Bagan And Its Temples And Pagodas

 Some 2,300 pagodas and temples are yet giving real testimony to Pagan's 'Golden Era' at the forefront the city became known as 'The City of Four Million Pagodas' knocked out King Kyanzittha. Kyanzittha was in my opinion Pagan's greatest King. During his reign of 28 years from 1084 A.D. to 1112 A.D. large numbers of religious monuments were built.

The 'Golden Era' began once King Anawrahta's loyalty to Theravada Buddhism doctrines in view of that of Mon monk Shin Arahan's teachings.

In the taking into account you will locate my list of 20 monuments considering brief descriptions. These are arguably the most interesting witnesses of Bagan's 'Era Of Greatness'.

1. Shwezigon Pagoda

This pagoda, located in Nyaung Oo and Pagan's greatest reliquary is said to contain a tooth of the Buddha. It is one of Bagan's four relic's payas.

The Shwezigon Pagoda covered by a loud auditorium was started to be construct by King Anawrahta sometime harshly 1076 A.D. or earlier. He was killed in 1077, following the pagoda's third terrace - about speaking which its terror stands - was just completed. This left the Shwezigon unfinished and it was Anawrahta's son King Kyanzittha who completed the pagoda in 1089 A.D. The Shwezigon served as a prototype for as soon as construct pagodas.

Every year a Shwezigon Pagoda Festival is held from 23 to 30 November.

2. Ananda Temple

The Ananda Temple is Bagan's most impressive temples and a masterpiece of Mon architecture that was completed in 1091 A.D.

The temple was built by King Kyanzittha who personally executed its architect after gaining in order to avoid the pagoda's duplication. The self-starter of pagoda architects after the pagodas planned by them were ready was quite a common situation in these era.

The Ananda temple houses four standing immensely big teak Buddha images (Gautama, Kakusandha, Konagamana and Kassapa) and a sum of eighty reliefs, depicting Gautama Buddha's moving picture from birth to Enlightenment.

The annually held Ananda Temple Festival/Fair is an matter not to be missed. The festival's summit is a day procession in the temple's courtyard once suggestion to January full moon hours of hours of day.

For more Ananda Temple details put off my Ezine article 'The Ananda Temple And Its History'.

3. Thatbyinnyu Temple

This temple, an originally snow-white stucco building, known as 'The Temple of Omniscience', is gone 200 ft/61 metre peak the highest building in Pagan/Bagan. It was construct in the center of 12th century by King Alaungsithu and is in influence and style same to the Ananda Temple.

Thatbyinnyu's upper temple floor houses an eastward looking Buddha image.

4. Gawdawpalin Temple

The Gawdawpalin Temple is one of Bagan's most impressive two-storey temples and suffered substantial discontinuous during the 1975 earthquake that caused considerable damage to many of Bagan's pagodas and temples.

The temple was built in the 12th century by King Narapatisithu and bears a hermetically sealed similarity to the Ananda and Thatbyinnyu temple. The temple offers a pleasing vista well ahead than Pagan's plain in the east and the Ayeyawaddy river and Yoma Mountain Range in the west.

5. Dhammayangyi Temple

This after 3 years construction unfinished temple is the most immense and largest shrine in Bagan and has the Bagan Monument Inventory Number 771

It is displaying the finest brickwork of all the new pagodas and temples in Pagan. King Narathu was one of the worst kings Pagan ever had. He started to construct the Dhammayangyi Temple to atone for the killing of his father King Alaungsithu, his elder brother Minshinsaw (the rightful beneficiary to the throne who was just anointed), the former Indian princess Kyaban, one of his wives member to him by his dad, Ottarathu, one of Kyaban's sons and his uncle the scribe Mahabo.

His hasty tenure from 1167 A.D. to 1170 A.D. finished subsequent to he was assassinated.

6. Gubyaukgyi Temple

The Gu Byauk Gyi is choice temple built by king Kyanzittha and as it is considering some of the supplementary Bagan temples its architectural design shows resolved signs of Indian involve. The temple was completed also quotation to 1113 A.D. and is number 1.323 of the Bagan Monument Inventory list.

As the first portion of the declare 'Gu' implies the Gubyaukgyi is a cave temple for Gu means cave.

This Gubyaukgyi is located in the Wetkyi-in village place. It is important to know this because Bagan's second Gubyaukgyi is located in Myinkaba and looks quite option in terms of exterior and interior for it is although monster and Indian style temple built in a alternating architectural style. In new words, the Wetkyi-in Gubyaukgyi displays stronger Indian features. This goes especially for the sikhara, which is not unease-shaped and gone a bee-hive in the look of the one from the Myinkaba Gubyaukgyi. Therefore it is important to always grow where the Gubyaukgyi one is talking virtually is located, in Wetkyi-in or Myinkaba because it will instead become every single one shapeless.

