Post No. 12,310
Date uploaded in London – – 22 July , 2023
Contact – swami_48@yahoo.com
Pictures are taken from various sources for spreading knowledge.
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tamilandvedas.com, swamiindology.blogspot.com
https://www.pustaka.co.in/home/author/london-swaminathan
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Picture Title
Shwesandaw Pagoda – Bagan ; Mahaganapati Temple= Maha pienne Temple
The corners of the pagoda’s five terraces once were adorned with statues of Ganesh, the Hindu God with the elephant head, since several Hindu deities were worshipped in Bagan before the arrival of Buddhism.
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In the past two weeks , I dealt with Sanskrit inscriptions in Burma and Brahma in Burma now called Myanmar. Though Hinduism entered the country about 1800 years ago, it went out of practise in course of time. Unlike Buddhism , Islam and Christianity, Hinduism is a non-preaching religion. They don’t preach and convert people of other religions, because they believe that other religions also lead to god . But the influence of Hinduism is seen in all walks of life in South Asian countries. Even astrologers are seen today on the road pavements giving predictions for the believers.
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Ganesa = Maha pienne
Statues of Ganesh are found in colonies of businessmen who migrated from India.
The Rangoon Museum has two images of Ganesh. They have the usual elephant head, human body with a bulging belly. He is represented as if dancing on his two slim legs. He has six hands holding , noose and Chakra , trident, fruit etc.
Shwesandaw pagoda in Pagan also has got fragments of images of Ganesh; but a most interesting Ganesh was discovered in the ruins of a temple in Pagan . He is seated in Padmasana posture. Of the four hands, three are holding Sankha/conch, trisula/trident, aksha mala/rosary and the fourth hand is placed under the belly with a vilva or matulinga fruit. Merchants from India sailed and came to Burma and so aquatic animals are carved in the pedestal.
From Pagan we have two more Ganesh figures on votive tablets. Ganesa slowly carved out for himself a place and still worshipped by Burmese community with a new name Maha pienne , probably the corrupted form of Maha Vinayak or Maha Ganapati .
Lord Shiva
We see more South Indian influence in ancient Burma than North Indian. The script is similar to Pallava script of Kanchipuram. The Talaing kings are Telengana people. We already know that Tri Linga Kshetra became Telengana and they migrated to North India and called themselves Dhillons.; in Burma they called themselves Talaings (Telugu People).
Hindus migrated to Campa/ Vietnam first and took their favourite god Shiva. We see lord Shiva in two group of temples in Myson and Ponagara. Shiva is mentioned in inscriptions as Mahesvara ,Mahadeva and many other names . He was worshipped by the Khmers in Linga form as well .
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In Burma
Temples dedicated to shiva existed in Thaton and Pagan. Now there are no ancient temples but images and coins with shiva are found. In Arakan area, a Saivite dynasty ruled for long. This is the border area between India and Myanmar; coins with the symbols of bull/nandi, trident/ trisula and shiva are found. The kings had surname Candra . those names are found in Nagari inscriptions at the Shittaung pagoda, Mrohaung . they belong to ninth or tenth century CE. Coins are dated between 4th and 10th century CE.
Coins with Saivite symbols have kings’ names such as Vamma candra, Priti candra, Vira candra. This is the proof for the Saivite rule from 4th century in Arkan area of Burma.
Burmese text Mahayaazavin mentioned that six gods helped Vishnu in founding the city Hmawza or old Prome . They are Parameswara, Candi/Durga, Gavampati, Indra, Naga and Garuda.
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Shiva Idols
Government Museum in Rangoon keeps some stone slabs brought from Shwezayan Pagoda of Thaton. Since they are out of place in the existing Pagoda, scholars believe that there existed a Hindu temple in Thaton. The figures on the slabs show Shiva, Parvati, Bull, Mahisasuramardhani , hanging snake etc. This looks similar to Shiva- Parvati image in Ellora caves in India.
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Ananda Museum at Pagan has another image of Shiva. It is about four feet high. It was removed from Nat hlaung Kyaung. From the same place another slab was taken to Germany and placed in Berlin Museum.
The statue stands on a lotus pedestal. The standing figure has four hands with trident, Vajra, sword and mace/gada. But sword and mace are rarely associated with Shiva. Jatamukuta points out to Shiva.
Recently discovered Saivite image is also housed in Ananda Museum at Pagan. It is a large piece of stone sculpture representing a god seated in raja lila attitude on a double lotus pedestal. Badly corroded statue has four hands with Trisula etc. Under the foot a male figure is seen. It is considered as apasmara purusa seen only in South Indian images.
To summarise the discoveries, no Linga is found in Burma, no Shiva temple is discovered, and no Shiva worship is practised in Myanmar.
( I have not included the temples erected by the labourers brought by the British a century or two ago. I am dealing only with ancient Burma. Above details are summarised from the book CULTURAL HERITAGE OF BURMA by Dr.Krishna Murari, year 1985)
—subham—
Tags- Shiva, Burma, Myanmar, Arkan, Shiva coins, Candra kings, Ganesh, Maha pienne, Shwesandaw Pagoda
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