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Living Center of the Faith

Whereas Amarapura and Inwa are ancient capitals left largely at the mercy of the elements,Sagaing remains very much alive.In fact, some consider Sagaing to be the living center of the Buddhist faith in Myanmar today. The city reverberates with the echoes of cymbals,gongs and pagoda bells. Refugees from the hectic pace of urban life retreat here – for a day or a lifetime – to mediate. Devout families bring their young sons to undergo the shin pyu ceremony and thereby join the community of the faithful. In the hills and an the many-fingered valleys of the west bank of the Ayerawaddy are over 700 monasteries, as well as numerous temples, stupas and caves dedicated to the memory of the Gautama Buddha. Around 8000 monks live in this arcadian landscape laced with endless stairways and colonnades. From Sagaing north to Mingun, the slopes are covered with frangipani , bougainvillea, tamarind and mango trees, in whose shadows earthen water blows await thirsty pilgrims.
Sagaing is different hour of the day – in the morning, When the Phonggyis(monks) and their studests stream out of the kyaungs (monastery) with their begging bowls; in the midday heat, when the ringing of the stupa bells and the droning of the monks’ prayers rise overall other sounds; in the evening, when the lights of Mandalay light up the far bank of the Ayeyarwaddy.