Yokesone Monastery () is a historic

Buddhist monastery A monastery is a building or complex of buildings comprising the domestic quarters and workplaces of monastics, monks or nuns, whether living in communities or alone (hermits). A monastery generally includes a place reserved for prayer which may ...

in Sale,

Magwe Region Magway Region (, ; formerly Magway Division) is an administrative division in central Myanmar. It is the second largest of Myanmar's seven divisions, with an area of . Pa-de Dam (ပဒဲဆည်) is one of the dams in Aunglan Township, Magway ...

Myanmar Myanmar, officially the Republic of the Union of Myanmar; and also referred to as Burma (the official English name until 1989), is a country in northwest Southeast Asia. It is the largest country by area in Mainland Southeast Asia and has ...

. The wooden monastery, which dates to 1882, is known for its abundance of woodcarvings which depict scenes of the

Jataka tales The ''Jātaka'' (Sanskrit for "Birth-Related" or "Birth Stories") are a voluminous body of literature native to the Indian subcontinent which mainly concern the previous births of Gautama Buddha in both human and animal form. Jataka stories we ...

. The monastery was constructed with 153 teak posts, each more than 3 feet in diameter, which hold the building up about 10 feet above the ground, during the time of

King Thibaw Thibaw Min, also Thebaw (, ; 1 January 1859 – 16 December 1916), was the last king of the Konbaung dynasty of Burma (Myanmar) and also the last Burmese monarch in the country's history. His reign ended when the Royal Burmese armed forces ...

. It housed monks from its construction until it was transformed into a museum in 1996. Aside from the carvings, guests can also view an ancient Buddha image and utensils of Yadanabon 19th century period. Additionally, the museum houses a plethora of unidentified sculptures, a large throne once used by leading

monks A monk (; from , ''monachos'', "single, solitary" via Latin ) is a man who is a member of a religious order and lives in a monastery. A monk usually lives his life in prayer and contemplation. The concept is ancient and can be seen in many reli ...

, as well as an old wooden box that served as carriage for clergy members. Behind the monastery in a small building, work from the famous Burmese playwright and poet, as well as favorite bard in

King Mindon Mindon Min (, ; 1808 – 1878), born Maung Lwin, was the penultimate king of Burma (Myanmar) from 1853 to 1878. He was one of the most popular and revered kings of Burma because of his role in the Fifth Buddhist Council. Under his half brother ...

's court,

U Ponnya Ponnya (; 1812 - ), known honorifically as U Ponnya, was one of Burma's most prominent dramatists. Ponnya is considered one of Burma's greatest literary figures, known for his elegant wit and clarity of language. Biography Ponnya was born in 181 ...

, also hailing from the area, are on display.

References

{{Buddhist sites in Myanmar Monasteries in Myanmar Buildings and structures in Magway Region 19th-century Buddhist temples Religious buildings and structures completed in 1882

See also

References