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This is the most convenient option for doing the comprehensive tour. Cars are privately owned but they must be government accredited as indicated by a big sticker on the door of the car. The rental office is in the tourist information office at New Bagan.
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.
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.
Built by the Mon King Manuhar from the nearby kingdom of Thaton, once a prisoner of King Anawratha. When released, he sold his jewellery and built this temple. A good testimony to Mon architecture. This temple contains three sitting Buddhas and one reclining Buddha. It is said that Manuhar built this to reflect his feelings of claustrophobia and despair during imprisonment. The sitting Buddhas are in a half-smile, but if seen from below which you are forced to if you enter through the front entrance, it would look like they are frowning.
Meaning "Blessings of the Three Worlds" and very famous with tourists. Built in 1218 by King Nantaungmya. It is probably the last temple built in this area and using Myanmar style. Interestingly carved reliefs surround the doorways.
Commissioned by King Alaunsithu in 1131, one of the most intact temples, thus needing less imagination to appreciate.
Finished in 1102 during the reign of King Anawrahta, this temple is said to contain a bone and tooth relic of Gautama Buddha. This gourd-stupa-ed golden pagoda was the prototype monument used for building many other structure (including for the iconic Shwedagon Pagoda of Yangon, the second holiest in Myanmar) built in Myanmar-style in 1087. It is fairly well maintained. Intricate dancing figures on the top of the many halls inside the complex make this a great location to appreciate the artwork from old Bagan. In one of the structures, you can see drawings on the ceilings depicting the different stages of life: birth, youth, monk, old age and death. There is a long walkway in front of the temple, with shops whose shopkeepers will try their very best while you make your way to the temple. In May 2016, the pagoda was being renovated and was covered with scaffolding.