Types of Pagodas and monuments in Bagan
Inspite of having thousands of pagodas in Bagan,
no two pagodas are identically alike. There are
variations and differences and every pagoda has its
own uniqueness. Few exceptions are groups of three
or four which are seemingly similar.
Types
Pagodas in Bagan are principally of two types-
solid type and hollow type.
They may be sub-divided into nine categories.
They are as follows:
1. Solid zedi
2. Zedi of Ceylonese type
3. One storey structure
4. Double, triple and quadruple storey
structures
5. Underground Caves
6. Kala Kyaung or a single structure
7. Big monasteries
8. Pitaka" taik or library of religious
literature and
9. Sima or ordination hall.
Since the dwellings of the people were built of
wood and bamboo not a single remnant survived. Even
palace buildings had disappeared except their brick
foundations. In 1990 the big brick mound locally
called " Aung Myey Kon " near Shwe Gu Gyi Pagoda was
excavated and it was suggested that it was the site
of an old palace. In the stone inscription set up by
King Kyansittha, recording the building of his
palace the name of the Palace was given as " Zeyabon
Yazahtan " which in Myanmar means " Aung Myey (the
land of victory), the place of the king." so the
excavated " Aung Myey Kon " could have been the site
of King Kyansittha's Palace.
Many holes were discovered in row, with stone
sockets in which huge teak pillars must have been
fixed up. Some holes and brick walls belong to the
extensions by kings of Ip.ter period. In some holes
were dug up pieces of decayed teak wood. At Bagan,
immense structures like Thatbyinnyu and Dhammayan
Gyi were built. It may be assumed that Bagan palaces
must have been much larger and more splendid than
these monuments. But it seems that top priority was
given to the religious buildings and in order to
differentiate them from secular dwellings, brick and
stone were used in religious monuments, and wood and
bamboo in secular buildings. There are very few
stone structures left at Bagan.
Out of the present total figure of over two
thousand, only four were built of stones.
They are:
1. Shwezigon
2. Nan-paya
3. Kyauk Gu Umin and
4. Pitaka building
commonly known as Setku Taik at the foot of Tuyin
Hill near Mya Kan Lake.
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