Bawbawgyi Pagoda (Burmese: ဘောဘောကြီး စေတီ) is a Buddhist stupa and one of the oldest Buddhist structures in the history of ancient edifices in Myanmar,[1] located in the Sri Ksetra Archaeological Zone north of the city of Pyay. The stupa was constructed during the Pyu period in the 5th century and is in excellent structural condition, having miraculously survived a number of major earthquakes over the preceding centuries. The history of this stupa is unknown since there were no stone inscription was found.[2]
| Bawbawgyi Pagoda | |
|---|---|
ဘောဘောကြီး စေတီ | |
 Bawbawgyi Pagoda | |
| Religion | |
| Affiliation | Buddhism |
| Location | |
| Location | Sri Ksetra, Pyay District, Bago Region |
| Country | Myanmar |
  Shown within Myanmar | |
| Geographic coordinates | 18°47′10″N 95°17′08″E / 18.78611°N 95.28556°E |
| Height (max) | 46.63 m (153.0 ft) |
History
editOf uncertain age, the stupa was likely built between the 5th and the 6th centuries when the Pyu people commanded the circular city immediately to the north. Despite its antiquity, the pagoda is in excellent structural condition, having miraculously survived a number of major earthquakes over the preceding centuries.
Architecture
editThe Bawbawgyi Pagoda is has largely cylindrical body, topped by a conical drum, crowned by a hti ("umbrella").[3] The overall structure is 46.6 m (153 ft) tall, and consists of:[3]
- five terraces, 8 m (26 ft)
- the cylindrical body, 22.3 m (73 ft)
- the conical drum, 7.3 m (24 ft)
- the amalaka, 1.53 m (5 ft 0 in)
- the hti, 7.5 m (25 ft)
Like some stupas in Bagan, the pagoda's main body encloses a long hollow section, 3.1 m (10 ft) in diameter and 24.3 m (80 ft) in height.[3]
References
edit- ^ "Sri Ksetra: UNESCO Treasure to Discover on a Short Break from Yangon". The Irrawaddy. 21 November 2018. Archived from the original on 14 June 2020. Retrieved 13 June 2020.
- ^ "Bawbawgyi Pagoda". Myanmars.net. Archived from the original on 2020-06-09. Retrieved 2020-06-09.
- ^ a b c Marshall, Taw 1908: 1117
Bibliography
edit- Marshall, J.H.; Taw, Sein Ko (1908). "Archaeological Exploration in India, 1907–08: Prome". Journal of the Royal Asiatic Society of Great Britain and Ireland. 61. London: The Royal Asiatic Society: 1115–1118.