Shwezigon Paya, Bagan

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The Paya is the main attraction of the complex, but it´s surrounded by shrines (some new, some old) and clusters of zayats (rest houses). There´s even a path leading to the riverbank to have a different view of the site.

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The most sacred place in Bagan, The Zedi was commenced by King Anawratha and finished by King Kyanzittha in the 11th century. The site is surrounded by a huge brick wall an the entrance is through a large corridor full of religious and souvenirs stalls. In the centre of it surrounded by new and old shrines, is the magnificent Gilded Zedi. The Paya was built on three terraces, the base of it has several panels with illustrations of the Jataka. At the four cardinal points (facing the terrace stairways) there are shrines with standing Buddha images. The complex is also famous for the 37 Nats a building containing the 37 pre-Buddhist images of the Nats (including the older image of Thagyamin, king of the Nats).

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Shwezigon Pagoda is one of the oldest in Bagan. Pagoda is bell shaped temples. Located near the village of Nyaung U, outside old Bagan.

It was built by King Anawrahta circa A.D 1076 , but was completed by King Kyanzittha (1084-1113). The pagoda is one of the important shrine in Bagan, a center for prayer.

It resembles to me to the Shwedagon in Yangon, which to me is the most beautiful pagoda. The pagoda sits on a 3 level terraces, all painted in gold. A lot of people are visiting this pagoda to pray, and reflect. Do not be deter by the vendors outside, its peaceful inside the temple.

Just after you've seen the sun set from atop Shwesandaw Pay, head back towards town and revisit Shwezigon Paya once the floodlights have been lit up. Most visitors will be heading back for dinner but take a few minutes now and you won't forget it - it's very peaceful and as you can see from the photo, just stunning.

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Fue construida para recibir una de las cuatro replicas del diente de Buda de Kandy en Ceilan una imagen de un Buda de esmeralda de China y para delimitar la parte norte de Bagan en una zona elegida por un elefante blanco
Es uno de los mayores centros de culto en Myanmar y ha sido utilizada como prototipo para la construccion de otras estupas
Es el primer templo en el que se aceptaron los nat ( Espiritus pre-budistas que tenian el poder de hacer el bien o el mal), lo que ayudo al crecimiento del Budismo Theravada

One of the top 4 temple in Bagan, aka the most powerful. Reminded me of Shwedagon in Yangon, as it also contains several prayer halls, small temples around it. There is a covered stairway that lead to Shwezigon.

This paya is well-maintained and gives a sense of what much of nearby Bagan must have looked like in its heyday. The structure itself was completed between 1077 and 1090 and of course the story of its construction is full of intruige - the father who was killed in a hunting accident and the son of questionable parentage etc etc. Anyhow, it's definitely a sight not to be missed. One interesting piece of trivia though: under the monument numbering system, where all 4000-odd historical buildings in Bagan are allocated a number, Shwezigon Paya is #1.

Its golden mass giving it an air of weight and stability, the Shwezigon derives its name from Jeyyabhumi, "Ground of Victory". Two great kings, noted for their patronage of the Religion, are associated with the Shwezigon: Anawrahta (1044-1077) and Kyansittha (1084-1113).
Tradition has it that the holy tooth, collar-bone and frontlet relics of the Buddha are enshrined in the Shwezigon, the tooth presented by the King of Ceylon, the frontlet obtained from Thayekhittaya near modern Prome. The chronicles relate that Anawrahta placed the frontlet relic on a jewelled white elephant and, making a solemn vow, said, "Let the white elephant kneel in the place where the holy relic is fain to rest!" And it was there, at the place where the white elephant knelt, that Anawrahta built the Shwezigon, although he was to finish only the three terraces before he died.
The chronicles go on to relate that on the accession of Kyansittha, the royal teacher Shin Arahan urged him to complete the Shwezigon. Kyansittha then marshalled all his people and quarried rock from Mount Tuywin in the east to build the pagoda. Marvellously, the pagoda was finished in seven months and seven days, and the chronicles record with some pride, "Shwezigon is famous in the world of men and the world of spirits as far as the world of Brahmas."