Tharabar Gateway, Bagan

Tharabar Gateway, also written Tharabha, Tharaba, and called Sarabha Gate, is the gateway through the recently restored 9th century Bagan city wall of King Pyinbya (also written Pyin Pyar Min, 846-878 AD). Located on the east side of the king's palace, the Tharabar Gateway used to be the main gate into old Bagan. The word "tharabar" means "the Gate which can prevent the arrows of the enemy".

Tharabar Gate, Bagan.

The Tharabar Gateway is guarded by nat spirit idols - Min Maha Giri (@ Nga Tin De @ Pabe Maung Tint Dai @ Pabai Maung Tintdai, the brother) and Namadaw (@ Shwemyethna, the sister) on each side. In English their names are translated as Mr Handsome and Golden Face, and their story goes something like this:

Once upon a time, long before King Anawrahta reigned in Bagan, there lived a blacksmith by the name of Pabai Maung Tintdai, who was called Mr Handsome. He is so strong and handsome that he posed a threat to the king of that country, King Thinlikyaung. So King Thinlikyaung looked for a way to get rid of Mr Handsome.

When Mr Handsome learned of the king's intention, he fled into hiding. The evil king then tricked Mr Handsome's sister Miss Golden Face into marrying him. After some time has passed, he deceived her into believing that her brother was safe to return, and promised to reward him a royal position.

It was all a plot, for when the unsuspecting Mr Handsome returned to the city, King Thinlikyaung immediately had him captured and died to a golden champa tree. There, he had Mr Handsome burned to death. When Miss Golden Face learned of what has happened, she rushed into the flame and both of them died together.

With both brother and sister killed, the evil king had the tree uprooted and thrown into the Ayeyarwady River, where the trunk float downstream and arrived in Bagan. When the King of Bagan, King thinlegyaung, learned about this tree, he had it salvaged and sculpted figures of the ill-fated brother and sisted out of it. These he enshrined at Popa Taungkalat. The king also visited Popa once a year to pay his respects to the two spirits. That was how Mt. Popa came to be the centre of nat or spirit worship in Myanmar.

Tourists in horsecart going through the Tharabar Gate.

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