Mrauk-U’s Htoke Kan Thein Temple undergoing restoration

By DMG 04 Feb 2022

DMG Newsroom
4 February 2022, Mrauk-U 

Rainwater degradation at the ancient Htoke Kan Thein Temple and a handful of pagodas in Arakan State’s Mrauk-U are currently undergoing repairs, according to the Sittwe branch of the Department of Archeology and National Museum. 

The repair work, led by the Department of Archeology and National Museum, began this month. 

Rainwater damage at Htoke Kan Thein Temple, and Bawhti Shwegu and Tay Zarama pagodas, is being addressed with the use of high-grade technology, said U Kyi Khin, director of the Sittwe branch of the Department of Archeology and National Museum. 

“Rainwater leaks are being repaired using modern technology, using antique materials. We mixed oil, skin of buffalo, limestone, sand, brick powder, and other ingredients to repair the rainwater leaks,” he told DMG. 

U Kyi Khin added that the renovation was not intended to damage the ancient heritage of Mrauk-U. 

An official from the Mrauk-U Township Ancient Cultural Heritage Preservation Committee said restoration of the region’s ancient heritage was good, but needed to be done in a systematic manner. 

“We are trying to get Mrauk-U onto the UNESCO World Heritage List, so it is our responsibility to not do anything to harm it. What [they] are doing now is good, but [they] need to get it right. It has been raining in these areas for a long time,” the official added. 

A final proposal seeking to designate Mrauk-U as a UNESCO World Heritage Site was submitted to the World Heritage Committee in Paris on December 30, 2021, with UNESCO experts expected to visit Mrauk-U later this year.