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Legend claims that many figures were melteddown in the 1880s to make cannons forMandalay’s defence against the British. Butsix rather battered figures remain, enshrinedin a drab concrete building on the northwestside of the inner courtyard. The most impressiveare two images of the Hindu god Shiva(one painfully emasculated) and another ofthe multi-headed elephant, Airavata. Localsenthusiastically rub parts of the image, believingthat any affliction on the correspondingpart of their own body will thus be cured.Mahamuni Paya is an endlessly popularplace of pilgrimage with thousands of faithfularriving daily, including countless familygroups bringing their colourfully robed kidsfor coming-of-age celebrations. The humanscene is often more memorable than themainly recent architecture – the original1784 temple burnt down a century later.Today the central Buddha sits beneath asoaring multi-tiered golden shrine roof. It isapproached through long concrete passagewayscrammed with stalls selling all mannerof religio-tourist trinkets. More interestingsets of Buddha images are sold in the sidearcade leading to the (young) bodhi tree.Near the compound’s northeast exit are amerrily kitsch clock tower and the odd littleMaha Buddhavamsa world Buddhismmuseum.oShwe In BinKyaungBUDDHIST MONASTERYeráa='p='ekY;='"(Map p 202 ; 89th St, 37/38) If you wanted aplace for quiet meditation in Mandalay, youcouldn’t find a better spot than this beautifulteak monastery. Commissioned in 1895 by apair of wealthy Chinese jade merchants, thecentral building stands on tree-trunk polesand the interior has a soaring dark majesty.Balustrades and roof cornices are coveredWOMEN & MAHAMUNIOnly men are allowed in to apply goldleaf to Mahamuni’s torso. Femaledevotees kneel close by, but get only aglimpse of the crowned image whetherdirectly or on the surreally static TVmonitors. Some ladies believe thatdesegregation is overdue. One localgrandmother told us, ‘Lord Buddhanever said anything like this, and I’d somuch like to put gold leaf on the Buddhaimage myself!’in detailed engravings, a few of them mildlyhumorous. ‘Remove your shoes’ signs areplaced at the compound entrance, but youdon’t actually have to do so until reachingthe approach stairs.Gold-Pounders’ DistrictWORKSHOPSMost of the one-inch-square gold-leaf sheetsyou see worshippers putting onto shiningBuddha images are laboriously hammerpoundedfor hours by hand in one of Mandalay’s70 or so workshops, centred on 36thSt between 77th and 79th Sts. Many are inback-alley houses, but there are two souvenirshopshowrooms, King Galon (Map p 202 ; 36thSt, 77/78; h7am-7pm) and Golden Rose (Mapp 202 ; 36th St, 78/79; h7am-7pm), where English-speakingstaff patiently talk you throughthe process while muscle-bound gold-beatershammer out an insistent, thumping rhythm.It’s free and fascinating, and there’s no salespressure (though the gold leaf sheets do makepopular souvenirs – from K2000 for 10).Stone CarversWORKSHOPS(Map p 202 ) West of Mahamuni Paya thereare a whole series of workshops where youcan see slabs of rock being blasted, chippedand polished into Buddhas of all sizes.Souvenir carvings are also made, notablylittle marble elephants. You can spot severalworkshops along the Sagaing–Mandalay Rdwhen driving to Amarapura.Ma Soe Yein Nu Kyaung BUDDHIST MONASTERY(Map p 202 ; 39th St, 87/88) Across the creekfrom Shwe In Bin, this large monastery isn’tarchitecturally outstanding, but it does haveits own ‘Big Ben’ clock tower and is buildinga unique multi-storey concrete pavilion.More notably it has long been noted for thepolitically forthright views of its monks,albeit less so since the 2007 protests, afterwhich many younger monks were encouragedto return to their homes.Tingaza KyaungBUDDHIST MONASTERY(Map p 202 ; 92nd St, 34/35) Somewhat dilapidated,this appealingly lived-in teak monasteryhas some carved wooden details. Acrossthe yard, a shaded open-air trio of sinuousBuddha figures have been weathered intoalmost abstract ghosts.Jade MarketMARKET(Map p 202 ; 87th St, 39/40; admission $1; h8am-5pm) This heaving grid of cramped walkwaysis a shoulder-to-shoulder mass of jade traders.It feels rather sketchy, but not all the deals209MANDALAY SIGHTS & AROUND SIGHTS