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INFOMATION SHEET NO.A-0313(I)



                             INFOMATION    SHEET              

                    NO.A-0313(I)	 9th  February   1998

(1)		Yangon Division Islamic Council Holds Dinner Marking End of Ramadan
		The Ramadan Committee of Yangon Division Islamic Council sponsored a dinner
to mark end of Ramadan (Eid) at the Islamic Hall on Upper Pansodan Street, on
8 February.  It was attended by Director-General U Arnt Maung  of the
Religious Affairs Department, Chairman of Islamic Council Headquarters Haji U
Thein, Secretary U Tin Win and EC members and Muslim faithful and guests.

(2)		Hindu Faithful Celebrate Pongal
		With the sponsorship of the All Myanmar Hindu Central Board, the Makara
Sankranthi of Pongal Celebration was held at the Gandhi Hall on Bo Aung Gyaw
Street, Kyauktada Township on 8 February.  It was attended by Director-General
U Arnt Maung of the Religious Affairs Department, Deputy Director General Dr
Myo Myint, diplomats of the Indian, Nepalese and Sri Lankan  embassies,
Chairman Mr G S Sharma and Executives of the Hindu Central Board, Vice-
Chairman U Kyi Min and Secretary U Thein Lwin (a) Mr Subramaniam  and members
of the Thanantana Dhammapala Organization, Celebrations Committee Chairman Dr
D B Limbu and members and the Hindu faithful.

(3)		The Article by Thaw Kaung ? Monywa and Places of Interest 	Nearby? is
presented for your information and reading pleasure.
		Would you like to visit a typical unspoilt Myanmar town not far from the
tourist tract ?
		It you do, you should go to Monywa, a thriving, picturesque town on the
Chindwin River, only a three hours? drive from Mandalay.  Monywa is only 84
miles (136 km ) northwest from Mandalay, across the Ayeyawady River and
travelling through the plain between this river and her main tributary, the
Chindwin.
		The roads are good, and along the way you can stop at the old capitals of
Amarapura and Sagaing; also at a number of interesting villages like Ywa
Htaung.   You can easily go from Mandalay, by bus, taxi or train.

Brief History
		The name Monywa comes from Mon meaning ?cake or snack food? and Ywa which is
the Myanmar word for village.  There is a legend which says that in the old
days a Myanmar king fell in love with a seller of cakes from this town and
made her his queen.  The original name some say is Mon-thema-ywa or ?Village
of the woman cake seller?.  There has been a big village at Monywa from the
Bagan Period.  The classical name for Monywa is Thalawadi.  The chronicles
mention that Monywa was one  of the places where King Alaungphayar encamped
for the night on his campaign to Manipur in 1758.
		During the Myanmar Kings? time, Monywa remained just a big village as the
administrative centre for the region was at Ahlon. It was only a year after
the Annexation of  1886 that Monywa became the Headquarters of the Lower
Chindwin District.  In the last few years with the legalizing of the border
trade with India, Monywa has grown into a bustling trading centre, second only
to Mandalay in the Upper Myanmar region.

Thanboddhay Pagoda
		If you are travelling to Monywa by car you should stop about 20 kilometers
before you reach the town to visit this most unusual Buddhist temple complex
on 37 acres of land which is part of the Mohnyin Forest Monastery retreat.
The pagoda was started on 20th June 1939 and completed on 2nd March 1952.  It
was the brain-child of the famous Mohnyin Sayadaw whose life-like effigy can
be seen nearby. Some visitors say that this Pagoda reminds them of Borobodur,
as it is similar in architectural design.  Unlike Borobodur this is a modern
place of worship, well maintained, and with interesting samples of modern
Buddhist art.  There are many different Buddha images, rows and rows in
ascending tiers in niches along the walls: the total  number is 582, 257-- an
amazing figure.


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