Little Novice Sitting on the banister: Shwenandaw Monastery, Mandalay
Temples in Southeast Asia are living places.
This is certainly true in Myanmar. The many Buddhist temples I visited there were architecturally beautiful – and different, with no two exactly the same. But what I generally find more interesting is the life – both sacred and secular – within and around them.
On my first afternoon in Mandalay, I and the nine other photographic-tour participants, under the guidance of Photographer Karl Grobl and local guide MM, visited three distinctly different religious buildings.
Our first stop was the wooden Shwenandaw Kyaungor Golden Palace Monastery. Built in traditional Burmese style in the 19th century by King Mindon Min (reigned 1852-1878) as a palace, this graceful teak building is covered, inside and out, with carvings. Originally, these carvings were coated in gold (hence the name), but tropical weather has taken its toll: no gold remains on the outside, and many of the carvings are worn beyond recognition.
It is still an elegantly beautiful place – with a number of cheeky little imps running around in their novice robes, waiting to meet visitors.
On the Stairs Shwenandaw Monastery
Deva on the Door Shwenandaw Kyaung Monastery is known for the magnificent teak carving adorning its doors and walls.
Devas and Imps? The very young novices are a contrast for the very old building. Shwenandaw Monastery
Little Angels I can’t help but wonder what their stories are.
In Thailand, many young boys are enrolled in the local monastery, not because of any particular religious inclination, but because their families cannot afford to send them to school otherwise (e.g. Little Angels). Apparently, it is a similar story in Myanmar, so I was very curious about the young novices we met: what were their lives really like? The life of a novice is not easy, but perhaps it is easier than living in a poor rural household.
At the gates of the temple, it was getting busier, with people coming and going; many stopping in to the monastery grounds make offerings.
At the Gates A woman pauses at the gates of Shwenandaw Monastery.
Cycle Man This man was waiting to chauffeur his friends home after their visit to Shwenandaw Monastery.
Three Little Maids I couldn’t help but think of The Mikado as I made this photo of three women giggling.
Our second stop at The Kuthodaw Pagoda or Maha Lawka Marazein Paya (Royal Merit Pagoda) was a complete contrast. Although it was built during the same period, it served a very different purpose. King Mindon Min was concerned about the invading British and what their presence in Burma would mean for Buddhist teachings.
Saungdan (covered entry) to the World’s Largest Book The Kuthodaw Pagoda or Maha Lawka Marazein Paya
The Kuthodaw Pagoda is called the World’s Largest Book. King Mindon had the entire 15 books of the Tripitaka, the sacred scriptures of Theravada Buddhism, inscribed in gold on huge marble tablets. Each of these 729 double-sided slabs is housed in its own small stupa or kyauksa gu.
Pali Scripture Each tablet is five feet tall and three-and-a-half feet wide; scribes took three days to write the words on both sides, then stonemasons chiselled 16 lines a day, before painters filled with the script with gold.
Kyauksa Gu Rows of stone-inscription caves, the white stupas housing the scriptures.
Afternoon Storms Weather threatens the domed stupas of Kuthodaw Pagoda.
Lone Monk … between the stupas of Kuthodaw Pagoda.
Family Group An extended family gathers in a sheltered hallway of Kuthodaw Pagoda.
Souvenir Seller Tourists wanting a souvenir, or worshipers looking for an offering; someone will take care of you!
Spire A last look back at the sky over a Kuthodaw Pagoda stupa.
It was getting dark as we arrived at our last temple-stop of the day, but fortunately the rains held off. We positioned ourselves on the upper balcony of a modest monastery, and waited as a young monk struck a metal bong repeatedly with a heavy wooden striker. Quietly, walking barefoot, maroon-robed monks emerged from all directions, and lined up to enter the prayer hall.
Strike the Gong A call to evening prayers rings out across the monastery.
Silent Prayers Noiselessly, maroon-clad monks line up …
Like Ghosts … and silently enter the prayer hall.
Evening Prayers An hour of chanting in Pali before bed…
… turns little imps …
… into little angels.
I am seldom bored visiting temples: as I said before, architecturally, they are all very different.
And, they are busy places.
These pictures are just a sampling of the life within them.
Hi Darrell!
Thanks for “visiting”. Actually, I can’t remember the name of the third one that day… Shhh! Don’t tell anyone.
These days we are “road tripping” in Australia a fair bit – off the Byron at the end of the month. Then, off to North America to escape the antipodean winter.
