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Every time I arrived to Mandalay I was thinking of that I would like to visit Innwa. But time was limited for me and have not got a chance. And even if I arrived at there I could not have time to take photo records and study around. But this time I have got a chance to take a tour around there in Innwa which is called a glorious historic Yatanapura or Ava.
What is Yatanapura, Golden Ava
King Thadoo Min Phya (AD 1364-1368) established the city of Ava in Myanmar Era of (726). The city was (400) years long lasted ancient city and (31) dynasties have been inherited and it have been passed through (4) Eras. The name of the city was started called Yatanapura and it has situated at the entrance of the lake that is why the name otherwise called Innwa (Ava) and another name of the city was Inn Na Wa which means the city was situated at the place of the entrance of (9) lakes, and sometime it called Ava which means the place of estuary of the rivers.
How To Get To Ava
The way to Ava is transit from Mandalay is the better way of direct trip. The direct trip to Mandalay by High way car, Airway or Railway and take a rest at the Mandalay and have breakfast then touring around for the rest of the day in Ava is enough as one day trip. Ava can reach from Yangon-Mandalay high way road. The ancient city of Ava is situated at 2 miles, 4 furlong away from the north of TantarOo township, Mandalay division and 20 miles away from south west of Mandalay. The most convenience time to take around in Ava is the morning in the day that is less crowded time. That is why that I took around to visit in Ava as soon as I arrived at the airport. And the other ways to take around in Ava is by cars and three wheel cars from Mandalay. It was around 50,000 kyats cost for whole day use by them. It will give you different experiences when you take around with pony cart in Ava city.
The Best Time To Tour Around In Ava
Although Ava has always thriving with its guests in all seasons for the reason of that it has distinctive ancient buildings and it is better to touring around in the cold and fair dry of winter season than strong summer and rainy seasons.
How to get tour around in Ava in a day
The ancient city Ava has filled with something that is interesting like the ancient city Bagan. Although Ava is not a big as like Bagan but the transportation is easy to come and go and full with most interested place to study in here and there.
The old life span trees were covered the streets from the sun shine and that made the more comfortable to touring around.
There are 5 pagodas with wall painted arts, 7 pagodas with ancient stone inscriptions and 3 pagodas with inscribed copper bells and total (624) ancient buildings in Ava. Most of them were decayed. These are all that can take tour around within a day. There are verity of places to tour around but I would like to express where the places that I visited. There is not much confusion to take around in Ava. There are easy to get the main data that need most in Ava. The map of the city and the book that is expressed about the history of the city are available in everywhere in Ava.
Si To City Wall
The shape of the city wall has the form of short drum, Sit To (Myanma Traditional musical instrument) and that has known most people as Si To city wall. The inside of the city wall have many of the ancient buildings and monasteries. From this city wall, the travelers have to go inside and visit to those famous ancient places and that is the place where the travelers must visit. City wall have 3 layers wall those are the outside wall (third wall), Si To wall (second wall) and inside wall (first wall).
Mal Nu Oak Kyaung
This is the place to visit without fail when you are in Innwa as the place has deserved to give priority to visit. King Ba Gyi Taw and Nang Ma Taw Mal Nu was this building and donated in AD 1822.This monastery has full of stories about how the queen Mal Nu was powerful in the history and the same as the queen’s famous as the monastery which was donated by the queen also full of interesting things and famous. This monastery which we can see the arts and crafts of 19 century in Kong Baung era and it has (192) foot of diameter, (112) foot of width and (94) foot of high gloriously built it. There are a lot of views and scenes to take photos for the photographers.
Htee Hlaing Shin Pagoda
When the era of Bagan before King Kyan Sis was not be a king yet, he has got wrath by the King Anawrahta. Therefore he run away to this area and the king’s troops has seen that Kyan Sis Minn has got disappeared suddenly when he was running here in this place and the troops retreated back. That is why people specified here in this place as auspicious ground that is to be treads to ensure victory of the land. When Kyan Sis Thar became a king he built the pagoda here in the place of the land of victory. In fact that the troops was retreated back in purpose or Kyan Sis Tharr was disappeared from their vision in real are not uncertain things that only the most concerned people can be answer. But this pagoda was situated here beside of the Queen Mal Nu’s monastery.
Nann Myint Tower
There are the famous towers around the world that has to be notice which are sloped. And here in Myanmar also we can found that kind of sloped tower in Innwa, inside of Si To wall that is from the north corner of the palace. The tower was built in 1822 AD which has the length and width is around (30) foot and the high is (60) foot. It was suffered by the earthquake in 1838 and that is why the main brick body was sloped to the north. Since then the tower was existence strong and firmly until now. But there is no way of chance to get to the top.
Thit Sar Taik Pagoda Innwa have lots of pagodas and the ancient buildings here and there as like much as Bagan. This pagoda Thit Sar Taik pagoda also can be seen on the road back from Nann Myint Tower to Si To wall.
Bar Gyar Monastery
The minister of interior Nay Myo Kyaw Htin was built this monastery in Myanmar Era of 1144 when the King Bo Taw Phayar reign. The monastery was built by teakwood portic altogether (267) pieces and it has the length is (188) foot and width is (103) foot timber monastery. There are brick stairs for the building. The experience of the monastery has its own ancient fine arts and architectures are the pleasure for sightseeing here. There are some pieces of parts that have broken by the World War 2. People were maintained by their plans. But there are still left most of its ancient arts and crafts by seeing it. People were crowded in front of its monastery by souvenir shops and pony carts. The turned to the right side of the road by the monastery, there are so much full with interesting things again that is ancient monasteries and pagodas from the ear of Nyaung Yang.
