Dhammayangyi Temple was built to atone for the sins of a cruel king, and all the builders of Ananda temple died when the masterpiece was completed.
Myanmar is famous for pilgrims with many sacred temples and pagodas. In Bagan alone, there are more than 2,000 ancient temples. People say when coming to Bagan that: if you want to see grace, go to Ananda temple, if you want to see nobility, go to Thatbyinnyu temple, and if you want to see grandeur, visit Dhammayangyi temple.
This masterpiece is known as the finest, largest, best preserved and most revered of the temples in Bagan. The temple was built around 1105 by King Kyanzittha. In the 1975 earthquake, Ananda was significantly damaged but fully restored.
The most famous legend about the temple is that one day, eight monks came to King Kyanzittha’s palace for alms, saying that they used to live in the Nandamula cave temple in the Himalayas. The king was fascinated by the stories and invited them into the palace. With the power of meditation, the monks showed the king the mythical scene of their destination. The king was overwhelmed and wished to build a temple in the middle of the Bagan plains. After the temple was built, the king ordered the monks to be executed, to ensure the temple became unique.
In 1990, on the occasion of the 900th anniversary of the construction of the temple, the spiers here were gilded. The rest of the temple’s exterior is whitewashed. (Photo: TTG Asia).
Ananda is known as the most beautiful temple in Bagan with 4 large golden Buddha statues placed in 4 directions. In it, the statue of Buddha in the south (Buddhist cassava) is introduced that when approaching the Buddha to pray, always smile so that your heart can be at peace. The four Buddhas standing in the four directions are the Buddhas who have attained Nirvana.
The Ananda Temple Festival takes place on the full moon day of the month of Pyatho (usually from December to January, according to the lunar calendar). Before the pandemic, the festival attracted thousands of locals and tourists. There are about 1,000 monks chanting day and night during the three-day festival.
Built by King Narathu in 1170, Dhammayangyi Temple is the largest temple in Bagan, with a six-story pyramid shape. Perhaps, King Narathu could not have imagined that this great work that promised many surprises would never be completed. Three years after ascending the throne, he was murdered. The work was also discontinued and abandoned since then, but it is still a unique representative of the ancient Bagan complex, as well as the history of the development of the temple system in this area.
It is estimated that this massive work was built from 6 million burnt bricks, not to mention the stone foundation system. (Photo: Flickr).
Legend has it that King Narathu killed his father and brother to usurp the throne. Perhaps because he was worried about creating bad karma, he built a temple to make offerings to the Buddha. Temple construction is said to be the king’s way of showing repentance for his previous crimes.
The people of Myanmar still tell each other, King Narathu is very strict, he is ready to cut off any worker’s hand if the temple construction is not perfect, the bricks must be placed so tightly together that a nail cannot. through. Today, the inside of the temple has been sealed off for unknown reasons.
Built in the mid-12th century, Thatbyinnyu Temple is considered the tallest temple in Bagan. Thatbyinnyu Temple was built by King Sithu I of the Pagan (Bagan) Dynasty. According to historical records, this was the construction of the second largest temple of the king after Shwegugyi temple and he donated “boats carrying rubies” to both temples.
Standing anywhere in Baghan you can also see Thatbyinnyu. (Photo: Khanh Bang).
On the surface, the massive Thatbyinnyu Temple, whitewashed, looks like a Christian monastery during the Renaissance in Europe. Inside the temple, there are long corridors, arranged with altars with Buddha statues of many different postures and shapes, but all are inlaid with sparkling gold.
According to legend, Thatbyinnyu Temple is a treasure trove of mural paintings of Myanmar Buddhist art, but during the restoration, people whitewashed the walls, losing all precious paintings.
According to local custom, only men are allowed to touch the Golden Stone. (Photo: Asiaone).
The pagoda is also known as the Golden Stone Pagoda, located on a giant rock. The special thing is that this rock is precarious next to the cliff 1,100 m high. For most pilgrims, arriving is a dream, and overcoming the arduous journey to the top is a privilege. Many devotees come here to recite the Buddha’s name, bringing more gold leaves to be inlaid on the miraculous rock.
At a glance, many people have the impression that the stone will roll down the cliff at any moment. Legend has it that the stupa on the rock is his hair, so the Golden Rock can rest firmly on the cliff.