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The Pahtothamya Pagoda is situated close to the west of the Thatbyinnyu. Of the five pagodas built during the reign of King Taungthugyi in the 10th Century—the Pahtogyi, the Pahtonge, the Pahtothamya, the Thinlepaho and the Seiktipahto, the Pahtothamya is a single-tier one, although it is quite large and has a prayer hall. It stands 85 feet.
In the midst of the Pagoda is a hall for the Buddha's image and an inner passage. It reflects early Bagan period architecture. On the walls of the cave are figurines and frescoes estimated to be of the 11th century. The upper terrace of the pagoda can be reached by the stairs on the east of the prayer hall. On the upper terrace are early Bagan statues and frescoes. At the entrance of the lower prayer hall are brick work and architecture unique to the period. Tradition speaks of the Pahtothamya as one of the five temple built by King Sawrahan in the 10th century, temples in which he “set up what were neither spirit-images nor images of the Lord, and worshipped them with offerings of rice, curry and fermented drinks, night and morning.”
Some scholars, however, would attribute the temple to King Sawlu (1077-1084) and interpret its name Pahtothamya, “Temple of Great Fruitfulness” to mean that it stood at the fountain-head of the spread of Theravada Buddhism in Bagan.
The Pahtothamya is a temple in the Early Style and consists of a main block 90 feet square, adjoined by a vaulted hall 52 feet square. The superstructure is unusual. Above three receding terraces rises a bulbous dome with twelve vertical ribs, and a box-like relic chamber intervenes between the dome and the twelve-sided finial.
Foretelling of prince Siddhattha by Rishi Kaladevila
The hall has three doorways with elegant arch pediments, while the main block has five perforated windows on each side which provide lighting for the interior. However, supplementary lighting is also available from dormer windows in the terraces. Niches in the interior walls hold stone images of the Buddha, and mural paintings, with legends in Mon, depict scenes from the Jatakas and the Final Life of Gotama Buddha, such as the Foretellingk of Prince Siddhattha by Rishi Kaladevila and the Twin Miracles performed by the Buddha.
Reference
1. Ancient Pagodas in Myanmar Vol I , Jan 2003, by Myat Min Hlaing 2. Glimpses of Glorious Bagan, Jan 1996, by The Universities Historical Research Centre
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