July 12, 2016 Tuesday
…
Day 2 in Bagan.
Sulamani Temple
(1183 AD – King Narapatisithu)
This was amazing to come upon. Just seeing the immenseness and the beauty of it. Also catching the monks walking towards it to pray was just spectacular to see. There was only one to two street sellers in the foyer area of the entrance which was nice too. Not too distracting or over bearing. *Note: On August 24, 2016 an earthquake of magnitude 6.8 hit Myanmar originating to the south of Bagan. The Sulamani Temple was severely damaged causing the top to topple and the interior to be closed off to the public (as of Oct 2016). It was devastating news for me to hear this and that other temples were damaged greatly as well.
Dhammayangyi Temple
(1167-1170 King Narathu)
I was told or read somewhere that this temple was haunted. King Narathu killed his father and elder brother in order to take the Kingdom. It looks like a pyramid and doesn’t look like any of the other temples around Bagan. A guide in Mandalay told me it also doesn’t have that “leaf” shape top like all the other temples. He also mentioned that the local people would leave the temple before it got too dark and one time a couple of European tourists had informed their guide that they wanted to stay the night. They ended up not staying due to hearing voices and other noises inside. Riding my rental bike and seeing Dhammayangyi from a distance was amazing. It was very prominent in landscape of Bagan. Before going to Sulamani, I stopped to the side of the dirt road just to take in the temple and the surrounding area. It was fantastic to see.
Myaukguni
(1241 Queen Pwasaw)
Reign of King Narathihapate or the Tayoke Pye Min. Sunset here wasn’t overly crowded like some of the other bigger temples. So it was a great opportunity just to relax and hangout while waiting for the sun to set.
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