According to ancient legend, the name “Pindaya” is derived from the word “Pinguya” (meaning: to catch the spider). There was once a giant spider to live in the cave. However, that spider was killed by bow by a prince after capturing the princess of that country into the cave. From then, the place was named Pindaya.
Only 100 kilometers from Inle, Pindaya cave is ranked top “must – visit” to foreign tourists, especially those from European countries.
Located in the mountain that is 1,200 meters above sea level, the cave is characterized by hundreds-year-old banyan trees, spreading and covering an enormous space along both sides.
Interestingly, the stunning Pindaya cave looks like a temple from a distance. The path leading to the entrance of the cave is roofed so that visitors do not get wet in rainy days or get burn in hot day. Visiting the inside of the cave, you definitely see a significant number of the gilding and lacquering Buddha statues of various sizes. How amazing!
There is one thing interesting that visitors can travel by the elevator to reach the entrance of the pagoda and need to take off their sandals on the stairs when wandering around the pagoda. The gate of the pagoda definitely captures the attention of tourists by unique design and eye-catching souvenir stalls running along both sides. Legend has it that there are 8,000 Buddha statues in the cave that are built by the donation of Buddhism followers all over the world. Therefore, there is inscription describing the donation of the owner at the bottom of each statue. Stepping onto the cave, you are able to explore the whole cave thanks to luminescent brick – tiled trails that are very safe for visitors and “anti-slip” carpet spreading at the main path. Significantly, if you want to hold panoramic views of the whole cave and thousands of Buddha statues, you might climb up to the peak of the cave.
Reaching the second layer of the cave, you would probably be “overwhelmed” by the airy space and the collection of thousands of the Buddha statues. These statues are alternately arranged with stalactites in the cave. Thus, they contribute to creating the sparkling look that promise to grasp the eyes of visitors right they set foot in. In other words, you might not “take your eyes” off them during your whole trip. In addition, the inside of the cave is also decorated with white lights so that visitors could observe and admire the statues easily. The stalactite connecting the ceiling of the cave to the ground along with the water dropping from that ceiling accidentially provide tourists with amazing feeling. Moreover, there is also an area to be surrounded by of Buddha statues and a Dhrma Wheel (Dharmachakra, the symbol in Buddhism) in the front, which, according to the local residents people, can bring about good luck if they go around 7 times. The entrance fee to Pindaya cave is US $ 3 per person and more 300 kyats for capturing photos.
It’s worth mentioning that the locals do not burn incense in the cave, they offer fresh flowers instead. As a result, almost businessmen around the pagoda sell souvenirs instead of diverse offerings that are sold in front of the temple in Vietnam.
To meet the growing needs of visitors, the airy and “eyes – catching” restaurants followed traditional offers typical dishes of Myanmar at reasonable prices.
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