Temple architecture in Burma

The Burmese art falls into the following three periods:—

1. Early phase (200-800 A.D.)
2. Classical phase (900-1300 A.D.) and
3. Pagoda phase in which folk-art is executed chiefly in wood in a very distinctive style.

Early Phase:—

The representation of the first phase lasted at the historical centres of Thaton in Pegu the capital of the Mangolian tribe known as the Mons or Talaings and at Prome, the capital of another tribe the Pyu. A religio-cultural approach from Buddhist India gave impetus for the erection of Buddhist monasteries.

The earlier structures consist of three examples at Honawaza (old Prome) dating about the 10th century A.D. and two other of 11th Century. The former group comprises of a stūpa, Baw, Lawgyi and the two temples of Bebe and Lymethne. The two temples at Began are those of Patathyma and Nanpaya in the village of Myinpagan both comparatively early examples of temple building in Burma. It is interesting to see in the interior the pillars ornamented in low relief with figures of Brahmā from which god the name of Burma (Brahmā) perhaps is designated. Another structure at Patpan is a stūpa, that of Shivasandan. All these early examples of Burmese architecture show Indo-Buddhist influence.

Classical art at Pagon:—

There was a remarkable display of religious building in Middle Burma, having its centre at Pagon, The two most notable elements, any architectural out-burst is accompanied by, are Repose and Energy. In India the former is illustrated in Buddhist stūpa and the latter in Hindu temple. In the vast expanse of stūpas and temples spread out over the plain at Pagon, these appear to illustrate that stage in the process of architectural development when the two forces were silently contending for supremacy, to culminate finally in the emergence of energy in the form of modern soaring pagoda. This phase of Burmese architecture at Pagon may be resolved into two classes of structure (a) stupas and (b) temple. Percy Brown however shows two exceptions to this classification the Mahabodhi (in imitation of the original Bodhi Gaya) and the Ordinating Hall. It is surmized that the masonarchitects were brought from Bihar and Bengal and accordingly in short the buildings at Pagon may be most nearly defined as fundamentally of Indian extraction but designed and adapted to conform to Burmese conception.

Percy Brown rightly remarks:

“In the whole of the architecture of this great region lying between India and China, exemplified particularly in the buildings of Burma, there appears to have been a continual struggle for supremacy between the bulbous mass of the orthodox stupa combined with the outward curve of the Indo-Aryan sikhara on the one hand, and the ascending attenuated outlines of what is ordinarily known as the Chinese pagoda on the other. In an effort to bring about an agreement between these two somewhat conflicting architectural formations, the Burmese master masons were helped very considerably by adopting a form of elongated finial as a summit to their pagoda “spires”, instead of the lateral harmika of the Indian stupa, or the short thick-set amalaka of the Hindu temple. This finial or as it is called, is an adaptation of the multiform umbrella, and makes an appropriate finish to the tenuous shape of the Burmese superstructure. In spite therefore of the fact that although “Burma is surrounded by India, Tibet, China, Siam and the Malaya States” and “the culture of its people, their art and monuments are almost exclusively derived from India” a glance at the elevational effect of the architecture of the country will show that it owes not a little of its character, or at least its external appearance, to Far Eastern sources”

The typical example of the most glorious stūpas is the Mangala-zedi erected in 1274, As regards the temples, there are numerous examples such as the Gawdawplin (throne of the Ancestral Hall built in 1200) the Jhatpyinnu, the Shwegugyi and the Sulemani, but the largest and by far the most imposing of all, besides being the noblest monument in the whole of Burma, is the Anand Pagoda founded and dedicated by King Kyanzeth (1084-1112) in 1990 A, D. This building illustrates the finest period of Burmese architecture. In size alone the grand building, across its width including its porticos measures 300 feet, while the four-entranced enclosure within which it stands in a square of 570 feet. Its height too, is impressive as from the ground level to the finial of its main spire it is over 160 feet.