![bagan myanmar language spoken bagan myanmar language spoken](https://halfhalftravel.imgix.net/myanmar/bagan-travel-tips/DAN06588.jpg)
All sites are considered sacred, so when visiting, be respectful including removing shoes as well as socks before entering or stepping onto them.īagan's golden age ended in 1287 when the Kingdom and its capital city was invaded and sacked by the Mongols.
![bagan myanmar language spoken bagan myanmar language spoken](https://www.justtravelous.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/11/bagan-and-me.jpg)
Some are large and well maintained, such as the Ananda Pahto, others are small tumbledown relics in the middle of overgrown grass. Approximately 2,200 remain today, in various states of disrepair. It is estimated that as many as 13,000 temples and stupas once stood on this 42 sq km plain in central Myanmar, and Marco Polo once described Bagan as a "gilded city alive with tinkling bells and the swishing sounds of monks' robes". Other images of Bagan which make a lasting impression to tourists aside from the spire-fringed skyline stupas sporting that tumbledown look yet crowned with glitter-studded golden miter-like sikaras the ubiquitous pair of ferocious stone lions flanking a temple's door the spiky and lacy eave fascia woodcarvings lining a monastery's ascending tiers of roofs tall palmyras or toddy palms with willowy trunks, bougainvilleas, exotic cotton trees, and the likes bringing life to the arid landscape and abandoned ruins squirrels playfully and acrobatically scampering on the walls and pediments of temples horse drawn carriages lazily carrying drop-jawed tourists sleepy moving grandfather's bullock carts grinding on a dust-choked trail not to mention the garbage left around, stray dogs loitering, longyi clad men spitting betel chews in copious amounts everywhere, overgrown weeds and the pestering dust.īagan became a central powerbase in the mid 9th century under King Anawratha, who unified Burma under Theravada Buddhism. Now what remains is roughly the triangular eastern half part. It used to be a rectangular-shaped piece of enclave protected by a perimeter wall. The strong river current has already washed away half of the area of Old Bagan.
![bagan myanmar language spoken bagan myanmar language spoken](https://myanmartravel.com/images/2020/12/Kachin-language-in-Myannar.jpg)
This phenomenon had peeled off so much the stucco coating of the temples to reveal the brick structural blocks with its rusty, reddish, and sometimes golden brown-like patina when hit by the sun's rays.Įrosion is a significant threat to this area, not only the wind chipping away the buildings' plastering but also water from the mighty Ayeyarwady (Irrawaddy) River threatens the riverbanks. For some reason, there are no windbreakers around as shown by the barren, desert-dry mountain range to the west past the river, spinning occasional micro twisters that spawn loose dust particles everywhere from the eroded earth to the structures. What makes the temples look romantic is the process of graceful aging. In another way of imagining, Bagan temples are topped with inverted ice cream cones. On the other hand, Bagan is served in Spanish Tapas style, the ingredients exposed to the customer and shown in small bite-size servings, with the next attraction close and visible at hand, in shorter intervals.Īnother analogy between Angkor and Bagan Sites when distinguishing temple structures is through their stupa and spire shapes.Īrtichokes and corncobs = Angkor while gourds and durians (or pineapple) = Bagan.Īn example is gourd for Shwezigon Pagoda and durian for Ananda, Thatbyinnyu, and Mahabodhi Temples. With regards to tour comparison between this immense archeological site and the other significant archeological gem of Southeast Asia, the Angkor sites, this analogy may be helpful:Īngkor ruins are like a Chinese Lauriat banquet where food is presented in spectacular servings with a suspenseful wait between items that are hidden beneath curtains of forests. The shape and construction of each building are highly significant in Buddhism with each component part taking on spiritual meaning. Bagan, located on the banks of the Ayeyarwady (Irrawaddy) River, is home to the largest and densest concentration of Buddhist temples, pagodas, stupas, and ruins in the world with many dating from the 11th and 12th centuries.