Myanmar 39 Monywa Poe Win Hill Caves1

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Myanmar
Monywa
39
Poe Win Hill Caves
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Po Win Taung is a Buddhist cave complex, located
on the western bank of the Chindwin River,
approximately 25 kilometers west of Monywa. The
name of the complex means Mountain of Isolated
Solitary Meditation. The complex contains 947
small and large richly decorated caves. It is
carved into a sandstone outcrop and contains
numerous carved Buddha statues and mural
paintings of geometric patterns and Jataka
stories. The statues and paintings have been
dated to between the 14th and 18th centuries
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Po Win Daung is a sprawling place, and the trails
lead you to the numerous sandstone caves where
the images inside were carved out from the living
rock and the walls and ceilings were covered with
bright mural paintings of geometrical patterns in
3D as well as those of ancient Buddhist stories
(Jatakas).
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The Chindwin Valley region has magic to offer
the beautiful, placid river, Monywa on the
eastern bank and on the other side of the
Chindwin River, the ancient cave temples of the
Po Win Taung and Shwe Ba Taung
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As with many ancient and remote sites, wondrous
legends surround the origins of the complex,
tales of magical creatures, celestials, kings and
queens
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The name Po Win is believed to have been
evolved from a term meaning the powerful state
of an ascetics mind, and that once those
seeking supernatural powers had meditated there.
Taung means hill. The Po Win Hills are not too
high and are black with age.
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Buddhist prayer beads are a traditional tool used
to count the number of times a mantra is recited
whilst meditating. They are similar to other
forms of prayer beads used in various world
religions thus some call this tool the Buddhist
rosary. A Japa mala (or mala) is a set of beads
commonly used by Hindus and Buddhists.
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Malas are used for keeping count while reciting,
chanting, or mentally repeating a mantra or the
name or names of a deity. This practice is known
in Sanskrit as japa. Malas are typically made
with 16, 27, 54 or 108 beads.
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In 7th century Srikhetera (or 11th century) Bagan
temples are called gu pagodas, or caves.
Here, the caves are true caves set on the side of
hills many are natural but probably enlarged and
the entrances cut or nealtened, so one could not
really say they were wholly man-made.
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Feeding the monkeys at Poe Win Hill Caves.
Visitors wanting to feed them can buy food from
the peanut girls
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The earliest inscription as found by a scholar
was dated 1549, seen on the earlobe of a
reclining image. However, many of the images have
been painted over so the inscription is now lost
the fervour of devotion of the disciple means
that it is unacceptable to have a place of
worship or an icon of Buddhism to be left in a
decayed state.
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Many of the openings to the caves are guarded
by figures of celestials or noble animals such as
the Chinthé, the stylised lion standing on each
side, carved fully or almost in the round.
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The caves often have shelves or benches cut from
the living rock, on which to enshrine Buddha
images. Some images were also cut from the living
rock. Many of the spaces in front of the shrines
are narrow, to facilitate one person to meditate
in privacy.
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The interior walls of the Po Win Taung caves are
thickly covered with wall paintings from the 17th
century. The artwork is similar to those found
elsewhere of the same period, showing Shan
influences
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Text Internet Pictures Sanda Foisoreanu
Internet All  copyrights  belong to their
 respective owners Presentation Sanda
Foisoreanu
2014
Sound Hlaing Win Maung- Serene deep
wilderness