Bagan, Burma has over 2,200 stupas and pagodas. It can take you several days to explore them all. Here is top three most important pagodas that you should never miss when visiting Bagan – the UNESCO Cultural World Heritage site.
Ananda Temple
This is the Bagan‘s holiest temple, built by the third king, Kyan-zit-tha in 1091. Ananda comes from the Pali word “anantapannya”, which means “boundless wisdom”. The temple houses four Buddhas facing the cardinal directions, which represent the four Buddhas who have attained Nirvana. The fifth, Maitreya, is yet to appear. This is the most important temple in all out of thousand stupas in Bagan.
Location: Left side on the southern stretch of the Bagan-Nyaung Oo Rd. just before the road heads to Tharaba Gate of Old Bagan.
Shwesandaw Temple
This is the “sunset temple”, because you will stay here to view the spectacular Bagan sunset. This surely offer the best chance for photography. You will meet many other foreign tourist as well as local Burmese gather here for most stunning moment of the day. You should get here early to climb up to the top levels and keeps a nice place. The top levels are small and space is scarce. The climb up is a reasonably easy 5 minute walk up a flight of stairs, but the steps get narrower and steeper near the top. Not recommended for those with vertigo, but if you can make the climb, you will be rewarded with a breathtaking sunset as the temples and landscape are set ablaze in golden sunrays. A good compromise is to climb to the 3rd or 2nd highest level, where the steps are much more manageable than the topmost level, is less crowded, and the view is just as good. It starts getting crowded here as early as 4:30pm, so if you could not make it as early as said, consider taking a view from the Shwe-Gu-Gyi temple nearby instead (easily passable if on bike).
Shwezigon Temple
This gourd-stupaed golden pagoda is the first and prototype monument (including for the iconicShwedagon Pagoda of Yangon) built in Burma style in 1087. Appareantly, it is rather similar to Shwedagon pagoda, but its history and story ara always attract tourist to visit. Careful on the stall vendors, they are the pros employing hard sell psycho tactics.
Location: Heading south, right side on the northern stretch of the Bagan-Nyaung Rd. after passing the bus station. A long covered walkway with souvenir stalls starts from the road to the compound.
Bagan is one of the most famous places in Burma then all packages tours often include an excursions to Bagan. Depending on your interest of temples, pagodas and Buddhism, we can manage the lenght of stay accordingly or add some extra, active activities for best various experiences.
