Gawdawpalin temple, Bagan

The temple was closest to our hotel so it became our choice to visit it first. Gawdawpalin lies very close to the banks of Irrawady, in the South-west of Old Bagan. It is 55-meter in height and is the second highest temple in Bagan.

entrance to temple

temple at night

Irrawady flows besides our place of stay

History and some facts:

• King Narpathisithu ascended thone in 1174 after dethroning his elder brother, Nartheinkha.
• Gawdawpalin in the second tallest temple in Bagan, Dhammayangyi is the tallest.
• Apart from this temple, the king built several other prominent temples as Dhammayazeka and Sulamani which was built earlier.
• The temple is white in color and looks similar to Thatbinnyu which was built earlier in 1144.
• temple is based on "gu-style" where there is one entrance and an image of Buddha. The area is used for meditation, worship and other rituals.
• The temple was thought to be a three storey one but the earthquake in 1975 revealed a secret passage making it a four-storey one.
• there are 10 Buddha images on the ground floor and 4 images on the first floor.
• tourists are forbidden to go up the first floor now.

Legend of Gawdawpalin:

• It is said that King Narpati Sithu's grandfather King Alaung Sithu had become egoistic and pompous thinking that he was much better than his ancestors.  He soon became blind. Brahmin astrologers advised him to seek forgiveness from his ancestors and place idols of his ancestors on throne.
• The king regained his eye sight soon after his penance. The pagoda was built at the place where throne was placed giving it the name Gaw daw Palin, meaning "the platform to which homage is paid"
• Narpati Sithu started the construction after building Sulamani temple.
• the construction of temple remained incomplete at the time of his death so his son,  Htilominlo completed it in 1227.

The white colored temple closely resembles Thatbinyu, though the latter is definitely bigger.
The temple building has a square plan with entrance on all four sides and a portico but the eastern side portico projects a little more.

Small stupas are build on four corners of upper terraces.

The top of temple is made up of shikhara which is an Indian style tower like structure seen in most Indian temples. The topmost of shikhara has a hti which is an umbrella with small bells and is found in most Burmese temples.

 Chinthe guarding the entrance of temple

entrance to temple

 image of Buddha at entrance on the east side

The images of Buddha sit on a pedestal on all the four sides with an entrance. The original fresco work can still be seen at places behind the image, though have faded a little.

There are four Buddha images on the first floor and it was for the first time in Bagan architecture that a shrine had been built on a floor above. Apparently, after the earthquake in 2016, most of the temples have prohibited visitors going up to higher levels to protect the building.

images in corridor between the outer and inner wall

A corridor runs all around where ten Buddha images are placed. I have put all the images together but later in the post will put separately as well.

ten images of Buddha all around the corridor on the ground floor

Buddha images on four cardinal directions:

Entrances in the four directions are connected with corridor having images of Buddha.

east facing image

image in corridor walking towards south entrance

south entrance image

upper two images in the corridor walking towards the west entrance

main big image in the west entrance

upper two images between west and north entrance

north entrance big image

Some still have the original fresco work

water for devotees and bell post

zedi in the north-east coner of temple

it was built after Bagan period

An octagonal Bagan period pagoda at the south-east corner of temple

bell post near the octagonal pagoda

a small boy makes his way to temple 😊

 A small, almost non-functional temple opposite Gawdawpalin.