I hope we cross paths again one day – Pushkar in November? 😀ReplyCancel
michael carter -March 7, 2013 - 1:09 pm
thanks for posting this Ursula.
Metta is a great word 😉
Fantastic as always, and they are all so different yet the same…love it. I’m in Byron/Ballina on the 23/24th for a quick weekend of business… maybe a coffee if you’re there at the same time 🙂ReplyCancel
From the mines to the temples, gold is everywhere. Shwedagon Pagoda, for example, is covered in 60 tons of gold, pounded into thin leaves.
Gold is an integral part of Burmese life. Every day, faithful Burmese apply gold leaf to their favourite Buddha images as offerings. So much gold leaf has been pasted to the face and front of country’s most revered Buddha at the Mahamuni Temple (A future post: watch this space!) that it has become almost unrecognisable.
Those gold leaves are the result of hours of hard labour, as I discovered on a visit to the King Galon Gold Leaf Workshop in Mandalay last September.
I had no trouble believing that, as I watched the workers sweating as they swung their fifteen pound hammers against a “cutch” – a packet of about 150 sheets of skin interleaved with small lumps of gold and tied together with parchment – rhythmically until the gold was about .000005 of an inch thin.
No artificial light. No artificial ventilation. Just pounding heat and noise.
King Galon Gold Leaf Workshop A gold pounder takes a break next to the Workshop entrance.
Guide with the Gold Our guide explains the process…
Hammering … while workers hammer in the background.
Hammer in Motion Turning gold into leaf takes a lot of heavy, rhythmic pounding.
A worker takes a short break and poses for a picture …
… before tying a new parchment packet to the block.
I couldn’t help but wonder at the name of the workshop: King Galon.
Galon, better known in the West as a garuda, is the half-man half-raptor vehicle of Vishnu and enemy of the naga, the dragon snake. The image has long been an integral part of iconography in Southeast Asia. In the 1930’s, the galon became the symbol of Burmese resistance against colonial rule, with Saya San, the rebel leader becoming known as the Galon King. Followers of Saya San were often tattooed with garuda symbols to show their allegiance.
Worker’s Back Sweat and light play against religious tattoos.
A Man and his Hammer I think he is used to pausing for the tourists.
Mythical struggles still play out in tattoo images.
Fanning a packet of gold leaf.
Used parchment wrappers collect on the cement floor.
The packaging process is as delicate as the pounding is physical. This is the women’s domain. In a small airless room several women, seated on rattan mats on the floor around low tables, work at cutting and packaging the small squares of gold leaf. The windows are tightly closed, as any wind might blow the precious gold away.
A Backlit Workspace A young woman carefully cuts the thinly pounded gold leaf.
Hands at Work It is important to achieve small squares – without tears in the precious gold.
Leaf Worker No extended maternity leave for this young mum.
Her son, the Baby Goldbeater…
… clearly knows where his future lies!
Senior Leaf Worker This woman has more than twenty years experience in all aspects of the gold leaf packaging.
Once packaged, the gold leaf squares are sold, so that people might offer them to the Buddha – or eat them, as some Burmese believe small amounts of gold are good for your for health. Some of the gold is gilded onto souvenirs for sale.
Kyaikto – Golden Rock Golden Souvenirs from the Golden Land
Golden Owls Considered lucky by Burmese, these owls should be kept in pairs.
It was an interesting visit – a brief insight into other people’s lives.
Still, you can add goldbeating to the growing list of “jobs I’m glad I don’t have to do!”
Fantastic post Ursula!
Wonderful images and tons of great information that I never knew about the gold beating process! I’ll share this post with MM and all the folks on the current tour.
Happy shooting and I can’t wait for your next blog-post.
Cheers,
KarlReplyCancel
Hi Jens,
Thanks for your visit.
The King Galon Gold Leaf Workshop is at:
36th St, 77/78, Mandalay Myanmar
Cheers!ReplyCancel
adolfo -September 1, 2016 - 4:36 am
Ursula and friends of Mandalay. I live in Brazil and wish to buy gold leaf for offering to Buddha that are made in their country. I would be very happy to get this wonderful work you see on this site. Please notify me how proveder to make purchase. A big Brazilian hug.ReplyCancel
adolfo -September 1, 2016 - 5:09 am
Ursula. Good Morning . If you can send me email or other way of communication with: The King Galon Gold Leaf Workshop, as would be happy to buy this wonderful product. A big hug . Thank you.ReplyCancel
Hi Adolfo,
Thanks for your visit! I’ve sent you an email.
