To travel here is to encounter men wear

226

MANDALAY & AROUND

AROUND MANDALAY

was checked only for those entering Bagaya

Kyaung and Maha Aungmye Bonzan. How-

ever, if you don’t have the pass, your cart-

driver or motorbike-pilot will expect you to

pay up to avoid getting him into possible

trouble.

The local Inwa Nat Pwe festival culmi-

nates on the full moon of Tabaung (Febru-

ary/March).

History

In 1364, Inwa got its fi rst of four turns as Bur-

mese capital when Sagaing, across the river,

fell to the Shan. Inwa’s kings quickly set about

re-establishing Bamar supremacy, which had

been in decline since the fall of Bagan. Inwa

means ‘Mouth of the Lake’, but the site has

also been known less modestly as ‘City of

Gems’ (Ratnapura in classical Pali, Tadanabon

in Burmese). The Europeans knew the city as

Ava, and indeed dealt with Burma under the

moniker ‘Kingdom of Ava’ even after the royal

court abandoned Inwa for Amarapura (in

1841) and eventually Mandalay.

 1 Sights

Only three main sites are at all tourist-

oriented, though at each of those the drinks

vendors and postcard peddlers can be an-

noyingly insistent.

oBagaya Kyaung WOODEN MONASTERY

b;"kr;ekY;='"

By far Inwa’s most memorable individual

attraction is this 1834 teak monastery sup-

ported on 267 teak posts, the largest 60ft

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Ayeryarwady River

Ferry to

Sagaing

13

6

2

5

11

7

1

3

8

12

10

49

Many

Pagodas

Bagaya

Kyaung

3

1

C

B C

2

3

1

2

B

A

A D

D

Inwa

‚

To Ava

Bridge (0.6mi)

‚

To Inwa South Village (600m);

Tada-U and Paleik

0800m

e#00.4miles

Inwa

æTop Sights

Bagaya Kyaung ....................................A3

æSights

1 Gaung Say Daga Gate .........................C2

2 Horse Cart Waiting Area ..................... D1

3 Htilaingshin Paya ................................. C1

4 Le-htat-gyi Paya ..................................B3

5 Maha Aungmye Bonzan...................... C1

6 Monk's Residence ............................... C1

7 Nanmyin ...............................................C2

8 Nogatataphu Paya...............................A2

9 Sandamuni Paya..................................C3

10 Shwedigon Paya ..................................B2

11 Ticket Booth......................................... C1

12 Yedanasini Paya ..................................A2

ïTransport

13 Trishaws to Ava Bridge and

Amarapura ........................................ D1