I'd caught a minibus from Pyay bus station to Bagan, a journey of about 7 hours, and had given up my rear seat so I could sit at the front, between the driver and a slightly irritated monk, and try to take photographs of the landscape, which turned out to be extremely barren and dry, with whole swathes of land seemingly uncultivated. At one point we passed by what looked like a dried-up river bed. The villages we passed through seemed very small, with little housing, interspersed with the occasional pagoda. I also wanted to capture a sense of ordinary Burmese going about their daily lives.
Over the time I spent in Myanmar, I came to really appreciate the use of parasols. I can't remember the last time I saw one used in the UK, even on the few days of hot sunshine that would merit their use. Such an elegant and practical form of sun protection compared to broad hats, sunscreen and sunglasses.
Later in the day I visited Upali Thein, one of the few Buddhist ordination halls in Bagan, that has a wonderfully ridged roof, with a small solitary spire on top. The walls of the hall were adorned with painted Jataka scenes that depict the life of the Buddha in both human and animal form.
On the short cycle rides to these fantastic structures, there were so many temples dotted about the landscape that in most other places would be the centre of attention, but here amongst so many magnificent structures they were afforded scant attention in my guide book, but they were lovely all the same. The fact that they are strewn about the place in such haphazard fashion is, for me, the source of Bagan's real appeal.
Over the rest of my time in Bagan, the intense heat meant leaving the guesthouse at around 5.30am to begin touring the area on bike, as after around 9.30am it became pretty oppressive and exhausting. Yet the temptation to see more, or to linger for longer at different places, meant that on a couple of days I probably spent a bit too long out in the heat, leading to feeling dehydrated.
Alotawpyi-gu-hpaya temple was quite unusual in that it is still in daily use, unlike most other payas. Built in the 12th century, there were a fair few worshippers on the day I visited. It's also unusual in that it has a gilded stupa, and the interior walls were decorated with identikit murals of the Buddha. I thought the decorative masonry work around the windows was really lovely.
Perhaps the largest and most impressive of the temples at Bagan is Anand Paya. Although it is regarded as being from the earlier period of Bagan architecture, its large scale that encompasses six terraces is seen as beckoning later architectural styles. Its design is also quit unusual in that it has four entrances rather than the usual one. Similarly the latticed windows seen elsewhere, such as at Alotawpyi-gyu-hpaya, allows in more light.
There is so much to admire about Ananda Paya: the four standing Buddhas adorned with gold leaf; the immaculate doors, made of teak, that stand at the entrances to each of the Buddhas; the 80 glazed terra cotta tiles that depict different aspects of the Buddha's life; and the fantastic paintings within the temple's prayer halls.
Over the course of the next few days, I visited various monuments. The entrance to Old Bagan, the Tharaba Gate, is the only one of the 12 original gates to have survived. It is interesting in being dedicated to two Nat spirits, Maung Tinde and Shwemyethna, rather than the Buddha and so serves as a reminder of the reverence for the spirit world that long pre-dates the dawn of Theravada Buddhism in Myanmar's history. These Nat spirits are still worshipped today, more so in rural areas.
Dominating the skyline of Old Bagan, the Thatbyinnyu Paya is the tallest and largest structure. It is the first two-storeyed temple to be built in Old Bagan, each of which is topped with three terraces. The main shrine is situated on the upper storey, with the ground floor having a solid core to take the additional weight of the storey above.
Nathlaung Kyaung is one of the oldest temples, and the only Hindu temple in Bagan, constructed for Indian merchants visiting the city. The external niches house ten depictions of Vishnu, yet the earthquake that struck in August 2016 had wreaked considerable damage to these and the structure in general, and entry was prohibited, which was a real pity, as you could glimpse a large reclining statue of Vishnu, and I would have liked to have seen this more closely.
