By Maung Tha (Archaeology)
WHILE in Myaing, I had the oppor-tunities to pay a visit to Myitchay thanks to friend U Kyaw Shwe from Myitchay. Myanmar his-tories showed King Anawrahta passed away in on the way to Aungtha Myitchay for killing a wild buffalo. But, Myitchay and Aungtha are separately located on Pakokku-Seikpyu motor road, west of Pakokku.
Myitchay in history
Assessment of Bagan cre-ated in Konbaung era men-tioned Myitchay was a village. Locals believed Myitchay of its establishment downstream of Ayeyawady River. Old Bagan city, Pakokku and Myitchay were located in tripartite area. Some assumed Myitchay has been there since Bagan era. Till today, the pagodas built by King Anawrahta, King Kyan-sittha, King Alaungsithu and Princess Thanbyin can be seen in Myitchay.
King Anawrahta built Kau-nghmudaw Tooth Relic Pagoda on Tantkyi Hill near Myitchay, King Sawlu, Kaunghmudaw Shwesawlu Pagoda in My-itchay Town and King Kyansit-tha, Kaunghmudaw Thettawya Pagoda in East Kalakyaung Village in Myitchay region.
Princess Thanbyin, daughter of King Kya Swa, built Shwekugyi Pagoda and Nyi Ama Layphaw Pagoda in Theindaw Village, west of My-itchay Town.
King Swa Saw Ke who came onto the throne in Inwa in 1368 AD ordered his brother Pyay governor Saw Yan Naung to build seven monasteries made of magnolia, one of which was located in Myitchay. It was built in 1394 AD, and the land for religious purpose was set four square miles. Some as-sumed the monastery made of magnolia donated by King Swa Saw Ke was the currently dam-aged Tawshwe Monastery, twomiles northeast of Myitchay.
The Ministry of Home Affairs upgraded Myitchay Village to a town formed with eight villages on 23 November 2018.
Mural paintings at Phaung-dawU Pagoda
There were two ancient pagodas in Nyaunghla Village, 3.5 miles west of Myitchay. Some assumed these pagodas were built at the places where the raft of King Alaungsithu of Bagan anchored.
One of the two was named PhaungdawU Pagoda and an-other, Phaungchitaing Pago-da. These pagodas lost origi-nal works in past renovation. But, mural paintings in late Nyaungyan era can be seen on the walls.
A Buddha image was kept in Bhumiphassa Mudra (touch-ing the ground with hand) fac-ing the south in the tunnel of PhaungdawU Pagoda. The floral arabesques depicting Bo tree in dull colour can be seen on the back of the Buddha image. Pictures of two Aggasavaka monks Shin Sariputtara and Shin Mog-galana were illustrated on both sides of the Buddha im-age in addition to the pictures of king of celestials and Sa-hampati Brahma.
Lotus flowers with many petals were illustrated on the ceiling and 28 Buddha images together with Bo trees around the lower part of the tunnel. Mural paintings on two epi-sodes of eight triumphant ones of the Lord Buddha— trium-phant ones over Nalagiri ele-phant and Alavaka ogre—can be seen there.
Although captions of 10 major Jatakas of the Lord Buddha illustrated on four walls of the tunnel cannot be read clearly, viewers can guess positions of pictures depicting Maha Janaka, Suvannasama, Vesantara, Nemi and Temi-ya Jatakas. Moreover, mural paintings showed the hells related to Temiya and Nemi Jatakas.
As some mural paintings on maritime trip of king and queen by raft together with dancers and musicians were illustrated on the wall of east-ern arch from the tunnel, some assumed the painting depicted the tour of King Alaungsithu but some thought it was the maritime marching of King Videhariz from Mihtila State to Pancalariz State in Maho-sadha Jataka.
The wall of the southern arch was filled with mural paintings on paying homage to two pagodas with flowers and cylindrical pennants, as-suming that it might dedicate to PhaungdawU and Phaung-chitaing pagodas.
Mural paintings at Phaung-chitaing PagodaFull of mural paintings can be seen at Phaungchitaing Pa-goda built on four-corner struc-ture based on triple terrace. A Buddha image was kept in the cave, facing the east, and its back was filled with mural paintings on two Aggasavaka monks, king of celestials and Sahampati Brahma similar to those of PhaungdawU Pagoda.