The temple is a relatively little 1-storey red-brick and plaster masonry building. The main right to use is the without help right to use and as ample approximately the east side. The exaggeration from the dealings in the wall surrounding the temple leads directly into the porch and antechamber subsequently than a seated gilded Buddha statue facing the main be approving.

The entrances almost the supplementary three sides are two-timing entrances closed with large perforated stone windows allowing the interior to be quickly lit gone daylight.

It is utterly not the rather nondescript building that is calling for attention but the yet even if only partly existing pretty stuccowork vis--vis the order of the outdoor and the pretty, remarkably ably preserved murals and frescoes of the Gubyaukgyi's interior. In this department the temple has much to designate and is, taking into consideration, adroitly-known for. The murals depicting Jatakas are something that makes visiting the Wetkyi-in Gubyaukgyi a must for there are single-handedly a few of Bagan's some 2300 pagodas and temple that can meet the expense of such beautiful large and dexterously-preserved murals.

There are enormously gorgeous choice murals in the temple. For instance, the twenty eight Buddhas beginning considering the first one, Tanhankara Buddha, to the power one, Gautama Buddha, are politely depicted on murals. These can be seen in the region of the walls in the northern and southern portion of the temple.

The paintings are very old-fashioned-fashioned and in order to maintain them as best as practicable it is not allowed to sanction photos because the temple keeper are alarmed that the flashlight would progressive than era damage the wall paintings.

7. Shwesandaw Pagoda

The Shwesandaw Pagoda - its white colour instinctive in stark contrast to the growth mostly brick-red pagodas and temples - was built by King Anawrahta in 1057 A.D. after his victorious compensation from Thaton. The Shwesandaw is assumed proclaim Gaunesh or Mahapeinne Temple. Its stupa enshrines some hair of Gautama Buddha send to Anawrahta by the King of Pyay.

The pagoda's architecture shows a sound Mon involve. An future than 60 feet/18 metres long 'Shinbinthalyaung Reclining Buddha' stature is housed in a long, flat building within the confines of the pagoda. The Shwesandaw has the Bagan Monument Inventory number 1.568.

8. Shinbinthalyaung Temple

The longish rectangular red brick building that is located a few yards north of the Shwesandaw Pagoda within the pagoda compound is not one of the easily reached that looks gone a temple and as if it would appeal much in the mannerism of attention; would there not be the contents of the 60 feet/20 metre long building. And this is enormously attractive indeed and to see it is a must gone visiting Bagan.

The building dates calm to the era the Shwesandaw was built and is giving residence to Bagan's longest image of the reclining Gautama Buddha. The 54 feet/18 metre long Buddha is lying in the Parinibbana incline considering the right arm angled and the hand supporting the head following the cheek resting in the palm.

9. Sulamani Temple

This Temple, construct by King Narapatisithu in 1183 A.D. is considered one of Pagan's pleasurable two-storey temples and its plot resembles the Thatbyinnyu Temple. It has the Bagan Monument Inventory no. 748.

The Sulamani is named after the legendary palace of the god Indra and is a paragon of what is called the sufficiently developed Burman architectural style. The temple's degrade floor houses seated Buddha images at all four cardinal sides.

10. Htilominlo Temple

The Htilominlo Temple has the Bagan Monument Inventory number 1.812 and was built by King Nandaungmya - one of the four sons of King Narapatisithu - in 1211 A.D. at the place where he was chosen king.

Four Buddha statues vis--vis the ground floor and four as regards the order of the first floor slant the cardinal points. Old murals, depicting horoscopes that were painted in the walls for auspices from damage can nevertheless be discerned.

11. Lawkananda Pagoda

The Lawkananda Pagoda has the inventory number 1023. It is located south-west of Thripyitsaya Village not far and wide away and wide from the Bagan - Chauk Road directly at the Ayeyawaddy river bank. It is one of the four pagodas that have been built in Pagan by Anawrahta; this one in 1059 A.D. to enshrine the replica of the Buddha's sacred tooth, which was brought from the Sri Lanka. Lawka Nanda Paya (or zedi) is old Pali and, suitably I was told, means as much as 'Pagoda of Great Joy'.

Another bank account I got is that king Anawrahta has in addition to worshipped the Pyu deity Lokanatha, 'Lord of the World' and that the proclaim 'Lawkananda' has to behave in following this.

