Theingyi
This building, built in 1895 by U Nar Auk is, arguably,
the most impressive ordination building in the country. It is a two-storied
brick building 57 feet in length and 49 feet wide. It is topped by a
six-tiered 'pyathat' roof. The upper floor houses the ordination hall
which is surrounded on all four sides by a corridor. On the outer side of
the corridor are twin pillars equally spaced on all four sides. These,
together with multicolored glass panes in between them, form the outer
'wall' of the corridor. The upper parts of the spaces between the twin
pillars are festooned with gold-painted floral carvings in wood as found typically in the major
shrines built by U Nar Auk. The pillars and the outer walls of the lower
floor are all covered with glass mosaic. The inner and outer surfaces of the
ordination hall proper are painted, in gold on a red background, with
traditional designs right up to the ceiling. The doors are similarly
decorated and the arches over each doorway have gold-painted wood carvings.
These are bordered by glass mosaic works. The ceilings are also a sight to watch: Over the center of the
hall they are subdivided into a series of square areas each decorated with
delicately cut glass pieces laid together in beautiful mosaic designs. The
squares are rimmed with gold painted ridges and are separated with further
glasswork. At the centers of each rectangle are to be found painted human
figures in various dancing poses set in bold relief. The slanting portions of the ceilings both
over the hall and over the corridors also are divided into square areas (
triangular at the corners ) each with a central dancing figure, but
with less elaborate glass-work. The "pyathat" roof edges are decorated
with traditional designs in metal sheets. Multicolored glass balls are used
extensively as decorative ornamentations, both inside and outside the
buildings (pyathats).
There was one incident when U Nar Auk, in his days as a
poor farmer, was tilling the land when there was a sudden thunderstorm in
which a lightning must have struck very near to him. All he could see after
that were coloured lights and then the sight of what he perceived to be
bright buildings with ''pyathat'-like structures. He took this as an
omen that his ardent wishes for prosperity would be granted. There and then
he knelt down and resolved that if he were ever to prosper, he would build
such splendid shrines as he was now seeing. The splendid Theingyi
building together with the other equally endowed shrines he built can be
taken as his fulfillment of that dream and resolution. The multi-colored
glass panes surrounding the building were probably meant to represent the
multi-colored lights he saw that day.
Condition of the building
The main problem is the peeling off of mosaic glasswork over the pillars of
the upper floor nad outer surfaces of the lower floor, in area exposed to
the weather. These had to be replaced, unfortunately. However the portions
not ravaged by the weather had been preserved. The traditional metal sheet work at the edges of
the pyathat structures are damaged in some places and is now under repairs.
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The Majestic Theingyi ordination hall
building built by U Nar Auk in 1895.
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The interior wall of the hall.
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Overview of the upper position of the hall and ceiling.
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The ceiling of the ordination hall. |
The corridor around the ordination hall.
Note the multicolored glass panes.
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The ordination hall in use. An ordination ritual being
performed. |
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Part of the exterior wall of the Ordination hall.
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Part of the external wall of the ordination hall. |
Close-up of glass mosaic work. Note use of curved glass pieces.
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