Sagaing
Rick Schellen

About 21 km downstream of Mandalay on the west bank of the Ayeyarwady River, you may find the quiet area of Sagaing close to the Sagaing Hills.

Sagaing was founded in 1315 by Athinkhaya Sawyun, the son of King Minnanthu of Pinya. It became the capital of the Sagaing Dynasty during a period of total chaos in central Myanmar after the fall of Bagan. For about 50 years, it was the centre of an independent thriving Shan kingdom until 1364 when the capital was moved to Innwa by Thado Minbya. It was also declared capital again in 1760 albeit for only a short period of 4 years.

These days Sagaing is far removed from its earlier days of glory. It is nowadays known more as a place of pilgrimage for monks, nuns and other followers of Buddhist philosophy and meditation. Myanmar Buddhists often come to this area in search of a place of peaceful reclusion, away from the hectic pace of the larger towns and cities.

Sagaing Hills

The Sagaing Hills are dotted with over 600 pagodas and monasteries and for many years the area has been regarded as a cultural and religious centre in Upper Burma. Each of the 37 hills of the range has its own historical name and legends to go with it. Historically, the hills were often used by locals as a place of refuge from invaders.

Soon (Swan) Oo Ponyashin Pagoda

There are so many diverse pagodas, monasteries, nunneries and stupas strewn all over the Sagaing Hills area that it would be would be nigh impossible to visit them all, so many visitors opt instead to visit the Soon Oo Ponyashin Pagoda. It is said of this pagoda that no human may offer the earliest alms to the pagoda, because there will always be alms at the altar from someone else who offered it earlier. From this pagoda, you get a quite spectacular view of the entire area with many of its treasures visible all in one. In particular, the sunset over the Ayeyarwady River is quite beautiful from this lookout point.

Kaunghmudaw Pagoda

The Kaunghmudaw Pagoda is situated about 10 km (6 miles) northwest of Sagaing. The name of the pagoda translates roughly as “The Pagoda of Royal Merit”. In Pali, it is called Rajamanicula. Based on the Mahaceti Temple in Sri Lanka, this enormous pagoda was built in 1636 by King Thalun of the Nyaung Yan Dynasty to commemorate the declaration of Ava (Innwa) as capital once more. The pagoda is dome-shaped, rising 46 metres (151 feet) in a perfect hemisphere, with a circumference of 900 feet. The base of the pagoda is surrounded by 812 five feet high pillars of stone, each of which have a niche for an oil lamp. Every late October, lamps are placed in the niches, as part of the Thadingyut Light Festival which marks the end of Buddhist Lent.

The grotesque lotus-bud shape of the pagoda has oft inspired the telling of a ridiculous story in which its shape was decided after one of King Thalun’s queens provided her exposed breast as a model. The story is, of course, total nonsense and fully unsubstantiated but has led some guides to refer to it rather sacrilegiously as the “Breast Pagoda”.

Not far from the pagoda is Ywahtaung Village, famous for the high quality of the silverware which is produced there using traditional techniques. Visitors are usually welcome to enter the workshops and watch the silversmiths at work, making anything from silver bowls and containers to jewellery. Silverware may also be bought here at quite cheap prices.

The Thirty Caves Pagoda

Just north of the Soon Oo Ponyashin Pagoda, the Umin Thonze (“Thirty Caves”) Pagoda is located on Sarmayee Hill (or Suvannapatta Hill), the 24^th hill of the Sagaing Ranges. This hill was named after four-legged animals called Sarmayee that were said to inhabit it in ancient times.

In earlier days it was claimed that on the hill, one could find all types of weird and wonderful rocks and plants, and in particular, a medicinal plant that could turn bronze into a white metal.

Local legends tell us that there was a 14^th century monk called Sangha Raja who liked to dabble in the ancient art of alchemy. Whilst experimenting with metals and chemicals found on the nearby hills, he allegedly stumbled upon the secret to longevity. He thus retired to the hills to seek the dhamma (“teachings”) from the Meteya Buddha. Sangha Raja was guru to King Taya Phya (A.D. 1322-1336 of the Sagaing Dynasty) and King Thado Minbya (A.D. 1364-1367 of the Innwa Dynasty) whilst he dwelt on the hill.

Sangha Raja then had the Thirty Caves Pagoda constructed, a series of 30 caves cut into rock, representing the 10 parami (“perfections”) that Buddha had achieved in his ten penultimate lives (times three). Each of the caves has its own entrance. There are 45 Buddha images inside the caves, from east to west in a crescent shaped colonnade. They supposedly represent the 45 years of Buddhahood of Gautama Buddha. The 39^th image stands out from the rest, being carved out of the rock wall. It has a peculiar background of figures of zawgyi (“alchemists”) amid scenes of forests and caves that has led that many to surmise that this was the actual cave where Sangha Raja meditated and performed his alchemy.

The Thirty Caves Pagoda has been renovated on numerous occasions, the earliest documented renovation being in 1643. It was almost totally destroyed by the 1838 earthquake but was restored to its former glory by King Pagan, the restoration being completed in 1846. It was also renovated again about a century later and today is a major tourist destination in the area. 

Other Sagaing Pagodas

One or two other pagodas one might want to check out are the Padamyazedi which was built in about 1300 and the Tilawkaguru Cave Pagoda which has mural paintings dating back to 1672, when it was built. There are a multitude of other pagodas that can be visited in the area each with their own splendour and cultural interest.