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The highest temple in Bagan, the " omniscient" temple rises to 61 metres (200 feet) and was built by Alaungsithu around the mid-12th century. Repairs to earthquake damage were being completed in 1979. Slightly south-west of the Thatbyinnyu in a monastery compound there is stone supports which once held the temple's huge bronze bell. Northeast of the temple stands a small "tally pagoda" which was built of one brick for every 10,000 bricks used in the main temple. |
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The name Myinkaba itself is connected with the first historical king, Anawrahta (AD 1044-1077) who defeated and killed his half- brother King Sokkate in single combat on horseback near the bank of the Myinkaba stream which still flows through the village sharing the same name. The name Myinkaba means, " Brought on the horse's saddle"
(Myin=horse, ka=saddle and ba or pa=brought). Legends say that King Sokkate provoked Anawrahta who mustered his army and marched against
Sokkate. They met near Myinkaba stream; Sokkate's lance struck the pommel of Anawrahta's saddle, but Anawrahta's lance pierced Sokkate through and through. Sokkate fell into the stream and died, his body was lost and only his horse's saddle was recovered at the place now known as
Myinkaba.
Some of the guides who do not know this legend might wrongly inform visitors that Myinkaba means the " World of Horses"
(Myin=horse and kaba=world). Actually the village was known as Myin Bagan in earlier times.
Anawrahta later built a simple, solid stupa called Myinaba Hpayar (Pagoda) to mark the place where
he killed his half-brother Sokkate. In a way this was an act of atonement because Anawrahta was said to have been torn with remorse for having to kill his half-brother. This is the earliest of the stupas built by Anawratha and stands on the north bank of the Myinkab Chaung (or stream) where it enters the village of
Myinkaba. Some say that it is the place where Anawrahta recovered the saddle of his half-brother.
Myinkaba is about two miles south of the walled Bagan capital city and it was the place where the captive Mon king, Manuha and his family were kept by King
Anawrahta, after the conquest of the Mon capital Thaton in Southern Myanmar. By all accounts both legendary and historical, the Mon king was not kept enchained but allowed to live in comfort and some style with a palace of his own, and retainers to wait on him. Later Anawrahta became fearful because whenever Manuha came to see him
radiance issued from the Mon king's mouth every time he spoke. Anawrahta restored to a stratagem to demean Manuha's glory, by giving him food that had already been offered at the pagoda. After taking this food, Manuha's radiance vanished.
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