Later on during that baking hot afternoon, I visited the Pahtothamya Paya, a classic early-period temple with its tiny latticed windows. This was perhaps the most enjoyable temple that I visited in Old Bagan, as the interiors were so gloomy, given the absence of available light. Yet with the offer of a torch from a woman at the temple entrance, instantly the walls came alive with a riot of colours, as wonderful paintings showed images from the Buddha's life, including going on a boat trip, riding a horse (and cutting his hair!). The sensitivity of these ancient murals meant that they couldn't be photographed, but they were extremely impressive. Such a small, inconsequential-looking place, but what a feast within. The stone carvings inside were also really impressive.
The Mimalaung Kyaung is another of the smaller temples in Old Bagan and, unlike most other temples, sits on an unusually high platform. The shrine on the top of the platform is also peculiar as it has a very slender spire.
The Gawdawpalin paya is also really impressive, with a slender spire, and some wonderful stone work on the exterior of the building. Unfortunately like a lot of the payas I visited, it was being renovated as a consequence of August 2016's earthquake and this took away something of the aesthetic pleasure of seeing it.
One of the most interesting aspects of Bagan architecture is that despite there being a general formula for the design of the buildings' layout, the architects of the time had sufficient freedom to be flexible in the delivery of their works. The Mahabodhi Paya illustrates this as it owes so much to Indian design, given that it was built in imitation of and named after the great Buddhist temple at Bodhgaya in Northern India. It has a huge pyramid-shaped tower divided into numerous niches that house many small seated Buddhas.
Similarly Bupaya did not fit into any set architectural pattern, consisting of a gilded stupa (said to be typical of early Pyu styles) raised above a white terrace, with steps leading down to the Ayeyarwaddy River below.
Above and beyond the key sites highlighted here, the real delight of Bagan is that sense of being in an extraordinary landscape surrounded by wondrous buildings that are individually styled and which evoke a long-lost past. Despite the place being such an important part of Myanmar's tourist experience, you can very easily find yourself just a short few metres from the beaten track and yet be completely alone amongst the ruins of a once-great civilisation, and in the fading light of a late afternoon, it is a magical feeling.
On one of the days in Bagan, I hired a horse and cart with a driver to get around the place. I had thought this might be one of the less comfortable journeys, but it was actually very pleasant, and the elevated perspective was definitely beneficial (as well as being in the shade!). I asked the driver to take me to places mentioned in my guide book that were in the more Central Plain district, such as Sulamani Paya, and so a little less accessible on bike. He also took me to places he knew that he felt I should see, and it was an intriguing trip that included seeing some temples that were a little off the beaten track, as well as a visit to a place where teak was skillfully carved as part of a renovation programme within an adjacent monastery village.
Sulamani paya sits in a fairly secluded spot in the middle of Bagan's architectural zone. It's a stunning example of later architectural styles with its two storeys and three terraces. The murals within seemed quite playful and joyous.
During the course of the afternoon as we walked around the monuments, there was a particularly tune that kept being played that reminded me of something, and then I realised it was a song by The Fall from one of their mid 1980s albums, possibly Bend Sinister. The guide later informed me that the tune in question was actually to promote the sale of different flavours of ice cream! However, the link with The Fall had been imprinted in my mind, so whenever i heard that tune, i conjured an image in my mind of Mark E Smith swathed in a lunzhi and standing on top of a crate, mumbling assorted ice cream flavours into his microphone to a fairly disinterested and somewhat perplexed audience.
The horse and cart driver also took me to the Dhammayazika pagoda, a major monument situated in the middle of nowhere in Bagan. With its impressive large gilded pagoda, its a huge complex that is unique for having a pentagonal layout in order to provide a shrine for the future Buddha (Maitreya) as well as those from the present world cycle (Kakusandha, Konagamana, Kassapa and Gautama). Hence five gateways lead to the five-sided enclosure, with the central stupa sitting on a pentagonal terrace. At the base of stupa are five gorgeously decorated shrines, each with a gilded Buddha.
At sunset the driver took us to a paya which is situated in a fairly remote, quite secluded spot which allowed excellent elevated view of the surrounding terrain.