Cheers, UrsulaReplyCancel
adolfo -September 1, 2016 - 8:55 pm
Úrsula.Boa tarde . Obrigado pela resposta breve que me fez . Agradeço sua orientação e estou procurando uma agência em Mandalay que possa me ajudar . Parabéns pelas fotos . Espero que faça muitas viagens . Um grande abraço e bom final de semana .ReplyCancel
Morning views over Great Blasket Island, Dingle Peninsula.
When David Lean picks a location that turns a rather slight story into an academy-award winning 12-million-dollar movie, you know the scenery must be something!
And it is.
Ireland’s Dingle Peninsula really does scenery on an epic scale. Tiny villages are nestled amongst green fields and hills and are bounded by great cliffs on a tumultuous coastline on one side, and wild, windy heath- and mist-covered mountains on the other.
The seventh day of our trek along The Kerry Way saw us walking through the heart of “Ryan’s Daughter” territory.
Our guide notes promised us an easy day, so we lingered over pancakes, blueberries, and coffee before lacing our boots and girding our loins for another day’s walk through the wet countryside.
Our route took us up to the peak of Cruach Mhárthain, giving us great views of the magnificent coastline.
View to the Blaskets Even on a blue-sky day, the clouds are grey with potential rain.
View Southwest from Cruach Mhárthain As we reach the first apex of the mountain, we have views of Dunmore Head and Great Blasket.
Sybil Point and the Three Sisters From Cruach Mhárthain we were looking over the same landscape we had viewed from Clogher Head two days prior.
Ryan’s Daisies In less than half an hour, we found ourselves on the remains of the streets of “Kirrary”, Lean’s purpose-built town.
Stone Ruins The houses built on top of Cruach Mhárthain were dismantled when the movie was finished, and little remains of the manufactured town. The event of filming, however, is indelibly etched in local memory.
As we make our way across the spine of Cruach Mhárthain, the views extend over the Sybil Peninsula.
Against the odds, we lost the path and ended up picking our way cautiously across the flank of Cruach Mhárthain, trying to maintain footing in rough, boggy heather and gorse bush.
Houses dot the green landscape north of Cruach Mhárthain – looking so close!
We were very glad to work our way off the mountain, scrambling over stone fences and crawling through barbed wire, finally emerging in Ballyferriter, and then finding the beach around Smerwick Harbour.
The Beach Expanses of sand stretch along Smerwick Harbour.
A wide view back out over Smerwick Harbour.
Sweaters and Ugg Boots: Irish Beach attire?
View over Smerwick Harbour to Ballydavid Head.
Impossibly Green
Nothing is Perfect! Just back from the beach, we come across a tyre graveyard.
As we round the bend, the sandy foreshore diminishes in favour of rock and peat outcrops.
We soon lose the sandy stretches entirely and come out on seaweed flats.
Room with a View
A Walk on the Beach The clouds lower over the hills of Ballydavid.
Recent rains had filled the creeks, so we appreciated the bridges – even if they meant a detour.
Friends on the Bridge We can’t be far now! Two old friends chat on a bridge in Murreagh as we trudge towards our lodgings.
Grass Cutting Our lodgings at An Dooneen, Boherboy, is down a long country lane.
So much for a short day!
After our scramble on the mountain, I had hiking boots full of water, a bottom full of gorse prickles, and a new respect for Irish sheep. I limped into our lodgings too tired to go out for dinner.
But, as we feasted on wine and old cheese, I thought it well worth it.
[…] lost the trail on a bog-covered mountain the day before, and doses of anti-inflammatory drugs overnight had not met the challenge of ageing knees and hip […]ReplyCancel
Tawny Frogmouth (Podargus strigoides) Not being much of a Twitcher, I don’t get many good bird portraits. So, I was really excited to be this close to a frogmouth!
Where can you go when you have overseas visitors and a new camera lens that needs trying out?
What could be better than a native Australian animal sanctuary!
Luckily for us, we have one right in our neighbourhood. The quaintly named “Potoroo Palace” is set off the Princes Highway, not far from Pambula and Merimbula on the New South Wales (NSW) South Coast. We drive past regularly, but had never quite managed to stop.
Just two weeks before our visit, the sanctuary made the news when it was in the path of one of many raging bush fires around the state. Staff and volunteers were given twenty minutes notice to leave, and they collected as many animals as they could in the time they had. Fortunately, the premises and animals were ultimately saved, but you can see the burned bush literally at the gates. Saving the property took some effort, but as two local NSW Rural Fire Service volunteers were quoted as saying: “If we let Potoroo Palace burn our children will never forgive us.”
