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Dhanyawaddy (Burmese: ဓညဝတီ; Pali: Dhaññavatī) was the capital of the first Arakanese Kingdom, located in what is now Northern Rakhine State, Myanmar. The name is a corruption of the Pali word Dhannavati, which means "large area or rice cultivation or the rice bowl". Like many of its successors, the Kingdom of Dhanyawadi was based on trade between the East (pre-Pagan Myanmar, Pyu, China, the Mons), and the West (Indian subcontinent).
Kingdom of Dhanyawadi ဓညဝတီ | |
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The site is approximately 180 miles (290 km) north by north east of Sittwe, and lies between the Kaladan River and Thare Chaung (Thare Stream). Like much of Northern Rakhine State, it is in a hilly locale. Much of it is now deserted, with the only signs of civilisation being the stalls around the Mahamuni and meditation centres, opened to cater to the influx of pilgrims to the Mahamuni shrine (not the Mahamuni Image).
The site can be reached by a one and a half to two hours bus ride from Mrauk U. Up until the mid-1950s, Dhanyawadi could also be reached by boat from the Thare Chaung, but pollution and silting has almost blocked the canal leading to the site. Its city walls were made of brick, and form an irregular circle with a perimeter of about 9.6 kilometres (6.0 mi), enclosing an area of about 4.42 square kilometres (1.71 sq mi). Remains of the city wall, and the palace compound are still visible. Beyond the walls, the remains of a wide moat, now silted over and covered by paddy fields, are still visible in places. The remains of brick fortifications can be seen along the hilly ridge which provided protection from the west. Within the city, a similar wall and moat enclose the palace site, which has an area of 0.26 square kilometres (0.10 sq mi), and another wall surrounds the palace itself. Aerial photographs indicate that Dhanyawadi's irrigation channels and storage tanks were centred at the palace site.