Top 10 Interesting Facts about Dhammayangyi Temple

The Dhammayangyi Temple – By Gerd Eichmann – Wikipedia

Top 10 Interesting Facts about Dhammayangyi Temple

The Dhammayangyi Temple is a Buddhist temple in Bagan Myanmar. Built during King Narathu’s reign, the Dhammayangyi Temple is very popular. It is the largest among all temples in Bagan.

Viewed from a significant distance, the temple looks like the early step pyramids of Egypt. Its structure is composed of a very large square base that is topped by six receding terraces.

Like the Ananda Temple, it has also never been completed. Below are some interesting facts about the Dhammayangyi Temple.

1. Built by King Narathu

King Sithu fell ill in 1167and was his son had him moved to Shwegugyi Temple. Sithu did not appreciate his son’s actions and was very furious.

According to recounts, and chronicles, Narathu killed his father in the temple by putting a blanket over his head. However, Min Shin Saw, his elder brother, came down to claim the throne which Narathu complied with.

However, after the coronation, he was poisoned and Narathu took over as King. King Narathu was a very unpopular and violent King and his reign is said to have lowered the empire’s prestige.

After killing his father, He was extremely guilty and shut himself in his palace. To atone for his sins and ward off bad karma, he sanctioned the construction of the massive Dhammayangyi Temple. This was done to compensate for murdering his father and brother as well as gain merit with the public.

2. It is Incomplete

Bagan, tempel Dhamayangyi, detail – By Ljuba brank – Wikimedia Commons

In 1171, King Narathu died. There are several stories about how the king met his demise. Some claim it was an assassination by the King of Pateikkaya for the murder of the Queen (his wife), a Pateikkaya princess. Others claim it was an invasion by Sri Lankans.

The King’s death is cited as probably the main reason why this temple was never completed. Most of the temple is filled with construction debris. This includes a major section of the two corridors surrounding the temple’s core and the three sanctums in the core.

3. Largest Temple in Bagan

Dhammayangyi Temple is the largest of all the temples in Bagan. It extends over 255 feet (approximately 78m) in length on each of its four sides.

Its center core, which is surrounded by two corridors, extends for over 25 meters. Despite not being finished, some documents claim that this temple cost about 6 million bricks. The temple is so large that it can be viewed from any part of Bagan.

Not to mention the cost of the stone system that served as the foundation for this enormous structure.

4. The Dhammayangyi Temple Has a Unique Structure

Dhammayangyi temple, Bagan, Myanmar – By Chris and Denis Luyten-De Hauwere – Wikimedia Commons

There are four entrances to the Pagoda. Each entrance contains has a seated Buddha image placed on a pedestal.

Of the four entrances, the Eastern entrance is the main one. The sanctum on the west side of the temple has images of the Maitreyan Buddha and the Guatama Buddha.

It is a single-story building topped by six pyramidal ascending terraces on the exterior. Inside the temple is an inner core that is surrounded by two corridors partially filled with debris.

The temple’s roof system was constructed by stacking bricks. This, therefore, demonstrates how skilled the ancients were at designing and constructing temples.

5. A Part of It Collapsed

On top of the Dhammayangyi Temple was a tower-like structure. However, in modern images of the structure, it is not present. This is because the structure collapsed a while back (undefined period).

This structure (tower) is referred to as a Shikhara. The word Shikhara is Sanskrit translating directly to “mountain peak”. It is a rising tower structure in Hindu Temple architecture from North India.

To prevent degradation of the terraces and parts of the Pagoda, some terraces and rooms in the temple are closed to the public. However, the corridors are accessible and can be explored.

6. Similar to Ananda Temple in Several Ways

The Ananda Temple – By Vyacheslav Argenberg – Wikimedia Commons

The Dhammayangyi Temple was constructed after the Ananda Temple, another major Temple in Myanmar.

Judging by the several similarities in its plan, I think it’s a safe bet that they drew their inspiration from the Ananda Temple. Several aspects of these temples are testament to this, although there are glaring differences between the two.

Similar to the Ananda temple, the Dhammayangyi also has four Buddha images that face the four directions. These Buddha images are not at the entrances, however. There is also a central core at Ananda, which is, however, surrounded by a single corridor.

If at all the Dhammayangyi Temple was intended to be a copy of the Ananda Temple, then King Kyansittha’s heinous measures were effective.

View our article on the Ananda Temple to learn of said ‘acts’.

7. The Dhammayangyi Temple Is Accessible

In the heart of Bagan, there lies a temple called Dhammayangyi. To get there, you can take a flight from your region to Yangon.

Next, take a train from Yangon or Mandalay to Bagan, or take a boat on the Irrawaddy River. Since there is never a wet season in Bagan and the weather is always dry. you can go to the Dhammayangyi Temple whenever you like.

8. Survived an Earthquake In 2016

In August 2016, central Myanmar was hit by a 6.8 magnitude quake as well as a major part of Southeast Asia. Bagan, the ‘City of 4 million Pagodas” was one of the major cities affected. Nearly 100 of Bagan’s famous pagodas, were reportedly destroyed, according to the Ministry of Information.

However, the Dhammayangyi Temple in its majesty, only sustained minor damages and held its own against the quake.

9. The Pillars and Walls Contain Inscriptions and Paintings

Mural at Dhammayangyi temple, Bagan, Myanmar – By Chris and Denis Luyten-De Hauwere – Wikimedia Commons

The walls and pillars of the temple have many colorful paintings and inscriptions. Due to the state of the temple, most of them are faded and the details are hard to make out.

Some inscriptions and images, however, are still clear. One of the pillars contains inscriptions that can be dated back to the 12th Century (around 1165).

This specific inscription describes the details of a donation made by a princess on her mother’s behalf. The said donation includes a dancer’s slaves, a female singer, cattle, paddy fields, and several gardens.

10. The Temple Has Been Neglected for A While

The Dhammayangyi is the largest temple in Bagan – By Justin Vidamo – Wikimedia Commons

The government sanctions the restoration and upkeep projects for most of the pagodas in the country. However, the Dhammayangyi Temple has been neglected for the past few years.

Some will argue that this is a good thing in that it preserves the true nature of the ground. However, it is also true that the ground is deteriorating significantly since it’s not being worked on.

This has resulted in the number of tourists at the site declining significantly. It should be noted that the closed rooms at the site were closed after excavation. Even the archeologists never got a substantial reason as to why.