrims is perceived as a residual effect from the Buddha's trail and is accepted as one of the symbols of the Buddhist teachings.
How to get there?
The easiest way to reach the city of Miau-U is by plane, from Yangon to Sittwe. Upon arrival, you will have to sail by ferry along the tributary of the Kaladan River. With the help of land transport to get to Miau-U is almost impossible - the town lies at a considerable distance from the main routes, so the roads here are broken. In this regard, for security reasons, the Government of Myanmar prohibits foreign tourists from traveling on mountain roads by bus.
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