Gawdawpalin Temple
The Gawdawpalin Temple (Burmese: ကန်တော့ပလ္လင်ဘုရား, IPA: [ɡɔ́dɔ̰pəlɪ̀ɰ̃ pʰəjá]) is a Buddhist temple located in Bagan, Myanmar. Construction of the pagoda began in 1203 during the reign of Sithu I (1174–1211)[2] and completed on 26 March 1227[3] during the reign of Htilominlo (1211–1235). At 55 m (180 ft), Gawdawpalin Temple is the second tallest temple in Bagan. Similar in layout to the Thatbyinnyu Temple, the temple is two storeys tall, and contains three lower terraces and four upper terraces. The temple was heavily damaged during the 1975 earthquake and was reconstructed in following years.
| Gawdawpalin Temple | |
|---|---|
 Gawdawpalin Temple | |
| Religion | |
| Affiliation | Theravada Buddhism |
| Location | |
| Location | Bagan, Mandalay Region |
| Country | Myanmar |
  Shown within Myanmar | |
| Geographic coordinates | 21°10′12″N 94°51′24″E |
| Architecture | |
| Founder | Sithu II |
| Groundbreaking | 1203 |
| Completed | 26 March 1227 |
| Specifications | |
| Length | 58.3 m (191 ft)[1] |
| Width | 43.3 m (142 ft) |
| Height (max) | 55 m (180 ft) |
The Gawdawpalin Temple belongs to the style of the hollow gu-style temple. In contrast to the stupas, the hollow gu-style temple is a structure used for meditation, devotional worship of the Buddha and other Buddhist rituals. The gu temples come in two basic styles: "one-face" design and "four-face" design—essentially one main entrance and four main entrances. Other styles such as five-face and hybrids also exist. The one-face style grew out of 2nd century Beikthano, and the four-face out of 7th century Sri Ksetra. The temples, whose main features were the pointed arches and the vaulted chamber, became larger and grander in the Bagan period.[4] (Paragraph on "Hollow Temples" copied from Bagan).
Notes
- Dept of History, Yangon University 1986: 29
- Coedès 1968: 178
- Maha Yazawin Vol. 1 1724: 213
- Aung-Thwin 2005: 224–225
References
- Coedès, George (1968). Walter F. Vella (ed.). The Indianized States of Southeast Asia. trans.Susan Brown Cowing. University of Hawaii Press. ISBN 978-0-8248-0368-1.
- Kala, U (1720). Maha Yazawin (in Burmese). 1–3 (2006, 4th printing ed.). Yangon: Ya-Pyei Publishing.
- Pictorial Guide to Pagan. Rangoon: Ministry of Culture. 1975 [1955].
- Fiala, Robert D. (2002). "Gawdawpalin Pahto Temple". Asian Historical Architecture. Retrieved 12 August 2006.
- History Dept, Rangoon University (1986). Glimpses of Glorious Pagan. Rangoon: Rangoon University Press.