MRAUK OO (MRO HAUNG)

King Narameikhla (1404- 1434 A.D) founded Mrauk Oo in 1433 and it remained the capital for the next four centuries.

King Minhti (1279 – 1374 A.D) was beloved for his uprightness. After chewing betel, men used to clear their lime-stained fingers by rubbing them on the pillars of the hall. When he built his new palace, wishing to keep its gilded posts clear, he ordained that anyone who wiped his fingers on the posts should be cut off his finger. Once he wiped his own finger there. There was a minister who noted it down silently. A fortnight later, the king noticed the stain. Then he realized all about the stain. At once he cut off his own finger. The story made a deep impression on the imagination of the people. At Nanya village in Sittwe district, there is an image of Buddha with one finger at the right hand missing by the king’s order in commemoration of the events.

King Minbin (1535 – 1553 A.D) strengthened the massive stone walls of Mrauk Oo and dug a deep moat for the tidal water. At Mrauk Oo, he built the Shwedaung Pagoda, the Shitthaung (the eighty thousand Pagodas), Pukkanthein, Lemyethna temples and the Andaw Pagoda being enshrined a tooth relic of Buddha from Sri Lanka.

The founder of the Paraban Pagoda is King Minyazagyi (1593 – 1612 A.D.). The queen of Minhkamaung (1612 – 1622 A.D.) built the Ratanabon Pagoda at Mrauk Oo. One of the noblest kings in Rakkhine, King Sandathu Damma (1652 – 1684 A.D) built the Zinamanaung, Thekyamanaung, Ratanamanaung, Shwekyathein and Lawkamanaung Pagodas at Mrauk Oo.

King Narapatigyi (1635 -1645 A.D) built the Mingalamanaung Pagoda and kept some inscriptions in Pitakataik (library) from Sri Lanka. Mrauk Oo is at Thabeiktaung hill on the Toechaung River in Sittwe district. There were other capitals namely, Pyinsa , Parin, Hkrit, and Launggyet in Sittwe district, which were on the Lemro or Kalatan River.

The ancient city of Mrauk Oo is reached by boat taking five hours from Sittwe along the Kalatan River.

Maharmuni Image which was far from 22 miles north of Mrauk Oo is the oldest in Myanmar. In 1785, the image was taken to Mandalay. Mrauk Oo was the royal city of Rakhine kingdom. The last king of Rakhine kingdom, King Thamada ruled in Mrauk Oo. In 1826, Rakhine was annexed by the English.

The Mohamedin was ultimately reinstated in 1430 and Mohamedin followers built the Sandihkan mosque at Mrauk Oo.