Hail Sesquicentennial Mandalay!

Dr Maung Maung Nyo

(Mandalay Hill, Moat and City)

Hail! Mandalay,

Famous in Kipling’s “On the Road to Mandalay”

Its Sesquicentennial is not far away

It will be held in October this year in full arrays

Monks, men and military would participate and play

It’s exactly 150 years after King Mindon built it to stay.

(King Mindon, founder of Mandalay City in 1857)

It’s in 1857 that the city was founded

It took two years to finish all rounded

The moat, the fort, palace and pagoda mounted

Mandalay Hill, Thudamar Zayats and Blocks surrounded.

(Reconstructed Mya Nan San Kyaw Mandalay Palace)

It was then the Capital of Konbong Dynasty

It was called the Mandalay Era of the Century

It was really the capital and heart of the country

All Burman took pride in its splendor and glory.

(Mandalay Fort, Moat and Pavilion)

All beautiful things have to come to an end

It’s the truth of the mortal things to comprehend

King Thibaw was dethroned and banished by aliens

British conquered and closed the Mandalay Era to end.

(King Thibaw, the Last Burmese Monarch)

(The British Soldiers taking Away King Thibaw and

Queen Suphayalat in 1885)

Still, Mandalay remains the cultural city of the Burman

It keeps the Burmese traditions, religion and culture to stand

The test of time and all alien infiltrations for 150 years

It therefore is still the heart and hub of the country so dear.

(Shwenandaw Monastery; Note the Exquisite Carving)

Look at Mandalay that has offered us the babbling Burmese

Mandalay Fort, Moat and Palace are the national symbols indeed

Mandalay Hill, its environs and Kuthodaw Pagoda are places to please

The Mahamuni Image and pagodas provide Burmese with inner peace.

(Mahamuni Image and Buddhist Novices to-be in Princely Dresses)

Zegyo Market, Zoo and Zatpwes could be zeroed in by zany zealots

They can enjoy shopping, playing and gazing at the gamely spots

Mandalay is famous for softly spoken seductive sexy damsels in lots

Many friends were fettered by fairies and anchored in Mandalay as robots.

(Zegyo Market)

(New Zegyo Market Building)

Visitors and residents in Mandalay can visit historic places

Mandalay is the hub of Burma Country and Anyar in phases

Ava, Sagaing, Pinya and Amarapura are just one hour drive

Monywa, Meiktila, Maymyo and Mogok lie not far in stride.

(Monywa Thanbuddhay Cedi or Pagoda)

Monks abound in Mandalay for manning the Buddha Sasana

Centres of Pitaka learning and meditation blossom in the area

Secular schools, colleges and universities also flourish there

Mandalay is still the seat of higher learning in Upper Burma.

(Old University of Mandalay Began in 1925 as a College)

Mandalay leads in Burmese speech and culture in the nation

As Rangoon and Moulmein shine in boasting and eating

The polite Burmese is spoken here since the regal time

No other city in Burma can compete with it to shine.

(The King in Court, Mindon Era )

I have been fortunate to be partly educated in Mandalay

Mandalay upbringing makes me patriotic and passionate till today

For independence, sovereignty and prosperity for Burma any way

Mandalay still rings and refreshes my heart whenever I hear one says,

(The Mandalay Hill and Mandalay City Seen From the Irrawaddy River)

”Mandalay, Mandalay! You are the mother of all Burmese ways

You are going to nurture and further our nationhood all the way”

May Mandalay mature further, augur and prosper from day to day

Let’s celebrate her 150 years with a mind for a millennium to hooray!

(Sunset Over Sagaing Hills Opposite Mandalay Across the Irrawaddy River)

Dr Maung Maung Nyo

06.03.2009 (Original)