Page 210 - The Rough Guide to Myanmar (Burma)

208 BAGAN AND AROUND BAGAN
5 NYAUNG U
ACCOMMODATION
Eden Motel 2 Ayeyar wady R iver
Golden Myanmar Guesthouse 1 IWT Office (800m) & Nyaung U Jetty (1km)
May Kha Lar Guesthouse 3
New Park Hotel 7
Oasis Hotel 6 CB
Shwe Na Di Guesthouse 4 Bank Market
Thante Hotel 5
Zfreeti Hotel 8
SHOPPING
Pauk Kan 1
Ayeyarwady Bank Yangon
Airways
Police Station ANAWRAHTA ROAD MAB PYU SAW HTI ST
Bank
Yangon Airways
Oriental Ballooning
KBZ
Bank
S HW EZ IGON PAG O D A S T Pharmacy
Thayaphu
Shwezigon Sapada
Pagoda
Pagoda THIRIPYITSAYA 2 ST YARMANYA ST
THIRIPYITSAYA 1 ST
BAGANNYAUNG U ROAD MAIN ROAD T&T THIRIPYITSAYA 3 ST ROAD KYAUKPADAUNG
SAPADA ST
Bus
Station THIRIPYITSAYA 4 ST EATING
Kyansittha ANAWRAHTA ROAD N Aroma 2 7
Umin THIRIPYITSAYA 5 ST Bagan Zay 4 6
Bibo
AGD La Terrazze 5
Bank Restaurant Leo 3
0 200
Ever Sky Information Sanon Training Restaurant 1
metres & Balloons Over Bagan Weather Spoon's Bagan 2
Wet Kyi Inn (1km), Old Bagan (5km), Myinkaba (9km) & New Bagan (11km) Airport (4.5km) & Minnanthu (5km)
auctions abroad. The holes where the naughty German removed large sections of
plaster are still gapingly obvious.
Around 250m past the Gubyaukgyi, the Gubyauknge Paya (signed off Anawrahta Rd
as “Gu Byauk Nge – Wet Kyi Inn”) is very similar both in style and name, with further
fine exterior plasterwork and some well-preserved murals within.
Htilominlo Paya
• Main entrance off the Bagan–Nyaung U Rd • Daily 8am–6pm
Roughly halfway between Nyaung U and Old Bagan, the Htilominlo Paya is one of the
last and finest of Bagan’s temples, and a perfect example of the city’s late-period
architecture. The temple was constructed by King Htilominlo (aka Nantaungmya, who
ruled from 1211–35), the youngest of the five sons of King Narapatisithu. According
to legend, the five princes were placed around a white umbrella and Htilominlo was
elected ruler when the umbrella fortuitously tilted in his direction. The grateful young
king subsequently commemorated the event by building a temple on the site of his
decisive ceremony. History suggests that the umbrella’s judgement may have been
flawed, however, since Htilominlo turned out to be one of Bagan’s less effectual rulers,
more interested in temple-building than in overseeing affairs of the realm.
His temple is undeniably impressive, even so, built in the characteristic double-cube
structure reminiscent of the Sulamani and Thatbyinnyu temples (even if the entire
inner courtyard has been transformed into a miniature tourist bazaar packed with
assorted shops and stalls). The exterior is notable for its exceptionally fine stucco
carvings, featuring dozens of ferocious kirtimukha arranged around the cornice,
spewing upside-down lotuses out of their gaping, fang-filled mouths. Four large gilded
Buddhas sit inside, with extensive geometrical murals covering the walls.