http://www.authorstream.com/Presentation/michaelasanda-2042405-myanmar11-bagan/

Gubyaukgyi temple was built in early 12th century in an Indian style. The monument consists of a large shrine room attached to a smaller antechamber. The temple is typical of the Mon style in that the interior is dimly lit by perforated rather than open windows The fine stuccowork on its exterior walls is in particularly good condition.

Gu meaning "cave" in Myanmar. This Mon-style temple was built by Prince Rajakumar, the only son of King Kyansitta, in 1113.

It was not in fact until the king was in old age that came to know of Rajakumar’s existence. The boy’s mother had left the court while pregnant.

She had been given a valuable ring by the king on understanding that, if the baby was a boy, she should return to the court with her son and the ring, but if the baby was a girl, she should sell the ring.

Many years later Rajakumar returned with the ring. His father’s delight at the discovery of a son was tempered by the awkward fact that he had meanwhile promised the throne to his daughter’s son, Alaungsithu.

Instead, the king gave Rajakumar some land. Rajakumar was apious man and, on her father’s death, he sold the land and built the temple.

Opuntia, also known as nopales or paddle cactus is a genus in the cactus family

The most commonly culinary species is the Indian Fig Opuntia (O. ficus-indica). Most culinary uses of the term "prickly pear" refer to this species. Prickly pears are also known as "tuna", "nopal" or nopales. The fruit of prickly pears, commonly called cactus fruit, cactus fig, Indian fig or tuna in Spanish, is edible, although it has to be peeled carefully to remove the small spines on the outer skin before consumption.The young stem segments, usually called nopales, are also edible in most species of Opuntia. They are commonly used in Mexican cuisine in dishes such as huevos con nopales (eggs with nopal), or tacos de nopales.

Frangipani (Plumeria acutifolia) is called Tayoke Saga in Burmese

What accounts for this temple is the best preserved paintings inside, which are thought to date from the original construction of the temple and to be the oldest remaining in Bagan.

Bougainvillea. The flower is called Sakhu Pan (Paper Flower).

Gubyaukgyi has some of the most spectacular wall paintings in Bagan. Every inch of wall space, as well as the ceilings, is covered. If you visit on your own that a torch is a necessity to explore the paintings under low light conditions. Photography was not allowed inside.

The earth witness mudra is also called the Bhumisparsha ("gesture of touching the earth") mudra.

Stone slab inscribed with the sacred Buddhist text of the Tripitaka

The Naga tradition in Buddhism began with an episode in the life of the Buddha. After attaining Buddhahood, the Buddha spent seven weeks in continuous meditation in the vicinity of the Bodhi Tree, and the sixth of the seven weeks was spent on the shore of the Mucalinda Lake, a few yards away from the Tree; there blew a great storm, and the Naga king, who lived in a tree nearby, sheltered the Buddha by winding his coils seven times round the meditating Buddha's body and holding his hood over the Buddha's head. The depiction of the meditating Buddha protected by the coils of the Naga king later became a popular motif in Buddhist art and sculpture. Up to the present day the Naga is the most popular motif in Burmese art, both religious and secular.

Visiting temples

•Respect the Buddha Statues: Never touch, sit near, or climb on a Buddha statue or the raised platform. Get permission before taking photographs and never do so during worship. When exiting, back away from the Buddha before turning your back.

•Don't Point: Pointing at things or people around the temple is considered extremely rude. To indicate something, use your right hand with the palm facing upwards. When sitting, never point your feet at a person or image of Buddha.

Visiting temples

Eating: Monks do not eat after noon; be mindful about eating or snacking around them.Body Language: If a monk is sitting, show respect by sitting before starting a conversation. Avoid sitting higher than a monk if you can help it. Never point your feet at any Buddhist while sitting.Right Hand Only: Only use your right hand when giving or receiving something from a monk.

Visiting temples

Advice for WomenA woman should never touch or hand a monk something. Even accidentally brushing against their robes requires that they fast and perform a cleansing ritual. Food or donations must be passed to a man first and then on to the monk - even the monk's own mother must follow this rule!

Visiting temples

While certainly not expected, these gestures will show that you took the time to research Buddhist customs before your visit.Enter the shrine with your left foot first, and exit by leading with your right foot. This gesture symbolically represents a whole.

Visiting temples

The traditional greeting for a monk is to place the hands together in a prayer-like gesture and give a slight bow. Known as the wai in Thailand or the som pas in Cambodia, the hands are held higher than usual (near the forehead) to show more respect to monks.

Nerium oleander is a beautiful but highly toxic flower. Nerium indicum {nwèý-tha-ki, Tayok-hnin-si}. Literary meaning of "Tayoke-hnin-si" is "Chinese rose."

Moringa oleifera – Drum stick tree

Moringa oleifera – Drum stick tree

Moringa oleifera – Drum stick tree

The health benefits of drumstick

(Dandalonbin, Dandalun-bin,

Dandalun, Daintha) are

many and almost all parts of the drumstick tree have nutritional and medicinal

value. Its leaves, pods and flowers are packed with

nutrients important to both

humans and animals

Moringa oleifera – Drum stick tree

Burmese drumstick sour soup (Dunt-dalun_chin-yei)

The root bark and bark of Moringa are used for poor

circulation, to increase appetite and stimulate

digestive system and also taken as a tonic.

Fresh Drumstick greens. Moringa oleifera – Drum stick

tree

Its tender leaves and twigs can be harvested from a well-established, 1.5 to 2 meters height plant. Leaves are an

excellent source of protein that can be rarely found in any

other herbs and green leafy vegetables. 100 g of fresh raw leaves provide 9.8 g of protein

or about 17.5% of daily-required levels. Dry, powdered

leaves indeed are a much-concentrated source of many

quality amino acids

Moringa oleifera – Drum stick tree

Drumstick Greens Rice

Text: InternetPictures: Sanda Foişoreanu & InternetCopyright: All the images belong to their authors

Presentation: Sanda Foişoreanu www.slideshare.net/michaelasanda

Sound: Burma Traditional Music