Shwenandaw and Atumashi Monastery - Amazing Teak Wood Carved Building - Mandalay Myanmar

Shwenandaw Monastery

Shwenandaw Monastery ရွှေနန်းတော်ကျောင် "Golden Palace Monastery" is a historic Buddhist monastery located near Mandalay Hill, Mandalay Region, Myanmar (formerly Burma)

Shwenandaw Monastery was built in 1878 by King Thibaw Min, who dismantled and relocated the apartment formerly occupied by his father, King Mindon Min, just before Mindon Min's death, at a cost of 120,000 rupees. Thibaw removed the building on 10 October 1878, believing it to be haunted by his father's spirit. The building reconstruction was finished on 31 Oct 1878, dedicated in memory of his father, on a plot adjoining Atumashi Monastery. It is said that King Thibaw used it for meditation, and the meditation couch he sat on can still be seen.

The building was originally part of the royal palace at Amarapura, before it was moved to Mandalay, where it formed the northern section of the Hmannan (Glass Palace) and part of the king's royal apartments. The building was heavily gilt with gold and adorned with glass mosaic work.

The monastery is known for its teak carvings of Buddhist myths, which adorn its walls and roofs. The monastery is built in the traditional Burmese architectural style. Shwenandaw Monastery is the single remaining major original structure of the original Royal Palace today.

Atumashi Monastery

The Atumashi Monastery အတုမရှိကျောင် formally Mahā Atulaveyan Kyaungdawgyi or မဟာ အတုလဝေယန် ကျောင်းတော်ကြီ is a Buddhist monastery located in Mandalay, Myanmar (Burma).

It was built in 1857 by King Mindon, two years after the capital was moved to Mandalay. The monastery was built at a cost of 500,000 rupees. The original monastery structure was built using teak, covered with stucco on the outside, with its peculiar feature being that it was surmounted by five graduated rectangular terraces instead of the traditional pyatthats, Burmese-style tiered and spired roofs.

The structure burned down in 1890 after a fire in the city destroyed both the monastery and the 30 feet (9.1 m) tall Buddha image, as well as complete sets of the Tipitaka. During the fire, a 19.2-carat (32 ratti) diamond, which adorned the Buddha image (originally given to King Bodawphaya by Maha Nawrahta, the Governor of Arakan) disappeared as well.

In 1996, Burma's Archaeological Department reconstructed the monastery with prison labor.

The teak wood building is one of the best buildings of this type that you will ever see. It is part of the history of the country and worth a visit. Unfortunately the original temple next door burned down and the replacement building is not as impressive. It’s still something to take a look at if you are there.

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