WD540(39)

‘Panoramic view of Umeerapoora. Looking S.’

COMPLETES the circle of the Panorama, but repeats at its junction with the river off Sagain, a small portion of the scene represented in Part 1. The explanation of this apparent inaccuracy is precisely the same as that given for the like occurrence in the Panorama of Pagan, — the necessity of shifting to different sides of a large building to obtain the views. Every section, in like way, contains some little repetition of objects seen in the preceding one.

As in the northern, so in the southern aspect of Umeerapoora, there is little of a noticeable character to attract or please the spectator. Carrying the eye, however, down the continuation of the Yattan road on the left, and into the dense foliage which there begins to spread out, and to exclude all other objects, — will be seen one which for fantastic monstrosity of design is certainly unequalled in Burmah. This is the ‘Naga-Phiya’, or ‘Naga-you-Phiya’, a temple built partly in the form of a Dragon. The lower part, raised on a handsome double platform, is a highly wrought Tzoum-like temple, the hinder part of which, like the hobgoblin of a dream, merges in the body of the scaly monster whose terrible head is reared aloft and forms a spire over the temple. It is said to typify a legend in the life of Gautma’. (See Report page 174 and footnote.)’ Of the extraordinary combination of the beautiful and grotesque in this most singular piece of architecture, a full conception will be formed by inspection of Captain Tripe’s Photograph, No. 53.

The water seen in a line with a cluster of pagodas on the right is one of the inlets of the river, leading, by a variety of circuitous channels, in one or two places bridged over, to the southern end of the Lake Toung-um-mah.