Emu(Dromaius novaehollandiae) The three emus at the park wander freely; I’ve lost food to birds like these before, so I am cautious.
Pacific Black Duck (Anas superciliosa) You can’t have an animal park without a duck pond!
Eastern Swamphen(Porphyrio porphyrio) I love watching colourful swamphens as they waddle across grass, or wade through shallow waters.
Half a Valentine The Black Swan(Cygnus atratus) gives the duck pond a real Australian flavour.
Previously a run-down zoo, the property now operates as a private, not-for-profit organisation focusing on education, community involvement, and conservation. Many of the animals are “recovered” after being injured, and some were born in captivity. We were pleasantly surprised by the well-ordered grounds and the mix of free-roaming and penned animals.
Poroporo Flower(Solanum laciniatum) Native trees, like this Kangaroo Apple (Poroporo) provide shade…
Kangaroo Apples(Solanum laciniatum) … and fruit for wandering birds and animals.
Lizard Watch your step! Small creatures may be hiding.
Laughing Kookaburra(Dacelo novaeguineae) Even in the walk-through aviary, these large kingfishers proved difficult to photograph.
Agile Wallaby (Macropus agilis) It always surprises me how powerful these animals are. The fencing is to protect trees from predation.
Long Nosed Potoroo(Potorous tridactylus) We finally meet the tiny, eponymous, potoroo – with its long nose and dainty toes.
Eastern Grey Kangaroo(Macropus giganteus) “Giganteus” is right! Eastern Greys can reach heights of 5-6 ft (1.5-1.8 m), and this one wasn’t short.
Sulphur Crested Cocatoo(Cacatua galerita) This chatty old bird was born in captivity…
Female King Parrot(Alisterus scapularis) … while this King Parrot is only visiting.
Australian King Parrot(Alisterus scapularis) The male King Parrot is much more colourful than his mate.
Rainbow Lorikeet(Trichoglossus haematodus) These are the cheeky wanderers who eat all the apples from our tree.
Dingo (Canis lupus dingo) Djingo, one of the male dingos, surveys his domain.
Grey-headed Flying-fox(Pteropus poliocephalus) The world must look very different to these giant megabats!
Dove Symbols of love and peace, doves seem an appropriate bird for St Valentine’s Day.
Tawny Frogmouth(Podargus strigoides) The Frogmouths, on the other hand, with their watchful eyes and huge mouths, look quite ferocious.
Olive python(Liasis olivaceus) The olive python wound her way around her keeper’s legs…
Olive python(Liasis olivaceus) … and came almost too close for my lens!
Olive Python “Olive the Python” reminds us that we have just entered the Year of the Snake.
Fantastic – didn’t know this place existed but will surely visit when next down that way, if not for these amazing places many injured creatures would die, these are necessary in some cases for the survival of the species.
I love the tawny’s they are gorgeous…oh and would love a dingo pup… and the king parrots. hmmm I see a problem forming 🙂ReplyCancel
[…] love animals and animal sanctuaries (as regular visitors to these pages will know; e.g.: Potoroo Palace; Durrell Wildlife Park; The Two Tarongas; Gunung Leuser Orangutangs), so any excuse to visit a new […]ReplyCancel
The Cornstore We had coffee and took refuge from the pounding rains.
I guess that rainy weather is pretty common in Wales.
One clue is the council workers: as we walked from Pembroke Dock to Pembroke, splashing through puddles that wet us up to the knees, huddling under raincoats that whipped in the wind, and clinging to umbrellas that turned inside out and failed to keep the rain off our faces, we watched one man on a ride-on mower cutting the grass on the verge of the road, while another was using a whipper-snipper along the edges.
I couldn’t believe they were out working in such weather – unless, of course, they had no expectation that it would ever improve!
I suppose they had a schedule to keep, rain or no rain, and – as we had only one day before sailing to Ireland – so did we.
Although the walk from our lodgings to the Mill Pond, over which Pembroke Castle sits, took less than an hour, we were wet through and happy to find the charming Quayside Café at The Cornstore. Dripping, we drank steaming coffee before trying to time our dash across the river.
Pembroke Castle A wet view across the River Cleddau from the Cornstore Cafe.
