“Aing Gyi” whispers through the Mandalay breeze. Aing Gyi is more than just a name. It is a place. It is a village in the Patheingyi county of Mandalay.
Patheingyi is one of 38 places in this county. This county consists of townships. Aing Gyi may seem like a small village. It is part of a larger administrative division.
Mandalay is rich in history. It was the capital of the last independent Burmese kingdom. British colonial forces conquered it in 1886. King Mindon founded Mandalay in 1857. This made it the capital for less than 30 years.
Mandalay was built on an empty area. An ancient prophecy foretold a town’s existence there. This would happen on the 2400th jubilee of Buddhism.
The city got its name from Mandalay Hill. The hill is at the northeast corner. People believe Lord Buddha prophesied a great city. It would be a metropolis of Buddhism at the hill’s foot. King Mindon fulfilled this prophecy.
King Mindon ordered a new kingdom to be established. This was on January 13 1857. The Ceremony of Ascending the Throne occurred in July 1858.
The royal city was called Lay Kyun Aung Mye. It means Victorious Land over the Four Islands. The royal palace was named Mya Nan San Kyaw. That means The Royal Emerald Palace. The kingdom was called the Kingdom of Yadanabon. Another name was Ratanapura. This means The Bejeweled Site. Later it became Mandalay.
Mandalay is derived from the Pali word Mandala. This means a plains land. It also comes from the Pali word Mandare. That means an auspicious land.
The city’s layout resembled Amarapura. Seen from above it had geographical squares. Streets crossed at right angles. The city divided into four parts. These were Ashe-pyin Anok-pyin Taung-pyin and Myauk-pyin. There were 54 plots.
King Mindon laid Mandalay’s foundation on May 6 1857. He also laid foundations for seven edifices. These included the royal city with walls and a moat. There was also the Maha Lawka Marazein Stupa. He also started the Pahtan-haw Shwe Thein the Atumashi monastery the Thudhama Zayats and a library.
The royal moat was 68.58m wide. It was also 3.35m deep. Water came from the Yadana Nadi now the Ye Ni Canal. In 1995 the moat was dug anew. The banks were laid with rocks. There were 20 gardens. A huge earthen wall existed. There were 57 palace doors. Five bridges spanned the moat. Today there are four. These are the U-hteik Bridge the Kyaw Moe Bridge the Kye Mon Bridge and the Lay Thein Bridge.
King Mindon passed away. His son King Thibaw became king. In 1886 Myanmar fell under British colony. Mandalay was ruled by two kings.
The British conquered Mandalay in 1886. They turned the royal palaces into military headquarters. They called the complex Fort Dufferin.
During World War II the Japanese installed a military camp there. The allies bombed it until nothing remained.
Today Mandalay is a mix of modern and classic. The royal palace and moat stand alongside modern buildings. The former palace is called Fort Mandalay. Some concrete replicas have been built. More reconstructions continue. Aing Gyi remains a part of this historical tapestry.