Saradaw Ashon U Ottama,, also known as 'The Sun of Asia' was born at Rupa quarter, Sittwe, Arakan State, in 1879 to the merchant couple U Mra and Daw Aung Kyaw Thu.

U Htoon Aung Gyaw was the eldest son of U Htoon Chan, B.A., B.L., Advocate, and Daw Ma Oo of Rupa Rwar in Sittwe, Rakhine state. He was born in 1894 and had six siblings, including U Kyaw Mong, I.C.S, Finance Minister under the first military administration and U Kyaw Tha, Commissioner of the Port of Rangoon and a staff member of the International Civil Aviation organization (ICAO), Montreal, Canada.

The Buddhist missionary Saradaw Ashin U Chandramani was endowed with great gifts and led a famous and long life. He was a very well known, distinguished and outstanding Bhikkhu Mahathera. While living in the Kushinagar Monastery, a place close to where the Lord Buddha had passed away to Nirvana, the Government of India had offered, and he had accepted, the highest, most honourable and respected title "Guru Guru MahaGuru". He became the first ever President of all Buddhists in India.