Visiting Burma (Myanmar)
Burma is Quite Unlike any Land You've Heard About (Rudyard Kipling)
May 21, 2009
Formed by the union of eight major ethnic groups, Myanmar (called Burma during colonial times) is an ancient land of 50 million people that has a long history of Theravada Buddhism. Over 80% of the population are Buddhists.
British conquered Burma in 1885
In 1885 the British finally conquered the Burmese capital of Mandalay. They captured the Burmese king and queen, sent them into exile in India, looted the palace and temples, sent these treasures to British museums - and thereafter continued to exploit the resources of the land until independence was regained in 1948. Being unable to pronounce the people’s name for their country Myanmar and city Yangon, they anglicised these to Burma and Rangoon respectively.
Sixty years after regaining independence, however, the country remains in a time warp. Myanmar appears not to have entered the 21st century. The country is run by a group of harsh military men and the features one associates with today’s globalized world ( like mobile phones, easy internet access, credit cards and widespread TV coverage) are lacking.
But perhaps this situation has its benefits. The people one meets here appear easy going and gentle. How often the visitor comes across folk just seated around apparently doing nothing, seemingly content with their lot!
Place of Buddhism
Buddhism seems to pervade every aspect of Myanmar society. Little appears to take place without astrological approval. There are temples everywhere. At all hours of the day one sees people in these temples-worshipping, contemplating, meditating, snacking, making donations, socialising, applying gold leaf or pouring water on the statues-or just sitting.
The custom of applying gold leaf to Buddha statues is something unusual. Buddha images in this country as a rule are golden - either made of gold, of gold coloured metals, or of gilded wood or stone. The Burmese consider it an act of merit to apply gold leaf to these images. The tiny square inch sized patches of gold leaf cost about 200 kyat (US $ 0.05) and are applied to the lacquer coated statues. Regular application of innumerable tiny squares of gold keeps the statues continually gilded. Probably the best example of this is the Mahamuni Paya statue in Mandalay-when originally brought here it weighed 6 tonnes, but today, the meritorious attention of countless devotees over the past century has resulted in a 15 cm thick coating of gold which has doubled the weight of the statue!
Tourist sights in Mandalay
Among the other sights that tourists should not miss in Mandalay are the Royal Palace of the last king (rebuilt after it was destroyed by fire) and the temple atop Mandalay hill from which one has a panoramic view of the city. About half an hour’s drive from Mandalay is the previous Royal capital of Amarapura, with its Maha Ganayon Kyaung monastery, which is really a school for monks where around a thousand monks ranging from pre-novice boys to senior members of the Sangha live.
Nobel laureate Aung San Suu Kyi
Since 1958 Myanmar has been ruled with an iron fist by groups of generals. Myanmar’s best known citizen, Nobel laureate Aung San Suu Kyi, remains under house arrest in her home off University Avenue Road. The people are relatively poor. Perhaps keeping them busy earning enough for their basic needs prevents them having the time to think of challenging the system! Foreign books are not easily available, and even when one can access the world-wide web, the internet moves slowly in Myanmar. Email communication is slow, allegedly because all emails undergo censorship at the server.
Tourists advised to avoid MyanmarThere are those who advocate that tourists should boycott Myanmar as a protest agains the military junta that runs it. But another more pragmatic view is that every visitor to the country contributes something to the economy, putting money (which money would otherwise not reach the country or these people) into the hands of individuals like the tour guide, the taxi driver and the hotel employee.
Whatever the politics of visiting, the visitor to Myanmar will find there a nation of gentle folk and smiling people, of awe-inspiring sights and great natural beauty, of traditional Asian values and old world charm. It is a land that, for its cultural and spiritual beauty, is well worth a visit.
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