Pindaya is a town in the Shan State

Shan State

Shan State is a state of Burma . Shan State borders China to the north, Laos to the east, and Thailand to the south, and five administrative divisions of Burma in the west. Largest of the 14 administrative divisions by land area, Shan State covers 155,800 km², almost a quarter of the total...

 of Burma. It is located in the west of the state in Pindaya Township

Pindaya Township

Pindaya Township is a township of Taunggyi District in the Shan State of Myanmar. The principal town is Pindaya....

 in Taunggyi District

Taunggyi District

Taunggyi District is a district of Shan State in Burma. The principal town and administrative center is Taunggyi. This district has 12 towns and 3001 villages.-Townships:The district contains the following townships:*Taunggyi Township*Nyaungshwe Township...

. Mainly famous for its limestone

Limestone

Limestone is a sedimentary rock composed largely of the minerals calcite and aragonite, which are different crystal forms of calcium carbonate . Many limestones are composed from skeletal fragments of marine organisms such as coral or foraminifera....

 caves called Pindaya Caves

Pindaya Caves

The Pindaya Caves , located next to the town of Pindaya, Shan State, Burma are a Buddhist pilgrimage site and a tourist attraction located on a limestone ridge in the Myelat region. There are three "caves" on the ridge which runs north-south, but only the southern cave can be entered and explored...

 where thousands of Buddha

Buddha

In Buddhism, buddhahood is the state of perfect enlightenment attained by a buddha .In Buddhism, the term buddha usually refers to one who has become enlightened...

images have been consecrated for worship over the centuries, it is also one of the towns that host an itinerant market every fifth day.

Etymology

According to local legend, the term Pindaya is a corruption of the word Pinguya, which translates to Taken the Spider in Burmese. The name arose from the legend that there was once a large spider which resided in the caves and it had captured a local princess. The princess was rescued when the giant spider was slain by a prince using a bow and arrow. When the spider was killed, the prince was said to have exclaimed that he had taken the spider, that is to kill it. Thus, the exclamation became the name of the region, and from it Pindaya received its name.

External links

• Land of Harmony, Spirit of Grace: A Journey through Pindaya Debbie Jefkin-Elnekave, December 2003, PSA Journal
• Flickr photos