Htilominlo Temple Nyaung-U

Southeast Asia Tour 2015

Bagan | Myanmar

30 Nov 2015 | Mon

Day 12 of 46

Flight | Yangon International Airport to Bagan Nyaung-U Airport
Nyaung-U Town | Mani Sithu Market
Shwezigon Pagoda Nyaung-U
Gubyaukgyi Temple Myinkaba
Bagan’s Vast Temple Plains
Htilominlo Temple Nyaung-U
Ananda Temple Bagan
Queen Restaurant Nyaung-U
The Hotel at Tharabar Gate Bagan
Manuha Temple Myinkaba
Nanpaya Temple Myinkaba
Lacquerware Factory Bagan
Thatbyinnyu Temple Bagan
Our First Sunset in Bagan

Htilominlo Temple Nyaung-U

Htilominlo Temple is an ancient temple located in the city of Nyaung-U, Burma. Built in 1218 AD, this magnificent structure is a major tourist destination and one of the most impressive examples of ancient Burmese architecture. The temple stands out with its three terraced buildings, massive archways, and detailed stucco carvings that have remained intact for over 800 years.

According to legend, a dying King Narapatisithu used a sacred umbrella (protected by a guardian spirit) to pick one of his five sons to be the next king of Bagan. The king prayed to the spirit to choose one of the sons while they stood around this sacred umbrella. The spirit using the umbrella selected Prince Zeya Theinkha Uzana. From this day forward, he would be known as King Htilominlo. It is also said that the Htilominlo pagoda/temple was built on the exact spot where he was selected to be king.

It should be noted that to Burmese/Myanmar Buddhists, the umbrella (or “Hti”) is considered the most important part of the pagoda/temple, and it should be placed atop the highest part of the religious structure.

Htilominlo Temple (Burmese: ထီးလိုမင်းလိုဘုရား, pronounced [tʰílòmɪ́ɰ̃lò pʰəjá]) is a Buddhist temple located in Bagan (formerly Pagan), in Burma/Myanmar, built during the reign of King Htilominlo (also known as Nandaungmya), 1211–1231. The temple is three stories tall, with a height of 46 metres (151 ft), and built with red brick. It is also known for its elaborate plaster moldings. On the first floor of the temple, there are four Buddha statues that face each direction. The temple was damaged in the 1975 earthquake and subsequently repaired.

– Wikipedia Htilominlo Temple Nyaung-U