lonely-planet-myanmar-burma-11-edition

ick monasteries in Bagan were single-blockstructures; Somingyi is unique in that it hasmonastic cells clustered around a courtyard.New Bagan Areapug®®Dmúui¾oc'Sights are a little scarcer heading south ofNew Bagan towards the outskirts of theBagan area.Seinnyet Nyima Paya & Seinnyet AmaPahtoBUDDHIST TEMPLEcim'"–k'–Im NH='¾ cim'"–k'ac'm puqiu"This stupa and shrine stand side by side(about 270yd north of New Bagan) and aretraditionally ascribed to Queen Seinnyet inthe 11th century, although the architectureclearly points to a period two centurieslater. The zedi rests on three terraces and istopped by a beautiful stylised umbrella.Lawkananda PayaBUDDHIST TEMPLEel;knNÌ;.ur;"At the height of Bagan’s power, boats from theMon region, Rakhaing (Arakan) and even SriLanka would anchor by this riverside pagoda(about 270yd southeast of the New Bagancrossroads – a sign in Burmese points theway) with its distinctive elongated cylindricaldome. It was built in 1059 by Anawrahta. It isstill used as a place of worship and is thoughtto house an important Buddha tooth replica.There are lots of benches for wide-open viewsof the Ayeyarwady, but it’s sometimes hard toenjoy hassle-free.Ashe (East) & Anauk (West)Petleik PayaBUDDHIST TEMPLEaerH− NH='¾ aen;k' fk'lip'.ur;"Just inland to the northeast from LawkanandaPaya are the excavated remains of thesetwin 11th-century paya. Found in 1905, thelower parts of the pagodas are ho-hum fromthe outside but feature hundreds of terracottaJataka lining the vaulted corridors (particularlyimpressive in Anauk Petleik Paya).A keyholder usually appears to unlock thedoor and turn on the fluorescent lights.Sittana PayaBUDDHIST TEMPLEcc'tnC.ur;"About half a mile further south, this large,13th-century bell-shaped stupa is NewBagan’s most impressive structure. Built byHtilominlo, and showing some Hindu influences,it’s set on four square terraces, eachfronted by a standing buddha image in brickand stucco. A rather rickety stairway leadsup the stupa’s southern side to the terraces,where you can circle the structure. At thesouthwestern corner is a closed-off chamberleading into an inner sanctum.South PlainThis rural area, along Bagan’s southernreaches, follows the main road betweenNew Bagan and Nyaung U Airport, passingPwasaw and Minnanthu villages on the way.Other than a few places, such as Payathonzu,most sights see few tourists. Many horse-cartdrivers will take in the cluster of sights northof Minnanthu and go via dirt paths towardsCentral Plain sights, such as Sulamani Pahto.Views west from some temples here rival anyother in Bagan in terms of scope of the site.The following sites are listed in orderfrom west to east.Dhammayazika PayaBUDDHIST TEMPLE/mμr;jik.ur;"About 2 miles east of the New Bagan crossroads,and standing north of the main road,this pentagonal zedi is similar to the Shwezigonbut with a more unusual design. Set inthe south-central end of Bagan, it also haslovely views from its highest terrace.Sitting in lush garden grounds with agilded bell, the Dhammayazika dates from1196. An outer wall has five gateways. Uptop, five small temples, each containing abuddha image, encircle the terraces; someof them bear interior murals added duringthe Konbaung era.Watch out for ghosts here! Supposedlythe stupa’s construction began under a generalwho died before its completion. His likenessis said to appear in many photos of thesite, including a fairly recent one of governmentofficials.It’s possible, with perseverance, to cyclethe thrilling dirt roads here from DhammayangyiPahto, a mile north.Leimyethna PahtoBUDDHIST TEMPLEel"mYk'NH;.ur;"Built in 1222, this east-facing, whitewashedtemple near Minnanthu village (almost 2miles east of Dhammayazika on the northside of the road) stands on a raised platformand has interior walls decorated with wellpreservedfrescoes. It is topped by a gildedIndian-style spire like that on Ananda. Thejar-like structures out the front were pillarsof a building toppled by the 1975 earthquake.163THE TEMPLES TEMPLESOF BAGAN NEW BAGAN AREA