Page 219 - The Rough Guide to Myanmar (Burma)

BAGAN BAGAN AND AROUND 217
the godless Narathu, although a more prosaic explanation is that the inner corridor was 5
bricked up in order to prevent the huge structure from collapsing. A pair of Buddhas
sit opposite the western entrance, with the historical Gautama and the future Maitreya
placed next to each other – Bagan’s only example of two major Buddha images placed
side by side. Two stone inscriptions in Pali recording the temple’s construction can be
seen directly behind the paired images.
Sulamani Paya
• Turn left along the dirt track at the fork just before you reach the Dhammayangyi Paya, or take the earlier dirt track
off Anawrahta Rd signed to “Bulethi/Sulamani“ • Daily 8am–6pm
Sitting in splendid isolation more or less at the dead centre of the Archeological Zone
is the magnificent Sulamani Paya, built by King Narapatisithu in around 1183. The
Sulamani isn’t the biggest or tallest of the Archeological Zone’s myriad temples, but for
many people it’s the most beautiful of all Bagan’s monuments and the iconic example
of the city’s late-style architecture in all its flamboyant finery. The double-cube
structure was perhaps modelled on that of the Thatbyinnyu Paya (and subsequently
copied by other temples such as the Gawdawpalin and Htilominlo), although none
quite matches the Sulamani’s perfect proportions, with two storeys of equal height each
topped by three terraces, striking a delicate balance between the vertical and horizontal.
The graceful shikhara above is actually a reconstruction following the 1975 earthquake
– close up you can see how much newer the bricks are, compared to the rest of the
building, although from a distance it looks fine.
The exterior boasts fine plasterwork along with unusual green and yellow glazed
decorative tiles (also visible above some of the doors). Inside, the temple’s entertaining
murals are an eighteenth-century Konbaung-era addition, with large figures (including
a couple of huge reclining Buddhas) painted in an engagingly naïve style.
Pyathada Paya
• Follow the dirt road past the Sulamani Paya for around 750m • Daily 8am–6pm
Buried away amid a labyrinth of dirt tracks in the depths of the Central Plain, the
Pyathada Paya is a singularly odd-looking late-period temple, with a large lower level
and a small and decidedly cursory rooftop shrine – it actually looks as if only the lower
half was finished, and that the builders originally intended to build a much larger
upper storey. Whatever the reason, by serendipitous chance this has resulted in an
unusually large and spacious rooftop terrace, almost as if expressly designed for sunset
viewing (see box, p.216), which is what the temple is now best known for.
Dhammayazika Pagoda
• 3km northeast of New Bagan, off the Minnanthu Rd • Daily 8am–6pm
Stranded way out at the very edge of the Archeological Zone, a considerable distance
from any other major monument, the Dhammayazika Pagoda is a bit of a hike to reach
but well worth the effort. Sitting in an attractive garden-style compound, the
impressively large gilded pagoda was built during the reign of Narapatisithu in 1198 to
enshrine holy relics presented by the ruler of Sri Lanka. The complex is notable mainly
for its unusual pentagonal layout, a design that can also be found at a few other Bagan
temples, but nowhere else in the Buddhist world. It’s thought that the five-sided
structure resulted from the desire to provide a shrine to the future Buddha Maitreya
alongside the four Buddhas of the present world cycle – Kakusandha, Konagamana,
Kassapa and Gautama (see box, p.74) – who are commonly found in most Bagan
temples, one at each cardinal point. Five gateways lead into the five-sided enclosure,
with the central stupa sitting on a pentagonal terrace. Standing around the base of the
stupa are five large and beautifully decorated shrines, each with a gilded Buddha and
traces of Konbaung-era murals inside, while four lions and a pair of seated guardian
figures keep watch on the roofs above, topped with intricately carved little