However, the Lawkananda was built after the Buddha's tooth relic had arrived und though thepagoda was sedated construction the sacred tooth relic was kept in king Anawrahta's royal palace.

12. Nathlaung Kyaung

Being one of Pagan's oldest and the highly last remaining Hindu Temple, the Nathlaung Kyaung behind the Monument Inventory number 1.600 deserves some special attention for it has quite an captivating chronicles.

There is disagreement when mention to taking into account and asleep whose reign this temple was built but I think it more likely that the Nathlaung Kyaung was built during the reign of king Taungthugyi, improved known as king Nyaung-U Sawrahan, at the start of the 930s A.D. This leads to the recommendation that it was built by king Anawrahta some 120 years highly developed for the want of storing each and the entire one non-Buddhist religious statues ad absurdum. The idea of storing the whole non-Buddhist religious figures in one temple is in any battle absurd what does not require any supplementary checking account.

Be that as it may, neither king Nyaung-U Sawrahan nor king Anawrahta are mentioned in any of the archives associated to be aggravated approximately to the Nathlaung Kyaung. This means that the temple was not construct by Nyaung-U Sawrahan but by someone else during his reign.

13. Mahabodhi Temple

It is fascinating that the temple that is an as regards regulate imitation of the indigenous Mahabodhi Guphaya, in Bodhgaya (Gaya district of Bihar) North India, is situated within the city walls in the center of Old Pagan.

The Mahabodhi Temple has the Bagan Monument Inventory number 1670. It was built by order of king Nadaungmya (Htilominlo) who reigned from 1210 to 1234 A.D. The Mahabodhi is of for Pagan unique design and was completed in report to 1215 A.D.

The Mahabodhi Guphaya is a brick and stucco structure built in the architectural style of the Indian Gupta period that was en vogue from nearly the 2nd century B.C. to roughly 600 A.D.

The temple distinguishes itself from the others mainly by its utterly buzzing decoration (the hallmark of Gupta times design) of the conical main stupa (tower) that is topped considering a golden hti and the small corner stupas in excuse to summit of the two-storey square block base. The temple has a sum peak of 141 feet/43 metres. The design of the Mahabodhi Temple's plaster mouldings is a grit-with basic design comprising grottos equally spaced from one another, settled in horizontal and vertical lines and whole along surrounded by floral design. The grottos/niches are filled when statues of the Buddha, devas, animals both mythical and non-mythical as as soon as ease as nats.

14. Tharaba Gate

Oddly sufficient, even if mammal - apart from the founding of the city of Pagan and the opening of the new Burmese era directory (khachapanca times, starting in 638 A.D.) - one of the most significant activities in the into the future years of Pagan not much can be found and is known roughly the building of Pagan's city wall by king Pyinbya and the city wall taking into consideration its gates. Essentially the complete one that is known about the city wall is that it was built in several stages arrival 849 A.D., that the city wall had the sum length of 7.990 yards/ 7.300 metres that the city wall had a sum of 12 gates back 4 main gates, that the north-western corner of the wall along the Ayeyawaddy broke away and that the Tharabar Gate along in the past some small parts of the city wall and the moat is every single one that is left of it.

15. Dhammayazika Pagoda

The Dhammayazika (in Pali 'Pertaining the King of Law') Pagoda is the third of the every five religious structures king Narapatisithu has built in Pagan and has the Monument Inventory number 947. The pagoda was completed in 1197 A.D. and it is one of every together 44 pentagonal religious structures in Bagan. It is located in Pwasaw village in the eastern portion of Bagan.

The round, conical and gilded main stupa of the Dhammayazika is a hermetically sealed structure resting upon three pentagonal receding terraces of which upon each corner a gilded miniature copy of the main stupa is placed. Additionally, the sides of the terraces are festooned as well as glazed Jatakas depicting scenes from Gautama Buddha's lives.

16. Mingalazedi Pagoda

Completed in 1284 A.D. - 3 years prior to the sacking of Pagan by the Mongols - the Mingalazedi Pagoda once the Bagan Monument Inventory number 1.439 is the last every portion of large pagoda that has been built in Pagan.

The Mingalazedi's builder was king Narathihapate who reigned Pagan from 1256 A.D.- 1287 A.D. The pagoda is built of bricks, architectural an in the region of solid copy of the Shwezigon Pagoda, and located stuffy to the outdated-fashioned city wall in southern outlook not far from the road leading to Myinkaba village. The and no-one else main differences surrounded by the two pagodas is that the Mingalazedi is not gilded and the high square brick plinth the Mingalazedi is based upon.

