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Commissioned by King Narathu to atone for the sins of assassinating his father, brother, and wife. He is said to have had his wife killed for following Hindu traditions. The eccentricity of this king is reflected in the building's finely set brickwork: he executed a bricklayer for his imperfect masonry, and ordered that bricks should be laid such that there is not enough space for even a needle to pass through. Also mysterious is its unfinished construction (work abandoned after he himself was assassinated). Inner vaults are large and current occupants include bats. It is believed to be a haunted temple by some inhabitants, but clearly not by the noisy hawkers who set up shop right in front of the Buddha and appear to live in the side passages. China is helping to restore the temple.
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A smaller temple largely forgotten by tourists and hawkers, and often used as a lovers' lane by locals. If you can make it through the terrible road, its terrace offers very peaceful views. Myauk Guni is north of its sibling Taung Guni.
Tiered pagoda very popular for sunrise and sunset.
A beautiful temple built in 1183 by King Narapatisithu, and very popular in dry season due to the road being more accessible. It has many frescoes and murals which are fairly well-preserved and worth taking a look. Observe the monks drawn on the walls on either side of the Buddha praying in obeisance pointing towards the Buddha. There is also a block with Myanmarese inscriptions inside the temple. In wet season, the access road is muddy and poor, meaning there are fewer tourists and hawkers here compared to other temples. Sulamani means 'the gem'.
Great for sunrise at 05:00 and far less crowded than Shwesandaw, but it has become more popular in the last years. The second and third terraces lie beyond the tree line and you can easily spot Shwesandaw with its masses. If it is closed for sunrise try the pagoda and temple 100 m away.
အာနန္ဒာ ဘုရား
Bagan's holiest temple, built by the third king, Kyan-Zit-Tha in 1091. Ananda is the name of one of the Buddha's principal disciples, and 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. It has been renovated to remove the white and black washed paint and to make way for a sandy reddish cover, which now allows for impressive and distinct views/pictures like no other temple in Bagan. The temple restoration has been undertaken with help of India.
One of the few temples with an outdoor Buddha. Allows for great pictures from the opposite field. The nearby Sinmyashin Temple with its golden top is equally appealing.