Travel Links
|
|
It is said to be one of the most massive edifices around Bgan. It was built by King Alaung sithu's son Narathu in the mid 12th Century.
In the north and the west are found stone inscriptions of Bagan period. Supewr brickwork and basic architectural works can be found on the walls inside and outside. On the east facade is the main Buddha image. Floral design murals in yellow and black can still be seen on some arches. Access to the top is by steps from the main eastern entrance. One of the most massive temples of Bagan, the Dhammayangyi can be seen from quite a distance from all directions. It is also noted for its fine brickwork, the bricks fitting so close together that there is hardly any space between.
In plan, the Dhammayangyi resembles the Ananda, a square, with porticoes projecting on all four sides to form a Greek cross. As in the Ananda, two tiers of sloping roofs and four receding terraces rise above the main block, but the spire which surmounts these is demaged. The massive structure of the Dhammayangyi contains and intriguing puzzle-the Case of the Closed Corridor. Two vaulted corridors run parallel along the four sides, but access is possible only to the outer corridor. Brickwork blocks all entrances to the inner corridor, the corridor which in other temples provides for circumambulation of the central block with its images of the Buddha. Was the corridor closed during the lifetime of the builder, or after his death? The chronicles do not provide a solution to the puzzle. They only record that its builder, King Narathu (1163-1165) was killed by eight men sent by the King of Pateikkaya in India to avenge the death of his daughter, Narathu’s queen who had been killed by Narathu. The manner of Narathu’s death earned him the epithet Kalagya, “He Who Was Felled by Indians”. Modern scholars, however, suggest that Narathu’s deposition might have been due to a Sinhalese invasion launched by Parakkama Buhu I (1153-1186) in 1165 in retaliation against the illtreatment of Sinhalese3 merchants and the levying of exorbitant export duties. 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
|
