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It is said that every Myanmar should visit Bagan and without visiting Ananda you cannot be said to have visited Bagan. The ground plan is in the form of a cross with four devotional halls, each on one side, facing four cardinal directions, and the main structure in the center. In Bagan there are only two Temples with such ground plan. The other Temple of this type is Dhammayan Gyi which was built by King Kyansittha's grandson, King Narathu. It seemed that the grandson copied the ground plan of his grandfather's Temple. But it was found that for some unknown reasons the inner circumambulatory corridor of Dhammayan Gyi was blocked.

The Ananda was built during the reign (1084–1113) of King Kyanzittha of the Pagan Dynasty. It is one of four surviving temples in Bagan. The temple layout is in a cruciform with several terraces leading to a small pagoda at the top covered by an umbrella known as hti, which is the name of the umbrella or top ornament found in almost all pagodas in Myanmar. The Buddhist temple houses four standing Buddhas, each one facing the cardinal direction of East, North, West and South. The temple is said to be an architectural wonder in a fusion of Mon and adopted Indian style of architecture. The impressive temple is also known as “veritable museum of stones”

The Ananda Temple is surrounded by an enclosing wall with four arched gateways containing seated guardian deities (Duara Pala, the guardian deva)

Jakata scenes in the corridor leading to the entrance

The four entrances are provided with teak wood carved doors in the interior and these entrances form a perfect cross or cruciform. The original eight carved wooden door leaves, two at each of the four entrances, are over 900 years old. But King Bayint Naung (A. D. 1551—81) re-embellished them by adding floral and toenaga motifs to them.

Each niche, inside the four entrances of the cubical structure, form the sanctum where standing Buddhas, fully gilded and in different mudras or forms are deified and worshipped.

A deva in Buddhism is one of many different types of non-human beings who share the characteristics of being more powerful, longer-lived, and, in general, living more contentedly than the average human being.

Two Standing Deva Statues on both sides of devotional hall

One architectural wonder of Ananda Temple is the natural ventilation system by means of windows built inside the thickness of the walls. There are light wells in the very high ceiling through which beams of light fall directly on the faces of the four, gigantic statues of Buddha in standing posture facing four cardinal points.

On each side of the structure are eight light wells through which light comes, passing through the three tiers of wall for a distance of 108 feet and falls directly on the Buddha images inside the niches. These light wells also serve as ventilator since fresh air constantly enters through them into the whole structure

The four statues of standing Buddhas facing four cardinal directions are wood works executed by skillful carvers. They are well proportioned. Those facing south and north are the original statues. The one facing north has the hand in a preaching gesture, which is a later renovation. The glass-mosaic frontlet on its forehead was installed in 1903

Standing Buddha – Kakusandha – North facing

The four Buddhas placed in the sanctum, called the "Buddhas of the modern age", give an indication of Buddha's "sense of the omnipresence through space and time"

Each is given a specific name, Kakusandha (in (Pāli) is the name of the twenty-fifth Buddha, the first of the five Buddhas of the present kalpa, and the fourth of the seven ancient Buddhas) – north facing

Standing Buddha – Kakusandha – North facing

each statue of 9.5 metres (31 ft)height (above a 8 feet (2.4 m) high throne).

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Wall paintings inside the prayer halls of the temple have been mostly white washed.

Some of the paintings still discernable on the south-west column of the northern devotional hall have been restored by the Department of Archaeology of Myanmar.

It is said that there are 1000

niches, and three vaulted corridors.

1000 niches include niches on four sides of the

Sikhara (pyramidal spire) those niches on the walls of the

vaulted corridors and those niches on the inner walls

of the four devotional halls, totalling over one thousand. These

niches were installed probably

to reduce the echo.

The two circumambulatory passages have vaulted roof. In these inner passages, surrounding the central cubicle, sculptural ornamentation in the form of 80 large reliefs carved out of volcanic rocks, representing Buddha’s life from birth to death, are depicted. The two main passages have cross passages also, which provide the link between the porch and the standing images of the Buddha

Regarding the three vaulted corridors, the

inner most one was

meant for the monks to walk

around and worship the shrine, the

middle vaulted corridor for the princes, royal

sons and nephews and

the outer vaulted

corridor that passes

through the devotional halls was

meant for the commoners

Floor

 Among the monuments in Bagan which have glazed works, Ananda Temple has the best

The east and west facing Buddha images are made in the later Konbaung or Mandalay style. The east-facing image of Buddha (known as 'Kongamana') is shown holding, between the thumb and middle finger, a small nutlike sphere – a herb.

This herb is said to

symbolically represent the

Buddha suggesting dhamma (Buddhist

philosophy) as a cure for

misery and distress. In this

mudra, both arms hang at the sides with

palms stretching out. This mudra is not seen in traditional Buddhist sculpture

outside this temple.

The original south facing Buddha (called the Kassapa) has a unique architectural display, as, when it is viewed from close quarters depicts a sad look. However, the same image viewed from a distance gives an expression of mirthfulness.

Out of the four images, the

images facing north and south are said to be original, of the Bagan-style depicting the

dhammachakka mudra, a hand

position symbolizing the Buddha's first

sermon, while the other two images

are new replacements,

after the originals were destroyed

by fires.

South facing Buddha (called the Kassapa)

In Myanmar, gold-leaves are widely sold at the famous pagodas to gild the Buddha image or stupa with gold-leaf. This is the Myanmar tradition for meritorious deeds.

In West Gotama Buddha displays the abhaya mudra with hands outstretched in the gesture of fearlessness.

Abhayamudra, that is, the gesture of reassurance and safety, is a hand pose, which dispels fear and accords divine protection and bliss to the devotee.

In Abhayamudra, the right hand is held upright, and the palm is facing outwards. This is one of the earliest Mudra found depicted on a number of Hindu, Buddhist, and Jaina images.

The western portico also depicts two Buddha footprint symbols on pedestals.

At the feet of this Buddha two life-

size statues made in lacquer, representing the crowned figure of King Kyanzittha kneeling piously in prayer, and

Shin Arahan, the Mon monk who converted the

King into Theravada Buddhism

(meaning "the Teaching of the

Elders") and as a primate also

crowned the king, are also

displayed.

An inscription below the

small image of the King

states that the King

perceived himself as a

"bodhisattva, a cakkavattin

and incarnation of Lord Vishnu".

The Mon monk who converted the King into Theravada Buddhism

(meaning "the Teaching of the

Elders")

Text: InternetPictures: Sanda Foişoreanu & InternetCopyright: All the images belong to their authors

Presentation: Sanda Foişoreanu www.slideshare.net/michaelasanda

Sound: Saung Zaw Win Maung - The boundless Auspicious Eulogy