Dhammayazika Temple

Dhammayazika is located in Pwasaw region, in the southern part of Bagan. This temple was built by King Narapati Sithu. The name of the pagoda, Dhammayazika or Dhammarajika in Pali means "Pertaining the King of Law. The structure of Dhammayazika Pagoda has pentagonal terraces instead of the usual Bagan pagodas, the square base.

There are three receding terraces, ornamented with glazed Jataka plaques. On each side of the pagoda, there is a small temple housing an image of Buddha.

The usual practice in most temples was to have four images facing the cardinal points, representing the four Buddhas of the present world cycle who have already attained Enlightenment.

But in this pagoda the fifth temple is placed with the future becoming Buddha. All the five names of the Buddha are Kakusandha, Konagamana, Kassapa, Gotama and Metteyya. The inscription records say tht in 1197 King Narapatisithu received four holy relics from the King of Sri Lanka and that he built the pagoda in 1198 to enshrine the relics.