Bago

ပဲခူး မူလဟသၤာကုန္း အထိမ္းအမွတ္ရုပ္ထု

Bago

     The city of Bago is less than two hours’ drive from Yangon.It is on the railway line between Yangon and Mandalay.Its former name Pegu is an Anglicism.It is one of the major historical cities in Myanmar as it was the capital of the second Myanmar Empire.Even before that, it has long been a seat of power and flourishing  trade centre. In fact, the city is so old that the people today including scholars can’t figure out the exact meaning of its name.True, there have been several hypotheses, but none has been fully satisfactory or foolproof.The simple fact is that the name Bago has no meaning in Modern Myanmar unless you take it as picking peas.Anyway, it’s a short and handy name and, as you know, a rose by any other name would smell as sweet.

     In 1057, King Anawrahta of Bagan conquered Thaton, The Mon capital, and the whole of southern Burma(Myanmar) fell under Bamar sovereignty, a situation that continued for the next 250 years.Indeed, some say that Thaton never recovered from the conquest.When Wareru established his own Talaing Empire in 1287 _ after the downfall of the First Burmese Empire in 1287 _ after the downfall of the First Burmese Empire at the hands of Mongols led by Kubli Khan _ he picked Mottama near Mawlamyaing, as his capital.

     His successor, Byinnya-U, transferred the capital to Bago (Hamsawaddy) in 1365.Thus began the city’s golden era, a time of considerable prosperity that lasted until 1635.In that year, the capital was transferred by King Thalun’s Second Burmese Empire to Inwa(Ava), not far from Mandalay.By that time,the harbour at Bago had become very shallow as a result of silt deposits, which meant that trading vessels could no longer dock there.

     A feature of Bago’s golden era, which endured for nearly three centuries, was the emergence of the Hansawaddy dynasty’s great rulers – such as King Razadarit (1385-1425),Queen Shinsawpu (1453-72) and King Dhammazedi (1472-92) – who are still revered by the people of Myanmar.

     Bago is a great place to visit as it has plenty of historical buildings and you can do it in a day-return trip from Yangon.Traditionally, the Shwemawdaw Pagoda and the Shwethalyaung Reclining Image constitute the chief tourist attractions of Bago.Shwemawdaw is one of the tallest pagodas in the country and almost as famous as the Great Shwedagon.It is believed to have been built 237 years after the Buddha’s Advent, that is, in the 4^th century B.C. Shwethalyaung is one of  the largest reclining images of the Buddha in the country.Kalyani Sima (ordination hall) and stone inscription also are of great historical interest.

     Another great pagoda in Bago is Mahaceti built by King Bayinnaung, most probably the wealthiest king in Myanmar history.According to historical records, fabulous treasures including the life-size gold statues of the extended imperial family were enshrined in it in addition to the usual sacred relics.Whether these treasures still remain intact inside the pagoda is a million dollar question.

     The latest addition to Bago’s tourist attraction is the Kambawza Thardi Palace.Originally, it was the palace of King Bayinnaung, the largest palace ever built in Myanmar throughout its entire history.For centuries, it has disappeared from the face of the earth through the ravages of time and wanton destruction by man.Only the stumps of its massive teak posts and other foundations have lain buried in the ground.Now the palace having reconstructed on the same spot exactly according to its design and plan which have been recorded in ancient folding-parchment-books.

     And now, let me share with you the most celebrated legend about Bago.Long ago,what is now Lower Myanmar was under the sea,Bago included.Once, a couple of Brahminy ducks were flying above the sea and looking for a place where they might perch.Bago, then was just the tiny tip of a hill rising above the surface of the sea.The male Brahminy duck _ or should I say drake _ landed there first and there was no room left for his mate.So she landed on him thereby establishing the tradition of the female gaining the upper-hand of the male! Consequently, it has been generally assumed in Myanmar that the ladies of Bago dominate their husbands and knowledgeable young men here think twice about marrying Bago ladies!