Page 196 - The Rough Guide to Myanmar (Burma)

194 Central MyanMar Yangon to Bagan
THAYEKHITTAYA (SRI KSETRA) ORIENTATION
Most of thayekhittaya’s remains are contained within a designated archeological park,
although two of the three big stupas – Payagyi and Payamar – lie outside it, and can be
visited for free. the fragmentary ruins cover a sizeable area. Bikes and cars carrying tourists
aren’t allowed into the site, so you can either walk (although really it’s too big to cover the
entire site comfortably on foot) or charter an ox-cart, which are hired out for a set period of
three hours. these are fun for about the first ten minutes, but tediously slow and pretty
uncomfortable for the next two hours and fifty. You might prefer to go for a shorter circuit
instead, even if you can’t negotiate a discount on the full fare. ox-carts can be organized
through the site ticket office. If you do walk, there are plenty of signs and strategically placed
maps to point you in the right direction. a very doable 1hr 30min walk begins at the museum
and ticket office, and continues to the old palace, some of the former walls and the Rahanda
gate before heading back to where you started via the Payahtaung Pagoda.

among the oldest stupas in the country, characterized by their huge size and rather
primitive shapes – the complete antithesis of later Burmese designs. Apart from the
stupas, most of the ruins are, architecturally speaking, fairly underwhelming, although
some of the later structures offer tantalizing glimpses of the glorious Burmese style that
would subsequently flower in Sri Ksetra’s successor kingdom of Bagan. Among the best
reasons to visit is the chance to wander at will amid the beautiful landscape, which has
lakes laden with water lilies, tiny farming villages and fields full of crops. It’s all especially
4 beautiful first thing in the morning or after 3pm, when the light softens and turns gold.
Payagyi Stupa
The first of the three stupas you reach is the Payagyi, right next to the main road about
1km before the entrance to the site proper. Dating from the sixth or seventh century,
the stupa is said to contain the big toenail of the Buddha’s right foot; it’s also known as
the Maha Zedi (“Great Stupa”) or Sai Sai (“Slowly Slowly”) Pagoda, on account of the
length of time it took to construct. Seated on three circular terraces with a diminutive
gilded hti on top (a later addition), the sheer size of the thing is impressive, although its
rudimentary conical shape (made slightly lopsided by the ravages of time) is a world
away from the elegant designs of Bagan. The faint remains of some discoloured original
plaster can still be seen clinging to its sides.
Payamar Stupa
A second huge stupa, the Payamar, lies about 100m past the entrance to the
archeological site, off on the left-hand side of the road and attractively situated among
paddy fields. Also attributed to King Duttabaung, it’s very similar in size, shape and
date of construction to the Payagyi stupa, although in slightly worse condition, its
brickwork now sprouting small tufts of vegetation.

The museum
Tues–Sun 9.30am–4.30pm • $5
The small museum at the entrance to the site contains old Pyu inscriptions and burial
urns, silver coins and assorted beads, plus statues of a couple of Hindu deities and other
Indian-influenced figures – proof of the strong cultural contact between Sri Ksetra and
the subcontinent. Unfortunately, many of the more impressive finds have been carted off
to the National Museum in Yangon, which now has extensive displays on the ancient city.
The archeological park
Immediately beyond the museum lie the extensive, carefully reconstructed walls of the
former palace area, more or less in the middle of the old city. A ten-minute cart ride
southwest brings you to the Rahanda (or “Yahanda”) Gate. The actual gate has pretty

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