One of the more
remarkable sites to visit in the Shan state region of Myanmar is the Pindaya
Caves just a couple hours from Inle Lake.
This complex consists of three large caverns (only 1 was open to the
public when I visited) spread out along the steep limestone hillside. The largest of the caves is known as the Shwe
Umin Cave or The Golden Cave Pagoda and is an important pilgrimage site for
Burmese Buddhists and an amazing site for tourists since it’s filled with
nearly 9,000 gilded Konbaung-era Buddhas inside!
The cave itself
is 150 meters long (490ft) and once you enter a gigantic bell that was cast in
1842 greets you and immediately you begin to see the shine and reflections of
hundreds of golden Buddhas staring at you.
Between the stalagmites and stalactites any available space is stuffed
with a Buddha of every conceivable size.
As the centuries have gone by more and more statues have been added to
the cave. Many of the statues bear the
name of the benefactor who paid for it.
The Buddhas come in different sizes and shapes as well as material. Some are gold plated, made from the local
teak wood, marble, and bronze.
The interesting
thing about this cave is that there are many mini caves within the cave
itself. To enter this you must get down
to the ground and crawl. Most of these
rooms were used for quiet contemplation and meditation. Due to the humidity of the cave, the ground
can be quite slipper so make use of the handrails whenever possible. The whole experience inside should take you
no more than an hour to see. If
possible, use your wide lens inside here and use an appropriate f/stop to grasp
how many Buddha images are stuffed inside here as well as making best use of
the light inside.
To get to the
Pindaya Caves you have three options: take any of the zaungdans (covered step
paths) up to the top, drive up to the top, or take the elevator. You’ll pass by the Nget Pyaw Taw Pagoda at
the base of the hill and it’s a complex of gleaming white and gold Shan Stupas
near the main eastern walkway. I rode a
bike here from my hotel afterwards and it’s definitely worth checking out if
you want see something else other than the Pone Ta Lote Lake. There’s also the Hsin Khaung Taung Kyaung
monastery that is 200 years old and made of teak wood and designed in
traditional Shan style. Inside you can
see a bronze and bamboo Buddha too.
Another
interesting thing you see as you enter the complex is a statue of a giant
spider and an archer not to far from it.
There’s an interesting local legend to this, as it was believed that a
giant spider captured seven princesses who were bathing in Pone Ta Lote Lake
and imprisoned them in the Shwe Umin Cave.
Prince Kummabhaya of Inle Lake gallantly battled the giant spider by
shooting it with a single arrow. The
name of the site, derived from pinguya (taken from the spider) was inspired by
this tale.
Another
historical legend about the complex is that King Ashoka, the Indian emperor who
ruled much of present day India in the 3rd century B.C, built it. Ashoka sent monks out across much of Asia to
spread Buddhism and had numerous temples built to spread the word.
The Pindaya
Caves is a daytrip in itself and definitely worth visiting. The sensory overload of so many Buddha images
is unreal and a great experience. If
you’re a photographer looking for a place to shoot, this is it. The entrance fee is $3 and you must remove
your shoes when entering and do dress appropriately too. There’s not much to do in this area so a day
trip is all you need. The drive through
the countryside and through the small villages is quite scenic and I managed to
get a lot of interesting pictures of people going about their daily lives.
Happy
traveling.