Kyaung Lain Pagoda Group of pagodas which have built in Nyaung Yann era were founded in the narrow ground street that is from the right side of the Bar Gyar monastery. The first founded pagoda is Kyaung Lain Pagoda. Magnificent architectural buildings are everywhere in there and the only things to worry is that all the buildings were built by the ground brick.
LawKa Duthaa ManAung Pagoda
This is a kind of different structural pagoda which can see next to Kyaung Lain Pagoda. The streets were jointed with Myin Mo Taung pagoda and that make the view more beautiful for photo taking. According to the study, pagodas in here near were built the merits of King Sunday.
(Please refer to Cover Photo for LawKa Duthaa ManAung Pagoda)
Myin Mo Taung Pagoda Pagoda with extraordinary structure is this Myin Mo Taung pagoda. There are so much poetic from the beginning of the stairs. And both of those pagodas can see from the upper circle area and that is the place for behold. There are another stairs inside and have many choices to be upstairs. There is a bridge at the upstairs of the pagoda which is connected to the other side of pagoda, Lawka Duthaa Mannaung pagoda and that place was so beautiful for sightseeing and photo taking. The view was kind of vantage point and clearly can see the views.
Win Ka Bar Pagoda This pagoda was situated outlying area of the group. Even though named is as pagoda but I could not found any single statue of Buddha everywhere here. There are only maze paths here and there and climb up to the upstairs.
There is a stair way at the east of the inside of the wall and the place up there was so beautiful by the sun light radiated. Some people take risk to climb up to the top and I do not suggest for doing this. It could get falls down.
The Great Four Floors Monastery
I could not found anywhere the name of this monastery here. I found its name later from the books and memorized it. It looks so much thickness and can be imagining how glorious it was in the history. But it was so sad to seeing collapsed down. King Nyaung Yann was built these buildings and there are total 40 besiege buildings since the time they built. The Great Four Floors has suffered a lot of disasters in the history those were such as the building was set fire in the war with Chinese. The special chamber for the use of the Buddha (Gandagudi) was destroyed in the Myanmar era of 1200 and the statues of Buddha have been removed. Now there are some preparation makes among of them and most of the damages are displays as it shown. But my worries was that everytime when the touch to those damages and the pieces of dust were stick to the hands that makes me think of how long this building can be last for the rest of the days.
Maung Oh Brick Street
The name of the bridge was Maha Zaya Pahta before. U Oh (Maung Oh) the younger brother of Queen Mal Nu was maintained the bridge and rebuilt it since then the name called as (U Oh Brick Street) until now. However the road built coal tar and other level of the housings were slowly raise up and it could be worry for the lost for ancient heritage. There are the marks with portics for the street at both left and right side and those makes the view more beautiful to take pictures.
Elephant Stockade
This elephant stockade was built by assumed that to protect the enemies whose came from the Ayarwaddy River and the view from this stockade was very beautiful to seeing to the Irrawaddy River now a days. There are less for seeing as a stockade but the beautiful Irrawaddy River which is nearby and those make this stockade as a place to visit.
Yatanar Simi Group of Pagodas
This is the place to visit without fail when you are in Innwa because the places to take photos are so beautiful and these are the places which can found the arts and architectures of Amarapura era. Yatanar Si Mi pagoda was named reference to the omniscience of Buddha. According to my study that Ratana means nobility and Si Mi means wisdoms of Buddha. This pagoda is more beautiful when the time in evening with sunset and best shoot for photos. For me, I visited at the morning. The pagoda was so special with its ancient chambers and more interesting to take photos for the young generations now a day.
Other places to visit in Innwa
Nann Taw Yar
Innwa Shwe Si Khone Pagoda
Innwa Research Museum
Maha Myat Muni (@) Sanda Muni
Gu Taw Thit
Lawka Mann Aung Pagoda
We need Samsung Galaxy A7 to take photos in Innwa
Do not think that is hoity-toity as the Wide Angle of Samsung Galaxy A7 makes the beautiful scenes and wider.
I like this because of there are wide angle 120 decree view (as like the wider as the view with human’s eyes) photos. The wider view makes our photos more being pleasant to the eyes.
And the places where there is low lighting (such as evening sunset, inside of the caves where there can not get enough light as in day time) were be convenience with this kind of camera.
Most of the camera needs the lighting balance and it is such difficult things for the normal people and this kind of mobile camera were easy to use to get nice photos. Price was only 5 hundred thousand kyats and it is reasonable. Taking (3) cameras on trip was the best support for me to get nice photos for the records. This is the link for you to explore more about Galaxy A7 mobile and its camera and other such special abilities.
http://bit.ly/GalaxyA7Thiha I like very much of travelling in Yatanapura (or) Innwa. The places that need for touring are not much to visit and that is make me think of not to be tired. Also the transportation here and there was such conveniences and plenty of things to be study. And I could get many of beautiful photos in Yatanapura Shwe Innwa and I like to travel there very much.
Be healthy and safe travel. Thiha, the Traveller