Mandalay Fort

Mandalay Fort is pride of place in Mandaly, Myanmar and the entire south east Asia. This fort was built by King Mindon, who transferred his capital in 1850s to this city. He built the fort, the beautiful palace and so many other buildings inside. All around the Fort is a wall and a moat. The Fort walls are impressive, seen from anywhere, seen any time of the day, with walls and sentry posts and additionally protected by a moat filled with water. Inside was the Palace, which was destroyed in wars, more so during World War II when it was occupied by the Japanese and was bombed by the Allied Forces. Before destruction, its monastery, built from teakwood, was shifted outside the walls and is the only original survivor of the old Fort. The Royal Palace Monastery, below the Mandalay Hill, is the most famous attraction in the city. The Palace was rebuilt in the 1990s to the original design and looks good. The audience Hall, quarters of Queens, are all good. The watch tower, which gives 360 view of the Fort, is a lovely place. For me, going around the Fort wall, strolling along the perimeter, admiring its structure, and admiring the serene moat was all pleasure. There are striking similarities between this Fort with Kangla Fort at Imphal, which also has a moat around it. For Indians, this Fort has special significance. Lokmanya Tilak was imprisoned here for 6 years from 1908 to 1914. So also other Freedom Fighters. The British followed this policy of shifting Indian leaders to this place, and the Burmese King was taken from here to Ratnagiri. In the night, the illumination at the Fort wall is pleasing. It is a pride of place for the city. #travel#thingstodo