Mawlamyine(or Moulmein )is the capital of the Mon State in the Union of Myanmar. It is also the third largest city in the country, after Yangon and Mandalay. It has a population of about 240,000.
Mawlamyine is an ancient Mon town. The name according to the legend comes from Mot-Mua-Lum, meaning "one eye destroyed" . In this legend an ancient king had three eyes, the third eye in the centre of the fore-head having the power of seeing what was going on in surrounding kingdoms. The King of a neighbouring country gave his daughter in marriage to the three-eyed king, and this queen was eventually able to destroy the all-seeing third eye.
Mawlamyine is now being transformed into a modern city with many new public and private buildings coming up. Only the old pagodas on the Mawlamyine Ridge remind us of her ancient origins.
Mawlamyine can be reached by road, rail or plane. As Myanmar Airways flies to Mawlamyine only on Thursdays and Sundays. it is more convenient to go by car, bus or railway. There are at present three trains from Yangon to Mottama(or Martaban ) ehe terminus across the Than Lwin ( Salween ) River from Mawlamyine. She trains leave Yangon at 3a.m. . 4a.m. and 8a.m daily, and take about seven hours to reach Mottama.
It is a pleasant half an hour's river crossing by passenger or car ferry from Mottama to Mawlamyine. The ferry goes in a southeast direction across the wide expanse of the Than Lwin River near its mouth. As you cross, you can see Bilu Gyun (Ogre Island) in the west.
Formerly the view seen on approaching Mawlamyine was marred by unsightly backs of houses around Zay Gyi (the Big Bazaar) and Hpettan Lane. As Kana lan, the Strand Road, has in recent years been extended to the north along the riverside, the houses now face the river. The view of Mawlamyine is lovely now as seen from the ferry boats.
The city nestles peacefully in a two-mile wide strip between the river and the small ridge of hills crowned by several prominent pagodas. It stretches in an L-shaped direction for over seven miles southwards to Taung Waing, where the airport is located. The city is about 28 miles from the sea. Three rivers meet near Mawlamyine: Than Lwin, Attaran and Gyine.
Old Pagodas
Kyaik-Than-lan Pagoda
Three famous pagodas adorn the Mawlamyine Ridge. The Kyaik-thanlan pagoda was erected in 875 A.D. during the reign of King Mutpi Raja. A hair relic of the Buddha, Tripitaka manuscripts and gold images of the Buddha were enshrined in the pagoda. Successive kings raised the pagoda higher, from 56 feet to the present 150 feet. The present base of the pagoda is 450 feet in circumference. There are 34 small pagodas called Zediyan surrounding the pagoda. A lift has now been installed for easy access.
Kyaik in Mon language means a Cedi or Stupa The pagoda was repaired by King Anawrahta, founder of the Bagan Dynasty, and later enlarged by Mon kings, especially King Wagaru of Mottama in 1538 A.D.
On the Platform can be seen a big bell with a medieval Mon inscription and also another bell with a quaint inscription in English, dated 30th March 1885: " This bell made by Koonalenga, the priest, and weight 500 viss. No one body design to destroy this bell."
There is also a memorial to the famous Thingaza Sayadaw who passed away in Mawlamyine in 1900.
Kyaik-than-lan was the pagoda that the famous English poet Rudyard kipling wrote about in his poem "Mandalay" which opens with the line: By the old Moulmein Pagoda, lookin lazy at the sea".
U Zina Pagoda
This pagoda is named after a person called U Zina, but no one really knows who he was. Some say that U Zina was a sage who lived at thc time of king Asoka, and that U Zina was just a villager who while collecting shoots on the hill where the pagoda now stands, found a pot of gold buried in a bamboo grove. The villager and his wife became rich and built this pagoda on the hill which gave up its treasure to them. The old Mon name for this pagoda is Kyaikpatan, named after thc white hill on which it stands. Legend says it was first built in the 3rd century B.C.
There is a record that u lugalay and his wife Daw Mi rebuilt the pagoda in 1832. They were They were buried near a water tank to the north of this pagoda.
Soon after the annexation 1886 the pagoda was rebuilt by U Moe and his wife Daw Nyein to the present height of 112 feet. Their stone inscription can still be seen on the platform.
There is a reclining Buddha Image. Visitors should also see the four life-like figures, a decrepit old man leaning on a staff, a man suffering from a loathsome disease, a putrid corpse and finally a monk in yellow robes free from all worldly cares. These four figures represent the four signs that made Lord Buddha leave the palace for the life of a religious recluse.