Mural paintings on the ceiling were similar to those of PhaungdawU Pagoda. The interior of the tunnel was full of masterpiece mural paintings depicting Tavatimsa abode of celestials and monasteries and tier-roofed buildings where the Lord Buddha resided.
At the painting on King Ko-ssala and queen served by their followers at the royal palace, King Kossala was looking athis image on the square shape mirror held by a hand while preparing his hair by another hand. Some paintings showed two square shape mirrors in his hands.
The walls of the royal pal-ace, the stage of royal drum, guard soldiers, elephant wor-riers, peacock pictures and celestial pictures can be seen on the mural paintings.
Other mural paintings and prayer scripts
Mural paintings are under preservation at 13 pagodas in Myitchay and nearby areas—four pagodas in the precinct of Shwekugyi Pagoda in Theindaw Village, four in Nyaunghla Vil-lage, four pagodas in the pre-cinct of Shwemyintin Pagoda in Kyattoe Village and Anauksu Pagoda in Sabay Village.
The mural paintings can be seen together with records on dates at Shwemuhtaw and Thiri Mingala pagodas in Nyaung-hla Village. According to the scripts at Shwemuhtaw Pagoda in Nyaunghla Village, the title was conferred on the adminis-trator of Nyaunghla Village in the reign of King Sanay (1698-1714 AD) in Nyaungyan era on 10th waning of Tawthalin, 1060 ME, (18 September 1698), Sunday.
Some prayer scripts were borne near two horoscope cir-cles in height of human at the southeast corner of Shwemu-htaw Pagoda’s tunnel. The scripts dated 24 December 1709 mentioned that award was presented at the royal cere-mony for completion of royalassignment, adding pagoda well-wishers San Toe, Mi Hnin Myo and Bwa Shin, children Mi Chit, Shin Nyein Pon, Shin Moe Kaung, Shin Zayan, Mi Shin Nge and Mi Shin Za.
Saya Tu Yin Pyinnya re-viewed Zeya Yawdha title recipient Nyaungyan gover-nor awarded the gold sword by the king might be pagoda well-wisher San Toe.
The scripts of well-wish-ers can be seen together with mural paintings in red and black colours. According to the scripts, these mural paintings might be in late Nyaungyan era.
Likewise, visitors may observe mural paintings at Thiri Mingala Pagoda near Myitchay-Kyunchaung road.
They can see prayer scripts in addition to mural paintings.
Similar prayer scripts can be seen under the mural paint-ings in north of the eastern arch of the pagoda. One of the prayer scripts mentioned the date on 7th waxing of Tawthalin, 1077 ME (24 August 1715) which showed the tenure of King Taninganwe in Nyaungyan era.
The tunnel of Anauksu Ya-dana Manaung Pagoda in Sabay Village is full of mural paint-ings. The caption for drawing the paintings was mentioned as full moon day of first Waso, 1077 ME, on Sunday. The umbrel-la hoisting date was scripted as 4th waning of Kason, 1182 ME, (30 April 1820), showing the tenure of King Sagaing in Konbaung era.
Saya Tu Yin Pyinnya wrote that visitors might observe mural paintings at Sitkegyi, Hsutaungpyae and Shwep-wintlin pagodas from seven Shwemyintin pagodas in Kyat-toe Village and the paintings created in golden ink at Ok-kan Kyawzaw or Arntkyawzaw Pagoda. As people painted the pagodas with limes, these pa-godas lost invaluable mural paintings except the collapsed tunnel of Sitkegyi and Shwep-wintlin pagodas.
Mural paintings in ancient worksMostly, mural paintings on plots of Buddhology as well as lifestyle of people were illus-trated at pagodas of Myanmar in Bagan era. The paintings in Nyaungyan era depicted royal conditions.
Mural paintings created at Buddhist monuments along the Myanmar history were evidenc-es of respective eras. But, local people and officials in weak cul-tural knowledge painted the edifices with limes, created new pictures, smoothed the walls with concrete and renovated the pagodas in addition to writ-ing scripts by correction pens, losing the invaluable mural paintings.
As preservation of ancient mural paintings revealing parts of history means safeguard-ing the cultural heritages, all the people need to value an-cient mural paintings across the nation including those of Myitchay.
Reference: Article by Tu Yin Pyinnya (Myitchay Magazine)Own field records
Translated by Than Tun Aung