I also hired a tour guide, Ei Kay, who was really helpful in explaining the architectural heritage of Bagan, and the linguistic development from Pali and Mon languages. We revisited some of the sites in Old Bagan, to answer some of the queries i'd had when visiting them earlier, as well as the Shwesandaw Pagoda and other monuments nearby. The nat shrine was particularly interesting as they were worshipped by local business people, who would give money to the Nats, as well as taking some of their offerings back, so that their monies had been blessed in order to secure greater business success in the future. Quite fascinating to behold!
As the afternoon wore on, Ei Kay took me to one of the tallest pagodas, whose name i've forgotten, that allows visitors to scale a series of steps in order to get a panoramic view of Bagan. The stairs were extremely steep, but well worth scaling, and the views were magnificent.
Rather than stay to watch the sunset, and thereby avoid the crowds of people that ascend the staircases so we could make our descent, we headed off to the Nanpaya temple (Hindu) which is adjacent to the Manuha (Mon) temple in the small vilage of Myinkaba. The Nanpaya temple was soon to undergo considerable renovation due to earthquake damage, yet i was kindly allowed to take some photographs of the exquisite stone carvings of the Hindu deity Brahma within. Built in 1067 by the captive Thaton king, there are three depictions of the Buddha, and a collosal one of him entering the state of nirvana.
Over the time I spent in Myanmar, I came to really appreciate the use of parasols. I can't remember the last time I saw one used in the UK, even on the few days of hot sunshine that would merit their use. Such an elegant and practical form of sun protection compared to broad hats, sunscreen and sunglasses.
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| Arid landscape: Pyay to Bagan |
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| Arid landscape: Pyay to Bagan |
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| Dried-up river bed? |
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| On the road to Bagan |
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| Horse and cart |
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| Walking and carrying |
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| Walking in extreme heat |
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| Getting about under a parasol |
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| Crowded vehicle |
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| Bikes on road to Bagan |
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| Crowded horse and cart
I ended up staying in a small village, Wet Kyi Inn, around a half an hour's walk from Old Bagan itself, where most of the principal historic structures are situated.
The following morning I hired a bicycle from the place adjacent to the guesthouse as that seemed as good a way as any to explore Bagan. There was the option of hiring an e-scooter, but having never ridden one before, I didn't really feel too confident about doing so. A brief trial run on the e-scooter was not a comfortable experience! Even though I hadn't ridden a push bike for aeons, it still felt like a safer option. The traffic on the roads was fairly quiet, apart from roughly an hour and a half either side of sunset, when there is a bit of a scramble to access one of the few taller temples that allow you to watch the sun's descent, as many of the larger ones have prevented access to higher levels, presumably for safety reasons.
Beginning my cycle ride towards Old Bagan, the extraordinary nature of the landscape as home to so many temples (or 'payas') and pagodas suddenly loomed large. There are literally hundreds of shrines and stupas all across the territory stretching far into the distance as a result of a collosal building programme from around 1050 to 1280. It is a genuinely overwhelming site; the number and size of these elegant structures was due to the desire of Bagan's monarchs to do "good works" in this life so that they could secure a favourable rebirth in future incarnations. Apparently the immense long-term expenditure necessary to construct such an array of buildings actually bankrupted respective kingdoms of the time.
There are approximately 2,000 shrines and stupas situated within an area of about 70 square kilometres, and prior to the devastating earthquake of 1975, centred upon Bagan, there were around 4,000 of them. Hence roughly half were so irrevocably damaged that they couldn't be repaired. I pondered what the place must have been like pre-1975.
The first temple I visited was the Htilomonlo Paya, one of the finest temples in all Bagan with its four large Buddhas and still-vivid murals covering walls and ceilings. It's a hugely impressive temple with finely crafted stonework and a gorgeous set of murals that have somehow survived the ravages of time, and the depictions of 'kirtimukhas' or ogre heads swallowing chains of garlands or pearls that decorated some of the walls were very ornately carved.
