BASSEIN

town, southern Myanmar (Burma), on the Bassein River, the westernmost distributary of the Irrawaddy River and navigable by ships up to 10,000 tons. The town is a deepwater port and has several rice mills; rice is exported from there. It also has sawmills and machine shops and is known for its pottery and coloured umbrellas and sunshades. Linked by air and river launch to Yangon (Rangoon), 100 miles (160 km) east, it is also on the railway that runs northeast to Henzada (where the Irrawaddy is crossed by ferry) and continues to Letpadan and Yangon. Construction projects during the late 20th century included a road to Yangon and a road along the west bank of the Irrawaddy to Monya. Bassein College is affiliated with the Arts and Science University at Yangon. There is also a training institute for elementary teachers and a large hospital. The Shwemoktaw pagoda (984) in the centre of town is considered one of the most venerable in southern Myanmar. It was one of several built by the Mon king Samuddaghosa. The nearby coastline along the Bay of Bengal is backed by the forested Arakan Mountains. Its eastern half is a vast rice-producing alluvial plain in the Irrawaddy delta. The area is noted for its fishing grounds, the largest being Inye Lake, 1.5 miles (2.5 km) long and 1 mile (1.6 km) wide. Diamond Island, an offshore reef, is a popular bathing spot and the haunt of large turtles, whose eggs are collected for sale. Pop. (1983) 393,096. also called Vasai town, western Maharashtra state, western India, on the Arabian Sea coast, north of Bombay. Part of the territory of the Hindu Devagiri Yadavas until 1317, it later became a seaport for the Gujarat Muslim kings. In 1526 the Portuguese established a fort (now in ruins) and trading station at Bassein, and the town became famous for its shipbuilding industry. After frequent but unsuccessful attacks by the Mughals in the 17th century, it fell to the Marathas in 1739 and was later taken by the British. The town is a large-scale fishing centre and a wholesale exporter for agricultural produce. Its industries are silk and cotton handloom weaving and salt manufacture. Pop. (1981) town 34,940; metropolitan area, 52,398.