The Lion Throne (also known as Sihasana or Thihathana Palin; my, သီဟသနပလ္လင်, derived from sa, सिंहासन, siṃhāsana, lion's seat, throne) is one of the eight historic thrones used by the Burmese monarchs. Seven of them were destroyed by fire during the allied bombing of World War II, but the Lion Throne was saved, because the throne was transported to India in 1885 after the

Third Anglo-Burmese War The Third Anglo-Burmese War ( my, တတိယ အင်္ဂလိပ် – မြန်မာစစ်, Tatiya Anggalip–Mran cac), also known as the Third Burma War, took place during 7–29 November 1885, with sporadic resistance conti ...

, and later returned.

Decorative elements of the throne

Small Lion figurines inside the niche of the throne

As small lion figurines are placed inside the niches of the throne, it is called the ''Thihathana Throne'' or ''Royal Lion Throne''. It is made out of yamane wood (''

Gmelina arborea ''Gmelina arborea'', (in English beechwood, gmelina, goomar teak, Kashmir tree, Malay beechwood, white teak, yamane ), locally known as gamhar, is a fast-growing deciduous tree in the family Lamiaceae. Distribution and habitat ''Gmelina arbore ...

''). The upper portion of the throne is called "U-gin". There are eleven Chakra and Devas at the both sides of U-gin floral carvings. There are the

peacock Peafowl is a common name for three bird species in the genera '' Pavo'' and '' Afropavo'' within the tribe Pavonini of the family Phasianidae, the pheasants and their allies. Male peafowl are referred to as peacocks, and female peafowl are r ...

figurines, which represent the sun, and the hare figurine, which represents the moon, depicted on the proper left and right sides of the door

jambs A jamb (from French ''jambe'', "leg"), in architecture, is the side-post or lining of a doorway or other aperture. The jambs of a window outside the frame are called “reveals.” Small shafts to doors and windows with caps and bases are known ...

It was believed that Burmese kings descended from Solar and Lunar dynasties. There are two guardian gods of the world ( Lokanat) figures on each side of the door. By representing the

Trāyastriṃśa The (Sanskrit; Pali ) heaven is an important world of the devas in the Buddhist cosmology. The word is an adjective formed from the numeral , "33" and can be translated in English as "belonging to the thirty-three evas. It is primarily t ...

( the abode of gods), 33 figures of Nats (Devas) are installed at the U-gin, the door and door jamb of the throne. At the left and right sides of the throne, there is each a Lokanat figure, together with a flying lion and a flying elephant, as symbols of peace.

History and safeguarding of the last Lion Throne

In total, there were nine thrones of only eight different kinds in the time of the monarchs of Burma. The Lion Throne was used for judicial affairs at the Supreme Court (Hluttaw) of the Myanansankyaw Golden Palace in Yadanabon period (1800s). All of the thrones were constructed during the time of King

Bodawpaya Bodawpaya ( my, ဘိုးတော်ဘုရား, ; th, ปดุง; 11 March 1745 – 5 June 1819) was the sixth king of the Konbaung dynasty of Burma. Born Maung Shwe Waing and later Badon Min, he was the fourth son of Alaungpaya, fo ...

(1816) by Shwetaung Nawrahta, the minister of that king, who was in charge of building the palace, including the thrones. There were two Lion Thrones, the original one located at the audience hall and a replica of it, located at the Supreme Court. Queen Supayalat and King Thibaw

After King Thibaw was dethroned in 1885, the Lion Throne was taken by the British to India in 1902, where it was displayed at the

Indian Museum, Kolkata The Indian Museum in Central Kolkata, West Bengal, India, also referred to as the Imperial Museum at Calcutta in colonial-era texts, is the ninth oldest museum in the world, the oldest and largest museum in India as well as in Asia. It has rare ...

. After Burma (now Myanmar) regained independence in 1948, it was returned by Lord Mountbatten and housed at the presidential residence on Ahlone Road in Rangoon. On 12 September 1959, the throne was moved to the National Museum for public display, where it remains today.

Use and protocol

The staircase leading to the doors of the Lion Throne

The throne was only used three times a year. At the beginning of the Burmese New Year, the beginning and the end of the

Buddhist Lent The ''Vassa'' ( pi, vassa-, script=Latn, sa, varṣa-, script=Latn, both "rain") is the three-month annual retreat observed by Theravada practitioners. Taking place during the wet season, Vassa lasts for three lunar months, usually from July ...

. Whenever a member of the royal court or the royal family wished to hand the king a present, they had to ask permission from the Chief

Eunuch A eunuch ( ) is a male who has been castrated. Throughout history, castration often served a specific social function. The earliest records for intentional castration to produce eunuchs are from the Sumerian city of Lagash in the 2nd millenni ...

and then from the king. When allowed, the giver had to touch the throne with his/her right hand only, as the left hand is thought to be inferior, and the present was given.

References

{{reflist Thrones Burmese monarchy Material culture of royal courts

Decorative elements of the throne

History and safeguarding of the last Lion Throne

Use and protocol

See also

References