Bagan

Temples and Pagodas

Exploring the temples of Bagan’s archaeology zone was a joy to experience. I personally didn’t plan nor did I know the temples which I would end up visiting. I came to Bagan with an open mind and with a go as it goes attitude. Instead of availing tours and tuk-tuks I rented an Ebikes to roam freely around only stopping when I see a temple or pagoda of any kind. So in no particular order these are the temples I saw, which I believe are worth going to and a little bit I learnt about them.

Schwezigon Pagoda

Firstly and probably the main place to visit in Bagan is the Schwezigon Pagoda which is the centre of pilgrimage in the province. It is one of the oldest and most significant monument in Bagan. The Pagoda is said to be the architectural influence of thousands of following Stupas around the region and it is said that because of the Schwezigon the campaign of mass temple building began in Bagan. Its special beauty comes from the gold plated central pagoda and the Makaras (Hindu sea creatures) guarding the all four stairways.

I believe this pagoda is definitely one to visit. Although one of the oldest the impression I got was this was one of the newest and most modern, maybe this was due to the constant update and restoration.

Ananda Temple

The Ananda temple is said to be Bagan’s holiest temple. legend has it the King Kyanzittha built the temple with the image of a legendary Himalayan cave temple which eight monks from north India told him about. He wanted to bring this image to Bagan and after building this temple he had its architectures executed so the design would never be copied again. Centring this temple are four 10 metre high standing buddhas, all with their own identity and expressions. Like nearly all the temples in the region Ananda was also damaged by earthquakes and has been extensively restored.

This temple was great to visit, it is very active and in my opinion the busiest out of the lot.

Dhammayangyi Temple

Dhammayangyi temple is Bagan’s largest temple and is visible in nearly every angle of the region. The temple was carefully but cruelly built by King Narathu as rumours state that builders got amputated if the construction wasn’t up to his requests. This temple is the most mysterious with bricked passageways. This temple is the best preserved out of all temples in the Bagan’s archaeological zone.

This temple reminded me of Siem Reap’s temple designs, albeit very well built.

Gawdawpalin temple

Another significant temple to visit is the Gawdawpalin temple which is the second tallest in the archaeological zone. Construction started in one of Bagan’s more prosperous time during the reign of King Narapatisithu however it was not finished until his successors reign in the 13th century. Like many of the surrounding temples Gawdawpalin has also been extensively restored.

At the time I visited this temple which was later in the day, I was more or less getting templed out (getting bored) as I visited so many in the day. However this temple andits structure was a sight to see.

Thatbyinnyu Pagoda

Another of Bagan’s tallest structure the Thatbyinnyu can be seen from most places of Bagan’s archaeological zone. One interesting aspect of this temples build was that for every 10,000 bricks used one brick was set aside to keep count of the total used. After its completion the tally pagoda which sits besides Thatbyinnyu  was built.

I saw this temple from a distance as it was my first view of Bagan’s sunrise. It looked very similar to Gawdawpalin.

Others

Other than those above, there are plenty other smaller temples and pagodas to see and there are just so many to mention. Although much smaller and some damaged and left to rubbles these still function as a serious religious venues and rules like taking off shoes and wearing longer trousers are required. I saw many smaller temples just riding around on my Ebike scooter, there may be way too many to visit all.

Overall Conclusion

In my opinion the temples and pagodas in Bagan are beautiful individually but it did not give me the same chills as Siem Reap’s temples did. Saying that Bagan’s temples made an outstanding picturesque, panoramic landscape as a whole collection perfect for the world famous sunrises and sunsets. Its temples are not yet as congested as other religious attractions such as the Vatican, Siem Reap and others alike, but I do feel it will soon get the crowds that Myanmar ought to have. Although the structures are very old, they are all very well built keeping in mind many were repaired and refurbished after various earthquakes.

Overall in my opinion Bagan was a brilliant place to visit, but I did get bored very quickly going through temples to temple. Maybe it was due to the sheer amount in the archaeological zone or that many temples had similar appearance. However it is somewhere that should be visited as there is a little more to the province than just its temples.

Reference:

http://www.royalcitytravel.com/post/view/10-interesting-facts-about-bagan
Shwezigon Pagoda – The Most Sacred Pagoda in Bagan

https://www.renown-travel.com/burma/bagan/ananda-pagoda.html
https://www.lonelyplanet.com/myanmar-burma/attractions/dhammayangyi-pahto/a/poi-sig/1368653/357082

Photo:

Justin Vidamo (https://www.flickr.com/people/21160499@N04)
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