Mahamuni Pagoda
This is a replica of the Maha Muni Image at Mandalay. The Seindon Mibaya-gyi, a prominent Queen of King Mindon from Mandalay, went to live mawlamyine after the Annexation. She and other members of the Myanmar Royal Family who were in Mawlamyine, felt a great longing to pay homage to the Maha Muni Image, and they arranged for a replica to be made in 1904. The building of this Pagoda was led by Sayadaw Waziya-yama, a prominent Buddhist monk, and Daw Shwe Bwin of Mawlamyine. The great image made in Mandalay was brought to Naga-with a Hill on the Mawlamyine Ridge,where a large building, a Gandakudi Taik, was erected to house it. The nearby monastery named after its donor, the Seindon Mibaya kyaung has some excellent wood-carvings which are over a hundred years old.
New Quarters
In recent years around Mawlamyine, as in many big cities and towns of Myanmar, new quarters are being developed and allocated to settle former squatters and also to give land for housing to government employees.
In Daingwun Kwin Quarter of Mawlamyine, land for housing was carefully planned, roads built, electricity and water supply facilities installed. The new quarters and satellite town, on 160.934 acres, comprising of 1,490 plots for housing were named Thaya Aye Quarter. Zeya Thiri Quarter on 260,44 acres with 2,337 housing plots: and Thukha Wadi new town on 44,680 acres with 27,768 housing plots.
Similarly in Mutpon Quarter of Mawlamyine with 3,329 housing plots for government employees was developed on 487.56 acres of land. This quarter is now known as Myine Thaya Wundan Einya. Gardens, play grounds, schools and hospitals are also being built for people living in this new quarter. Myin thaya su- taung Pyi Cedi a new pagoda for this quarter has been constructed and consecrated for worship.
New buildings
All over Myanmar in the cines and towns new buildings are being constructed in Mawlamyine also there is a construction boom, keeping pace with the rapid economic development under the open market policy of recent years. New civic buildings are springing up.
Myine Yadana New Market
The old sprawling, unhygenic, open bazaars were demolished, and a new modern double storey reinforced concrete building was constructed and handed over to the Mawlamyine City Development Committee on 19th March 1995. The new Myine Yadana Market is on 9.504 acres and has 578 stalls.
Construction of another four storey building was started on 1st June 1994. It is now 95 percent complete. There will be six escalators and two lifts, with colursed glass bordered by aluminum frame for the facade. Many
shops and departmental stores will bc housed in this new building.
Mawlamyine Hotel
A modern hotel for Mawlamyine was built by the Myanmar Hotels and Tourism Services in 1990, and opened on 4th January 1991. This attractive hotel has eight bungalow type buildings on a height over - looking the majestic Than Lwin river and Gaungse Kyun ( Hair Washing Island). It is situated on 12.625 acres in Daing Wun Kwin quarter in the northwest part of Mawlamyine . It has a capacity for 48 beds.
Each air-conditioned room is fitted with TV, fridge and attached bathrooms with hot and cold water. Room rates are US $48 for singles and S60 for doubles. The hotel has been privatized since 1st November 1994+ and is now efficiently managed by Smile World Company. From the hotel, views of stunning sunsets across the Than Lwin (Salween) River can be enjoyed each evening as the sun goes down.
New buildings for Mawlamyine University
Mawlamyine University was established in 1986,upgrading the Mawlamyine Degree College of University of Yangon. This College started as an Intermediate College in 1953. New buildings are now being constructed for this university.
Banya Dalla Lecture Hall
Named after a famous Mon Minister, Military Commander and Writer, banya dalla, who served under king Bayinnatmg (mid 16th century) this new double storey lecture hall was completed in 1993. It has eight lecture rooms to accommodate 1600 students at a time.
Yamanya Lecture Hall
The foundation stone of this new storey building was laid on 31 st August 1995, and the building completed an opened on 12th May 1996. There are 11 lecture halls and one meeting room. It provides seats for 1600 Students.
New Library Building
A new library building is also being built for Mawlamyine University .It will have book stacks, reading rooms and moden facilities for micro-computers, microfilm readers, and other facilities.
Setse Marine Station
Mawlamyine University is the only university in Myanmar which offers specialization in Marine Science. At Setse, a Sea - coast town about 60 kilometers south of Mawlamyine and a popular beach resort, a Marine Science Laboratory is being developed, the first of its kind in Myanmar.
Mawlamyine with its ancient pagodas and monasteries is changing fast into a new modern city. But tasty tropical fruits like mangoes, mangosteens, rambutans and durians still abound . Some of the best pomeloes are to be found around Mawlamyine . Myanmar people say the best food and the best chefs come from Mawlamyine.
In Spite of the new buildings fast coming up, Mawlamyine still retains its old charm and courtesy, welcoming visitors from far and near.