Htoliminlo temple is regarded as a fine example of late Bagan architecture, given its larger windows and greater height, as well as increased numbers of entrances beyond the usual single entrance of earlier structures. Earlier period temples were considerably more diminutive. |
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| Htilominlo Temple: front view |
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| Htilominlo Temple: Side View |
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| Htilominlo Temple: Entrances |
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| Htilominlo Temple: Internal View |
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| Htilominlo Temple: Buddha and Ceiling Murals |
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| HtilominloTemple: Buddha and Ceiling Murals |
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| Htoliminlo Temple: Detailed View |
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| Details of 'kirtimukhas' |
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| Aerial view from raised building opposite Htilominlo Temple |
Later in the day I visited Upali Thein, one of the few Buddhist ordination halls in Bagan, that has a wonderfully ridged roof, with a small solitary spire on top. The walls of the hall were adorned with painted Jataka scenes that depict the life of the Buddha in both human and animal form.
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| Upali Thein ordination hall |
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| Upali Thein |
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| Upali Thein |
On the short cycle rides to these fantastic structures, there were so many temples dotted about the landscape that in most other places would be the centre of attention, but here amongst so many magnificent structures they were afforded scant attention in my guide book, but they were lovely all the same. The fact that they are strewn about the place in such haphazard fashion is, for me, the source of Bagan's real appeal.
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| Bagan temples |
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| Bagan temples |
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| Bagan temples |
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| Bagan temples |
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| Bagan temples |
Over the rest of my time in Bagan, the intense heat meant leaving the guesthouse at around 5.30am to begin touring the area on bike, as after around 9.30am it became pretty oppressive and exhausting. Yet the temptation to see more, or to linger for longer at different places, meant that on a couple of days I probably spent a bit too long out in the heat, leading to feeling dehydrated.
Alotawpyi-gu-hpaya temple was quite unusual in that it is still in daily use, unlike most other payas. Built in the 12th century, there were a fair few worshippers on the day I visited. It's also unusual in that it has a gilded stupa, and the interior walls were decorated with identikit murals of the Buddha. I thought the decorative masonry work around the windows was really lovely.
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| Alotawyi-gu-hpaya |
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| Alotawpyi-gu-hpaya |
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| Alotawpyi-gu-hpaya |
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| Alotawpyi-gu-hpaya |
There is so much to admire about Ananda Paya: the four standing Buddhas adorned with gold leaf; the immaculate doors, made of teak, that stand at the entrances to each of the Buddhas; the 80 glazed terra cotta tiles that depict different aspects of the Buddha's life; and the fantastic paintings within the temple's prayer halls.
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| Ananda Paya: External Walls |
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| Ananda Paya: External Walls |
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| Ananda Paya |
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| Ananda Paya: Details |
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| Ananda Paya |
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| Ananda Paya |
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| Ananda Paya |
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| Ananda Paya |
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| Terra cotta Plaques |
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| Terra Cotta Plaques |
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| Terra cotta plaques |
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| Terra Cotta Plaques |
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| Terra Cotta Plaques |
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| Standing Buddha - Konagamana |
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| Standing Buddha - Konagamana |
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| Standing Buddha - Kassapa |
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| Standing Buddha - Kassapa |
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| Standing Buddha - Gautama |
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| Teak door |
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| Paintings |
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| Paintings |
Over the course of the next few days, I visited various monuments. The entrance to Old Bagan, the Tharaba Gate, is the only one of the 12 original gates to have survived. It is interesting in being dedicated to two Nat spirits, Maung Tinde and Shwemyethna, rather than the Buddha and so serves as a reminder of the reverence for the spirit world that long pre-dates the dawn of Theravada Buddhism in Myanmar's history. These Nat spirits are still worshipped today, more so in rural areas.
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| Tharaba Gate |
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| Maung Tinde and worshippers |
Dominating the skyline of Old Bagan, the Thatbyinnyu Paya is the tallest and largest structure. It is the first two-storeyed temple to be built in Old Bagan, each of which is topped with three terraces. The main shrine is situated on the upper storey, with the ground floor having a solid core to take the additional weight of the storey above.
