Ananda Temple

MYANMAR, Mandalay, Bagan

The temple is the largest and most important temple in Myanmar. It was built in 1091 by King Kyansittha (reigned circa 1084–1112) of the Bagan dynasty. It suffered damage from the earthquake in 1975, but was later fully restored.
The temple compound has an area of 3.25 ha. The main building is 51 m high and consists of two levels: the lower is a shrine, and the upper is in the form of a pagoda. The main shrine is square with each side measuring 53 m. Long porticos project from all four sides of the shrine, resulting in a cruciform layout. The windows are arranged on two levels to bring daylight inside the shrine. There is a tall pillar at the center of the shrine. On the four sides of the central pillar, there are niches housing 9.5 m high standing Buddhas of the Past and Present: Kanakamuni Buddha in the east, Sakyamuni Buddha in the west, Kasyapa Buddha in the south, and Krakucchanda Buddha in the north. Along the passageways there are more niches containing 80 reliefs depicting the Life of the Buddha.
The pagoda above the main shrine is surrounded by ancillary pagodas on the terraces which form the base. The lower two terraces are carved with the Life of the Buddha and the Jataka tales. The upper three terraces have Buddha niches on four sides, with sculptures of crouching lions on the four corners. On the uppermost terrace there is a seated Buddha statue at each corner. The body of the pagoda has a tapered curved shape and is gilded. There are Buddha niches arranged vertically at the cardinal points on the pagoda body. It is surmounted by a tall spire followed by the canopy and the finial. The architecture is distinctly Mon in style.
Within the temple compound there are over 1,400 Buddha statues, over 1,000 scenes from the Life of the Buddha and from the Jataka tales, and over 1,000 large and small pagodas.
Bagan is renowned for its brilliant Buddhist architecture and is reputed to be the City of Thousand Temples. The Ananda Temple is the foremost and most magnificent of these temples.