Manuha Temple

MYANMAR, Mandalay, Bagan

The temple is named after King Manuha (reigned circa 1030–1057) of Thaton, who built the temple in 1067. According to the records, King Anawrahta (reigned 1044–1077) of Bagan attacked Thaton and defeated King Manuha in 1057, when his requests for the Buddhist Tripitaka and Buddha relics were refused. King Manuha was held captive in Bagan and wanted to build a temple of his own. He sold a priceless gem to a rich merchant and obtained six cartloads of pure silver, which he spent building the temple. King Manuha prayed, “Wherever I may wander in this world, may I never be conquered by another!”
The rectangular brick temple is two stories high. The lower story covers a much larger area than the upper story and the lower story is also much higher. The entrance is through a portico on the east side. There are two large ancillary pagodas to the north and south on the first story, and further smaller pagodas at regular intervals on the second story. Above the second story there is an octagonal harmika, stacked rings, a canopy, and a finial. The main hall houses three seated, east-facing Buddha statues, with their right hands in the bhumisparsa (earth-touching) mudra. The largest of the three statues is about 14.6 m high and occupies nearly the whole space of the hall. A statue of a reclining Buddha is in the adjoining shrine.