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| Thatbyinnyu Paya |
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| Thatbyinnyu Paya: Detail |
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| Thatbyinnyu Paya: Floral Murals |
Nathlaung Kyaung is one of the oldest temples, and the only Hindu temple in Bagan, constructed for Indian merchants visiting the city. The external niches house ten depictions of Vishnu, yet the earthquake that struck in August 2016 had wreaked considerable damage to these and the structure in general, and entry was prohibited, which was a real pity, as you could glimpse a large reclining statue of Vishnu, and I would have liked to have seen this more closely.
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| Nathlaung Kyaung |
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| 11th Century Vishnu |
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| 11th Century Brahma, Shiva and Vishnu |
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| 11th Century Vishnu |
Later on during that baking hot afternoon, I visited the Pahtothamya Paya, a classic early-period temple with its tiny latticed windows. This was perhaps the most enjoyable temple that I visited in Old Bagan, as the interiors were so gloomy, given the absence of available light. Yet with the offer of a torch from a woman at the temple entrance, instantly the walls came alive with a riot of colours, as wonderful paintings showed images from the Buddha's life, including going on a boat trip, riding a horse (and cutting his hair!). The sensitivity of these ancient murals meant that they couldn't be photographed, but they were extremely impressive. Such a small, inconsequential-looking place, but what a feast within. The stone carvings inside were also really impressive.
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| Pahtothamya Paya |
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| Pahtothamya Paya: Side View |
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| Pahtothamya Paya: Interior |
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| Pahtothamya Paya: Interior |
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| Pahtothamya Paya: Interior |
The Mimalaung Kyaung is another of the smaller temples in Old Bagan and, unlike most other temples, sits on an unusually high platform. The shrine on the top of the platform is also peculiar as it has a very slender spire.
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| Mimalaung Kyaung |
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| Mimalaung Kyaung |
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| Mimalaung Kyaung: kirtimukha |
The Gawdawpalin paya is also really impressive, with a slender spire, and some wonderful stone work on the exterior of the building. Unfortunately like a lot of the payas I visited, it was being renovated as a consequence of August 2016's earthquake and this took away something of the aesthetic pleasure of seeing it.
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| Gawdawpalin Paya |
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| Gawdawpalin Paya |
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| Gawdawpalin Paya |
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| Gawdawpalin Paya |
One of the most interesting aspects of Bagan architecture is that despite there being a general formula for the design of the buildings' layout, the architects of the time had sufficient freedom to be flexible in the delivery of their works. The Mahabodhi Paya illustrates this as it owes so much to Indian design, given that it was built in imitation of and named after the great Buddhist temple at Bodhgaya in Northern India. It has a huge pyramid-shaped tower divided into numerous niches that house many small seated Buddhas.
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| Mahabodhi Paya |
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| Mahabodhi Paya |
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| Mahabodhi Paya |
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| Mahabodhi Paya |
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| Mahabodhi Paya |
Similarly Bupaya did not fit into any set architectural pattern, consisting of a gilded stupa (said to be typical of early Pyu styles) raised above a white terrace, with steps leading down to the Ayeyarwaddy River below.
 |
| Bupaya |
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| View from Bupaya of Ayeyarwady river |
Above and beyond the key sites highlighted here, the real delight of Bagan is that sense of being in an extraordinary landscape surrounded by wondrous buildings that are individually styled and which evoke a long-lost past. Despite the place being such an important part of Myanmar's tourist experience, you can very easily find yourself just a short few metres from the beaten track and yet be completely alone amongst the ruins of a once-great civilisation, and in the fading light of a late afternoon, it is a magical feeling.
On one of the days in Bagan, I hired a horse and cart with a driver to get around the place. I had thought this might be one of the less comfortable journeys, but it was actually very pleasant, and the elevated perspective was definitely beneficial (as well as being in the shade!). I asked the driver to take me to places mentioned in my guide book that were in the more Central Plain district, such as Sulamani Paya, and so a little less accessible on bike. He also took me to places he knew that he felt I should see, and it was an intriguing trip that included seeing some temples that were a little off the beaten track, as well as a visit to a place where teak was skillfully carved as part of a renovation programme within an adjacent monastery village.
