The Poe-win Hill is well-known as a place where Lord Buddha kept deep concentration. It is situated in Yin Mar Pin Township in Monywa District, Sagaing Region. The Poe-win Hill is famous for ancient Myanmar art and sculptural works. It is noted that the sand-stones of the Poe-win Hill are about 1,000 years old. In 412 Myanmar Era, the King Varhnawa made caves with the sand-stones on the hill and sculptured the Buddha Images in these caves for perpetuation of Buddhism. According to the records, there are about 940 caves and 440,444 Buddha Images on the hill. These images were carved from the sand-stones of the hill without using brick, sand or other rock. You can also observe the images of ogres carved from the sand-stones, in the prayer hall of the famous KunShinTie Cave Pagoda.
The two large sand-stones posts, Buddha images including the one sculptured in gesture of Bumi Phatha Mudra, and the floral arabesques are sculptural works of Konebaung Era.
On the top of Mount Meru Cave lies the Sue Lar Muni Pagoda. The name of the hill “Sikara Mount Mery” is magnificently carved at the entrance of the cave. Moreover, the model of seven rivers winding through the seven mountains is magnificently carved and decorated with floral arabesques and rock balls. The Buddha statue in the next to the Meru Hill is full of life.
You can pay homage to the Buddha Images in various postures in the maze cave. In front of the queen’s cave you can see the figure of gods on each side of the entrance of the cave. They are the sculptural works of Konebaung and Nyaung Yan Eras. You can pay homage to revered reclining image in the cave.
In the ShweThaLyaung Cave, you can study sculptural works of pay homage to 54 feet high ShweThaLyaung Image which is the highest one built on Poe-win Hill.
In the cave of SuTaungPyae Pagoda, there are three Buddha Images named TaTaingPyae, TaungTaingPyae and TingTingPyae. Besides, you can observe floral arabesques and pictures which are beautifully carved on the arch of the cave. It is learnt that the amazing sand-stone caves of the Poe-win Hill have been in existence since the early 9th Century.
Do come and visit to the Poe-win Hill where you can observe floral arabesques and figures of god and lion that are intricately carved in front of the caves in Nyaung Yan and Konebaung Eras and you can also study the tamed monkeys dangling and playing here and there.