The sides of the plinth are adorned once glazed plaques showing Nats upon the eastern, Nagas upon the western, Garudas upon the northern and Ogres upon the southern side. The sides of the once three receding terraces (paccayas) are decorated out considering glazed Jatakas depicting scenes of Gautama Buddha's lives.

17. Bupaya

The Bupaya Pagoda as well as than the Monument Inventory number 1.657 was as legend has it built by king Pyusawhti who reigned amid 167 A.D. - 242 A.D.

Today's Bupaya is not the indigenous pagoda built by king Pyusawhti because that one was utterly destroyed by the earthquake that hit Bagan in 1975. All that remained after the pagoda had fallen into pieces was the base. Contrary to the indigenous Bupaya that was an on strong brick masonry structure this one is a hollow structure made of reinforced real.

It is believed that the structure is giving house to Buddha relics, As the reveal Bupaya (Bu = gourd and Paya = pagoda = gourd pagoda) suggests its post is derived from the legend of the working gourd. This gourd was one of the legendary five menaces Pagan was terrorised by during the time of king Thamudarit's reign and from which Pyusawhti freed the small kingdom. For this audacious hard worker the legend continues, Pyusawhti was rewarded by king Thamudarit who gave him his daughter as a wife and made him beneficiary apparel.

18. Abeyadana Temple

The Abeyadana temple built by king Kyanzittha and completed on the subject of 1102 A.D. is located in Myinkaba north of Kyanzittha's royal palace. The temple is named after Kyanzittha's first wife Abe Yadana, meaning 'Lost Treasure' or 'Abandoned Jewel', whom he got married to even if he was still making his career as a soldier.

The Abeyadana Temple's architecture and interior design are strongly influenced by Singhalese style and Mahayana Buddhism disavowal no doubt as to her Indian heritage, Bengali lineage, to be precise.

The Abeyadana Guphaya is a one storey red-brick and plaster masonry cave temple. Its rectangular base comprises a vestibule past three entrances past the main access and its porch opening north, a square inner sanctum approximately which a corridor gone than three perforated windows upon the west, east and south side is government.

The base is covered by three receding terraces crowned by a Singhalese style sikhara. The inner wall paintings depict Mahayana Pantheon divinities (the gods of the north) including Bodhisattva Meitreya, Gautama Buddha, Bodhisattva, Avalokitesvara, the god of mercy and Maiijusii, god of depth. Furthermore, there are upon the walls of the main structure Mandalas behind figures of Hindu gods and goddesses such as Brahma, Indra, Shiva and Vishnu in the sky of their vehicles.

Representing Theravada Buddhism are the Jatakas upon the vestibule walls. The dimly lit inner sanctum is housing a large Buddha statue made of bricks and plaster. The Buddha is sitting upon a lotus throne in Bhumisparsha mudra and is in the midst of one disciples sitting upon either side of him.

19. Nanpaya Temple/Nanpaya Guphaya

The Nanpaya or Nanpaya Temple, meaning as much as 'Temple upon the palace site' or 'Palace Temple' is a relatively small but because of the excellent stone carvings, skillfully perforated and ornamented stone windows, etc. a remarkably beautiful temple.

On the Bagan Monuments Inventory List the Nanpaya is number 1.239. As for the time in which the Nanpaya was built completed, respectively, there is disagreement amid Bagan scholars; some declare in the late 11th century others accustom into the future 12th century. However, as to who the temple's builder was there is no disagreement; it was Mon king Manuha's grandson, prince Naga Thaman. He built the Nanpaya Temple in commemoration of his grandfather after king Manuha's death south of the Manuha Temple upon the former palace site in Myinkaba village upon which Mon king Manuha once his associates resided.

20. Manuha Temple

The temple considering the Bagan Monuments Inventory number 1.240 is one of Bagan's oldest temples and was built in 1059 A.D. by the Mon king Makuta, improved known by the proclaim Manuha, after having asked and declared access from king Anawrahta to construct this temple.

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Mon king Manuha had after having loose the fighting nearby king Anawrahta been taken bearing in mind his associates from Thaton to Pagan and was exactness a scheme of in flames located 1 mile/1.6 kilometre south of Pagan's city walls in Myinkaba village. There he could flesh and blood freely bearing in mind his relatives and attendants and was not treated as prisoner; he was just confined to this fragment of home where he resided and built the temple.

I know that there is the relation that he built the temple after having been king Anawrahta's POW for some 10 years but for this there is no hard evidence to be found in any of the archives. Also, the marker rock at the temple conveniently states that the Manuha Guphaya was built in 1059 A.D.