Sulamani paya sits in a fairly secluded spot in the middle of Bagan's architectural zone. It's a stunning example of later architectural styles with its two storeys and three terraces. The murals within seemed quite playful and joyous.
During the course of the afternoon as we walked around the monuments, there was a particularly tune that kept being played that reminded me of something, and then I realised it was a song by The Fall from one of their mid 1980s albums, possibly Bend Sinister. The guide later informed me that the tune in question was actually to promote the sale of different flavours of ice cream! However, the link with The Fall had been imprinted in my mind, so whenever i heard that tune, i conjured an image in my mind of Mark E Smith swathed in a lunzhi and standing on top of a crate, mumbling assorted ice cream flavours into his microphone to a fairly disinterested and somewhat perplexed audience.
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| Sulamani Paya |
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| Sulamani Paya |
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| Sulamani Paya |
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| Murals |
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| Murals |
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| Murals |
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| Murals |
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| Murals |
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| Murals |
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| Murals |
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| Mural |
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| Teak carving |
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| Teak carving |
The horse and cart driver also took me to the Dhammayazika pagoda, a major monument situated in the middle of nowhere in Bagan. With its impressive large gilded pagoda, its a huge complex that is unique for having a pentagonal layout in order to provide a shrine for the future Buddha (Maitreya) as well as those from the present world cycle (Kakusandha, Konagamana, Kassapa and Gautama). Hence five gateways lead to the five-sided enclosure, with the central stupa sitting on a pentagonal terrace. At the base of stupa are five gorgeously decorated shrines, each with a gilded Buddha.
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| Dhammayazika Pagoda |
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| Dhammayazika Pagoda |
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| Dragon-mouthed waterspouts |
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| Dhammayazika: front view |
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| Shikhara and seated guardian figure |
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| Dhammayazika pagoda |
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| Glazed Jataka Panel |
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| Glazed Jataka Panel |
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| Murals |
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| Murals |
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| Buddha |
At sunset the driver took us to a paya which is situated in a fairly remote, quite secluded spot which allowed excellent elevated view of the surrounding terrain.
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| On the rooftop at sunset |
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| Sunset over Bagan |
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| Landscape |
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| Landscape |
I also hired a tour guide, Ei Kay, who was really helpful in explaining the architectural heritage of Bagan, and the linguistic development from Pali and Mon languages. We revisited some of the sites in Old Bagan, to answer some of the queries i'd had when visiting them earlier, as well as the Shwesandaw Pagoda and other monuments nearby. The nat shrine was particularly interesting as they were worshipped by local business people, who would give money to the Nats, as well as taking some of their offerings back, so that their monies had been blessed in order to secure greater business success in the future. Quite fascinating to behold!
As the afternoon wore on, Ei Kay took me to one of the tallest pagodas, whose name i've forgotten, that allows visitors to scale a series of steps in order to get a panoramic view of Bagan. The stairs were extremely steep, but well worth scaling, and the views were magnificent.
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| Ei Kay |
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| Shwesandaw Pagoda |
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| Shwesandaw Pagoda |
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| Nat shrine for business people |
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| Climbing the pagoda |
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| Aerial View |
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| Aerial View |
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| Aerial View |
Rather than stay to watch the sunset, and thereby avoid the crowds of people that ascend the staircases so we could make our descent, we headed off to the Nanpaya temple (Hindu) which is adjacent to the Manuha (Mon) temple in the small vilage of Myinkaba. The Nanpaya temple was soon to undergo considerable renovation due to earthquake damage, yet i was kindly allowed to take some photographs of the exquisite stone carvings of the Hindu deity Brahma within. Built in 1067 by the captive Thaton king, there are three depictions of the Buddha, and a collosal one of him entering the state of nirvana.
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| Nanpaya Temple: Brahma Carvings |
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| Nanpaya Tempe: Brahma Carvings |
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| Nanpaya Temple |
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| Manuha Temple |
Temple Buddha
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| Temple Buddha |
