Shwezigon Pagoda

Type of monument	: Type II Temple
Location	: Northwest of Kyanzittha Umin near the bank of   Ayeyarwaddy River
Region	: Nyaung U & Wetkyi-In
Built by	: King Anawrahta
Date	: A.D 1076
Monument Number	: 1
Photo Gallery	: View 35 Photos

Shwezigon was built as the most important reliquary shrine in Bagan, a centre of prayer and reflection for the new Theravada faith King Anawarahta had established in Bagan.

The pagoda is standing between the village of Wetkyi-in and Nyaung U. It is a beautiful pagoda and was commenced by King Anawrahta but not completed until the reign of King Kyanzittha (1084-1113). King Kyanzittha was thought to have built his palace nearby.

It was known that, the Shwezigon was built to enshrine one of the four replicas of the Buddha tooth in Kandy, Sri Lanka, and it was to mark the northern edge of the city. The other three tooth replicas were enshrined in other three more pagodas. The second tooth replica went to Lawkananda Pagoda, a smaller pagoda to the south end of the city. Then the third replica went to Tan Kyi Taung (Tant Kyi Hill) Pagoda, a pagoda on the western bank of the Ayeyarwady River.
The last one was enshrined into Tu Yuan Taung (Tu Yuan Hill), a pagoda on the summit of a hill 32 km to the east.

Note : Nowadays, there is a legend saying that if one visit those all four tooth replicas in a day, it can bring one prosperity and luck.

Exterior view:

The pagoda's graceful bell shape became a prototype for virtually all later pagodas all over Myanmar. The gilded pagoda sits on three rising terraces. Enameled plaques in panels around the base of the pagoda illustrate scenes from the previous lives of the Buddha, also known as the 550 Jatakas. At the cardinal points, facing the terrace stairways, are four shrines, each of which houses a four-meter-high bronze standing Buddha. These bronze Buddha images are known to be the last survived images of the ancient time. Their left hands exhibit the vitarka or 'exposition' mudra while the right hands are held palm outward, fingers straight up, portraying the gesture of abhaya or 'no fear'.

stairways to the zedi
Glazed plaques of the jatakas

A10-cm circular indention in a stone slab near the eastern side of the pagoda was filled with water to allow former Myanmar monarchs to look at the reflection of the hti (or the tope umbrella of the pagoda) without tipping their heads backward (which might have caused them to lose their crowns).

Visitors can view the bejeweled hti through a telescope. Surrounding the pagoda are clusters of zayats (rest houses) and shrines, some of them old, others more modern, though none of them are original.

Thagyamin figure
the magic horse of King Kyanzittha

In addition to ranking as one of the oldest pagodas in Bagan, Shwezigon is known as the site where the 37 pre-Buddhist nats (the spirits) were first officially endorsed by the Myanmar monarchy. Images of the 37 nats can be seen in a shed to the southeast of the platform. At the eastern end of the shed stands an original stone statue of Thagyamin (Sakra), king of the nats and a direct appropriation of the Hindu god Indra. This is the oldest known free-standing Thagyamin figure in Myanmar. Flanked by tigers representing her forest home, another small shrine in the south-eastern corner of the grounds is reserved for Mae Wunna, the guardian nat of medicinal roots and herbs, near the region.

nats

Tips : Entry fees are taken at the entrance and also cameras and videocams have to pay to carry around and take pictures.

walkway to the shwezigon pagoda

 

 

LAYOUT PLAN

Soemingyi Pagoda

Type of monument	: Type III Temple
Location	: Southwest of Nagayon Temple
Region	: Myinkaba
Built by	: Senior Queen or Lady Soemingyi
Date	: 12th Century
Monument Number	: 1145

Soemingyu Pagoda is located near the Soemingyi Temple. It was built by the Senior Queen or Lady Soemingyi during the 12th Century.

The structure of this pagoda has a square base with many terraces leading to the top part, which is a cylindrical dome on top, which is the main shrine. To hold up the weight of the structure, sandstone blocks hold each corner giving more enforcement to it.
 

There are many glazed plaques describing the animals, flowers and the lifestyles of the Bagan people.

LAYOUT PLAN

 

Sulamani Temple

Type of monument	: Type II Temple (Kundaung Pauk Gu)
Location	: About a mile east of Bagan
Region	: Minnanthu
Built by	: Narapatisithu
Date	: A.D 1183
Monument Number	: 748
Photo Gallery	: View 10 Photos

Sulamani was built in 1181 by Narapatisithu (1174-1211). This temple was known as "crowing jewel" and it stands beyond Dhammayangyi Pagoda. This temple is a more sophisticated temple than the Htilominlo and Gawdawpalin.

Combining the horizontal planes of the early period with the vertical lines of the middle, the temple features two storeys standing on broad terraces assembled to create a pyramid effect. The brickwork throughout is considered some of the best in Bagan. Some part of the temple was damaged during 1975 by the earthquake. Pagodas stand at the corners of each terrace, and a high wall, fitted with elaborate gateways at each cardinal point, encloses the entire complex. The interior face of the wall was once lined with a hundred monastic cells, a feature unique among Bagan's ancient monasteries.

Sulamani represents some of Bagan's finest ornamental work which are carved stucco on mouldings, pediments and pilasters. These are today in fairly good condition. Glazed plaques around the base and terraces are also still visible.

Buddha images face the four directions from the ground floor; the image at the main eastern entrance sits in a recess built into the wall. The interior passage around the base is painted with fine frescoes from the Konbaung period, and there are traces of earlier frescoes. Stairways lead very close to the top of this temple, from where the views are superb.

In the north of the compound contains the remains of Sulamani Kyaung, a monastery building that housed Sulamani's senior monk and the Tripitaka (the Buddhist scriptures), which is walled enclosed. It may also have served as an ordination hall. A water tank in the compound is thought to be the only original Bagan reservoir.

LAYOUT PLAN

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