23/03/2020
..Check it up..This is just my opnions! ...,........Shwe Nandaw Monastery.,.........
Mandalay is one of Myanmar's most culturally rich cities and the last capital of Koneboung dynasty.As Mandaly was a capital city, it was built in a systematic way by the king Mindong in 1852, five year afters after Second Anglo-Myanmar war (1852). During the time of King Mindong, he could manage to develop the country rapidly in a short period of time. On the other hand he was a a supporter of the Buddhist religion.He donated many monasteries to the monk's community. Nowadays those monasteris become the ineresting places for the people for many reasons.
During the Second world war, some monasteris were bombed and destroyed in the war. Some are still remained and preserved by the government. Among them the most interesting monastery is Shwenandaw monastery. .Shwenandaw literally means Golden palace monastery in English language.Among the locak people, it is commonly known as Shwekyang( golden monastery)...The woods from the monastery used to be a part of royal halls.King Mindong built 32 eastern royal halls to use for the discussion about politics. When he passed away. His son King Thibaw planned to built a hostel for his meditation in 1879.He built a hostel at the present place with the woods from his father's royal halls. King used it for the mediation almost a year. In 1883, he to a venerable monk.Since than the building became a monastery. But the monastery is so different from a typical Myanmar wooden monastery as the building had been used as by the king.
The room construction is a hall with two rooms was divided into praying space and the abort's appartment seems to be. However the building was decorated with a lot of wood ornaments. The wood ornaments are describing how that monastery is previous and to make the people interested.The inside and outside were gild.
....In the Present time, there can be seen the gold color only inner part of the building. The outter part's color are alredy disppeared because of the weather conditions in a century. The most interesting point about the monastery is Ten jatakas which are the Buddha's lives stories. Ten Jatakas were carved in the art of wood carving to cover the praying space. We can see two lakanat statues wich is represent for the peace of Myanmar.
In the other site, there are some cupboards which were used by the monk to store some books..From the veranda site of the the main hall is all about wood decoration with a lot of embossed statues and and floral wood carving. Especially we can see ogress,dragons,spirit and some mythical beings which come from the legend.The 5 stairs are set up to the veranda. To go inside many mini doors are opened. The building was covered by two layers roof. The roof is designed by the way of floral carving and there maily Spirits statues are carved. The outter most pillers were decorated with the dragons which is seemed to be an amazing wood carving
.To summarize the whole building structure,
Shwenandaw monastery was built in a fancy way which is based on the Myanmar floral architecture features. The art of wood carving make shwenandaw monastery than a typical wooden monastery in myanmar. ...just my opnions about # #