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The Magic and Mystery of Shwe U Min (Pindaya Caves)

There are no familiar hills or trees, no stars in the sky, no buildings or other architecture with which to get your bearings. That's because the entrance to the cave system is marked by the distinctly Myanmar Shwe U Min Pagoda (Golden Cave Pagoda), while beyond that can be found a maze of more than 8000 Buddha images dating back hundreds of years. To enter a cave is to lose sight of the geological, celestial, and cultural waypoints that provide clues as to where in the world you are. There are no familiar hills or trees, no stars in the sky, no buildings or other architecture with which to get your bearings.

Maybe this is why caves have, since time immemorial, been associated with otherworldly creatures and experiences. They are, according to countless legends from different cultures across the globe, the realm of dangerous monsters, spooky oracles and eccentric hermits. The Pindaya Caves, located in a limestone ridge on a high plateau in MyanmarÊs Shan State, are no exception.
According to a story from long ago, seven Shan princesses once entered the cave complex to take refuge from a storm, only
to be caught in the web of a giant spider that lived there. Their screams for help were heard by a passing prince on a white horse, who came to their rescue, defeated the spider and set the girls free. 

Although they share in the worldwide tradition of inspiring folktales, the Pindaya Caves are exceptional in another respect: Once you are inside and have left the surface world behind, there is no mistaking what country you are in. That's because the entrance to the cave system is marked by the distinctly Myanmar Shwe U Min Pagoda (Golden Cave Pagoda), while beyond that can be found a maze of more than 8000 Buddha images dating back hundreds of years. It is an astounding sight that has long beguiled Buddhist pilgrims and casual visitors alike. 

When visiting Pindaya, the enchantment begins long before you reach the caves themselves. The 45-kilometre road from the charming colonial hill station town of Kalaw passes through gently rolling hills, fields cultivated to grow rice and potatoes, and a series of villages peopled by the Pa-O and Danu ethnic groups. 

The town of Pindaya is worthy of replication on postcards throughout the world, with its tranquil and picturesque Boutaloke Lake nestled beneath a soaring limestone ridge. The area is mostly populated by Burmese-speaking Taung-yo people, whose handicraft specialties include terracotta pottery, and Shan paper made from mulberry bark and used to make colourful parasols. A weekly market allows visitors to experience the sights, sounds and tastes of local culture.

Even greater insight into rural Myanmar lifestyles can be gained by taking advantage of PindayaÊs status as a popular jumping-off point for long treks, which can last anywhere from one to four days. Trekkers typically pass through nearby Danu, Pa-O, Palaung and Taung-yo villages and spend the night in remote monasteries.

The Pindaya Caves can be reached from the town by foot, horse cart or hired car. Once in the upper parking lot, the options are to walk up the 200-step covered stairway to the entrance or, for a small fee, take the lift. Before descending into the underworld,
it is worth spending a few minutes taking in the panoramic view across the lake and the surrounding countryside.

The 15-metre-high Shwe U Min Pagoda, just inside the cave complex's entrance, was built during the 12th century by King Alaungsithu, a Burmese/Mon ruler who was said to possess supernatural powers. Since then it has drawn religious pilgrims from far and wide. No one is quite sure when the first Buddha images appeared in the caves, but the initially small number has been added to over the years by visitors. There are now thousands – made of various materials such as alabaster, teak, marble, brick, cement and jade – that have been arranged to create narrow, mazelike pathways that beg to be explored.

The Buddha images, most of which have now been painted gold, glint mysteriously in the dim electric light, some clustered in groups that reach to the ceiling on stepped red pedestals, some tucked away in secret, solitary corners. A few chambers can only be reached on hands and knees, and many pilgrims value these quiet niches as prime environments for meditation and devotion.

With shoes forbidden within the underground complex, walking barefoot on the cool and sometimes slippery stone floor adds to the unique and adventurous spirit of the cave exploring experience. 

The mysteries only seem to multiply the deeper you delve into the complex. There are the famous sweating Buddhas, a series of jade images that are at all times covered by condensation. Devotees believe that people who rub the 'sweat' onto their own faces will be imbued with good fortune and beauty, and will find that their ailments are healed. There are rock formations with evocative names like the Weaving Loom of the Fairy Princesses, while wooden mallets indicate the location of stalactites that, if struck just right, make a 'gong' sound that resonates through the subterranean chambers. The passageways seem to go on forever, and indeed one legend say that the caves extend all the way to Bagan, some 200 kilometres away.

The fact is, the caves only reach about 150 metres into the heart of the Shan Plateau, but through travelling this distance, visitors can begin to plumb the infinite depths of Buddhism and Myanmar culture.

Author by Douglas Long(SweSone Yangon Inflight Magazine)

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