At the gift shop next to the ticket office, we purchased an oversized umbrella with a Welsh dragon on it, hoping that it would protect us from the elements. We then entered the barbican before climbing up tower steps to walk along the wall and look out over the city.
Walkway over the battlements.
A view over wet Pembroke streets.
The rains make sure that the surrounds are very green!
Through the Window…
Pembroke Castle has been extensively developed and restored over the ages. Historians believe the site has been occupied for 12,000 years; examples of tools used by cave dwellers during the Palaeolithic Period have been found in the Wogan – or cavern – deep in the rock under the castle. Late Bronze Age tools and Roman coins have been found nearby. It is thought that the first fort was built on the promontory during the Iron Age.
Then, the early Norman invaders installed themselves in West Wales, and Roger de Montgomery established his headquarters in a wooden castle at Pembroke from 1093. The buildings, in various forms, survived a number of reigns, becoming “the birthplace of the Tudor dynasty” when Henry VII (father of Henry VIII, grandfather of Elizabeth I) was born in a tower there in 1457. The castle changed hands and allegiances a number of times, being partially dismantled after its role in an ill-fated rebellion in 1648, before falling into ruins.
From the 1880’s until present, the castle has been extensively restored – some say to such an extent that it has become almost sterile. Although it is open to the public, it remains in private hands.
Contrasts The Red Dragon, symbol of victory over the Saxons, was adopted by Henry VII: he wanted to demonstrate his claim to descent from the earliest British Kings. Today it provides an interesting contrast against the power lines on the hill in the background.
Steeped in damp and dark, the various rooms have posters detailing castle history.
Dinner in the Gatehouse A tableau depicting a feast at the table of William de Valence, 1st Earl of Pembroke (c. 1225–1296).
Window Deeply inset stone windows (c. 1300s) afford protection, but let in little light.
Doorway Looking out over the slippery, wet ramparts between towers.
Castle Tower To balance the Welsh dragon, a Union Jack flies high against a wet grey sky.
The Outer Curtain Wall Doubled in thickness during the Civil War of 1642-45, these wet walls lead up to the Henry VII Tower.
Monkton Tower Constructed in the mid 13th Century.
Archways Looking through the remains of the restored Medieval Chancery (a medieval writing office).
Weeds and Moss Green weeds and yellow fungus cling to the medieval stonework.
Halls Entries to the Northern Hall and the Norman Hall: dating back to Richard Strongbow (c. 1150-70).
Northern Hall There is little respite from the rain in the roofless rooms…
William Marshal’s Great Tower The wet lawns inside the castle walls are quiet: there are not many visitors today.
The castle isn’t really up to tours in the wet, so it was no surprise that there weren’t many other visitors. Slippery steps prevented us from making the descent into the wogan watergate. Winds on the ramparts tore our newly-bought umbrella to shreds.
But, we learned a lot about political scandal, conflict and the Tudor family ~ all things I might have learned at school, but had long since forgotten…
History is much more fun in a castle – even in the rain.
- Performing the Ganga Aarti from Dasaswamedh Ghat, Varanasi
- Buddha Head from Shwedagon Pagoda, Myanmar
- Harry Clarke Window from Dingle, Ireland
- Novice Monk Shwe Yan Pyay Monastery, Myanmar
Packets of 10 for $AU50.
Or - pick any photo from my Flickr or Wanders blog photos.
The Year of Snake is often seen as difficult, and 
Well written w/a good mix of photos
Beautiful Ursula – I’m glad you remember the names of all the pagodas (saves me searching for them!!)
Where is your next trip/
Hi Darrell!
Thanks for “visiting”. Actually, I can’t remember the name of the third one that day… Shhh! Don’t tell anyone.
These days we are “road tripping” in Australia a fair bit – off the Byron at the end of the month. Then, off to North America to escape the antipodean winter.
I hope we cross paths again one day – Pushkar in November? 😀
thanks for posting this Ursula.
Metta is a great word 😉
Michael
Thanks, Michael! (And thanks for sharing this with Peter.) 🙂
Fantastic as always, and they are all so different yet the same…love it. I’m in Byron/Ballina on the 23/24th for a quick weekend of business… maybe a coffee if you’re there at the same time 🙂
Thanks for looking in, Signe. Like ships in the night, we will just miss each other!! 🙁
splendid series Ursula and thanks yoor your report. I have been there in 2001 a long time ago. Greetings Dietmut
I’m glad you enjoyed the post, Dietmut. I’m sure things have changed very little since your visit! 🙂