Foot and Fire

Atop any temple in Old Bagan, I can easily spot you because you are the gigantic one among the silent sacred standing brick stones. Dhammayan, as you are popularly called,  is your being the biggest a blessing by chance?”  Your red bricks were layered  by the subjects of King Narathu who ordered to brick up your interior  so no one can enter you, and perhaps,  so no one can understand his intentions. One more, you were patterned  to the prettiest temple of Ananda -- the most welcoming of all temples -- so why close you up inside  and open only the four porches  and the vast corridors  to your faithful Buddhists  and this visitor? I know the reasons of your being the biggest  and your being secretive inside died with your king  who was said to have died in assassination, the very means he used to seize the power  from his father and elder brother.  Perhaps your g...

Our guide, U Bo Ni, showed us the biggest temple called Dhammayangyi Temple. We were not able to get inside because we raced for the sunset and the other girls were bargaining for something outside. While waiting, I was able to have a lone successful photo in one of the windows of the temple with ornate details on it as well as admirable brick-laying too. *** Dhammayangyi Temple is a Buddhist temple located in Bagan, Myanmar. Largest of all the temples in Bagan, the Dhammayan as it is popularly known was built during the reign of King Narathu (1167-1170). Narathu, who came to the throne by assassinating his father Alaungsithu and his elder brother, presumably built this largest temple to atone for his sins. The Dhammayangyi is the widest temple in Bagan, and is built in a plan similar to that of Ananda Temple. Burmese Chronicles state that while the construction of the temple was in the process, the king was assassinated by some Indians and thus the temple was not co...

This is where I burned my soles to numbness, literally. We went out to adore the beauty of this huge temple with wide cemented area around it at round 3 pm (Philippine Time and 4:30 Myanmar Time). Since we have to walk a short distance barefoot, we have no choice but to hop, jump, brisk walk on the pavement. Our tour guide promoted this temple as the "prettiest temple" in Bagan aside from telling us that Ananda is the wisest disciple of Buddha. ***   History of this perfectly dimensioned temple structure built in 1105 is credited to King Kyanzittha. It denotes "the stylistic end of the Early Bagan period and the beginning of the Middle period". The timing of building this temple is considered as a culmination of religious education that began during the Pahothanya temple building activity in 1080 AD. The Theravada Buddhism adopted by the King motivated him to present the teachings of Buddha to his people in an accurate and a genuine way through th...