Pyi - Prome - Pyay

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Teak tree, snakebites,Buddha images, museum, clay votive tablets, bronze figures of musicians and dancers, coins, artwork, snakes, Srikshetra, ancient Pyu, Pyu tribe, Beitthano, Magwe, Thayeikhittaya, Buddhist Council, Irrawaddy

Driving from Rangoon to Pyi or Prome or Pyay is a smooth ride

through immense tracts of paddy fields interrupted by small streams and patches of water with leaves and flowers floating on the light blue surface.

The highland starts approximately 50 km south of Pyi with large amounts of freshly planted teak trees. There is a lot done in bringing up new forests since the most of the trees have been cut down in the past.

The road, which is quite new and real good, touches the Irrawaddy, we look down the high riverbanks, heavily clothed with foliage. The water sweeps in wide curves and the usual native crafts and dugouts are moored along the banks.

Some fishermen try their luck out of the sandbanks where they build huts from palm leaves and work there between the periods of floods.

The fish they catch in the Irrawaddy has such a mass of small bones that it is a real pain to eat; the best is to make sure to get fish from the sea. Women are washing clothes, banging them on some stones again and again, after having done their work they slowly move into the river having a short swim and clean the body.

In midstream wide teak rafts move slowly.

Other rafts made of bamboo are carrying heavy logs, slung beneath since they won’t float due to their weight.

Present day Pyi is a sleepy town with a small river harbor.

The most interesting around Pyi is a short ride (about 8 km) to visit the remains of the ancient city of Thayeikhittaya or Sri-shetra. Some records indicate that the ancient Srikshetra was founded shortly after the great Buddhist Council, held in 443 B.C.

The remains (within a area of about 19 square km, totally embraced with a wall in ancient times) are hidden behind thickets of thorny bushes, small trees, toddy palms, Happy Girl at Prome or Pyay o Pyi Burma Burma cactus and beautiful white flowers. To explore the place it’s best to take a guide since the ruins are quite scattered around, and the museum, the main starting point for a walk around, is far.

Srikshetra was the largest and most elaborated city built by the ancient Pyu.

It was the capital of the Pyu tribe from the fifth until the 15th. Century. It seems that the capital before was Beitthano near present day Magwe; excavations there are progressing now.
Prome or Pyay or Pyi Pagoda Ruin 15 Century Burma Burma

Anyway, not much is visible anymore some fragments of the palace wall, a collection of ancient relief’s, statues and other items dated mainly from the 15th Century are on display in the museum.

There are plenty of other objects like Buddha images, clay votive tablets, bronze figures of musicians and dancers, some coins and lots of other artwork rendered in different materials but mainly in stone.

Prome or Pyay or Pyi plenty of other ancient objects like Buddha images Burma Burma To make the trip somehow efficient the best is to hire one of the persons from the museum to show the way around, they are the only one who really knows the area. Exploring the place is done by walking only, passing small ponds by dusty walkways, sometimes heavy covered by foliage. Good high shoes are advisable (no sandals) since snakes and other small animals could be hidden somewhere. Burma has the highest mortality in the world from snakebites. The two pagoda ruins are some of the better-preserved, built 15th. Century.

Prome or Pyay or Pyi agriculture is main source of income in Burma Burma

In short what you can find on this page:
Pyi, Prome, Pyay, teak tree, snakebites, Buddha images, museum, clay votive tablets, bronze figures of musicians and dancers, coins, artwork, snakes, Srikshetra, ancient Pyu, Pyu tribe, Beitthano, Magwe, Thayeikhittaya, Buddhist Council, Irrawaddy River, teak raft, bamboo raft. logs.

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Pyi - Prome - Pyay

Home Contact German Version

Teak tree, snakebites,Buddha images, museum, clay votive tablets, bronze figures of musicians and dancers, coins, artwork, snakes, Srikshetra, ancient Pyu, Pyu tribe, Beitthano, Magwe, Thayeikhittaya, Buddhist Council, Irrawaddy river