Skip to main content

Manuha Temple, Myinkaba, Bagan

Manuha Temple is a Buddhist temple built in Myinkaba (located near Bagan), by captive Mon King Manuha in 1067, according to King Manuha's inscriptions.

It is a rectangular building of two storeys. The building contains three images of seated Buddhas and an image of Buddha entering Nirvana. Manuha Temple is one of the oldest temples in Bagan.

About the same time Makuta, captive king of the Thaton Kingdom (his name is now corrupted into 'Manuha'), must have built his colossal images at Myinpagan, where he was living in captivity, a mile S. of Pagan. "Stricken with remorse", says the Glass Palace Chronicle, "he built a colossal Buddha with legs crossed, and a dying Buddha as it were making pariniruana; and he prayed saying 'Whithersoever I migrate in samsara, may I never be conquered by another!' The temple is called Manuha to this day.

Column with Burmese zodiac and Manuha Temple.
Column with Burmese zodiac (left), Manuha Temple (center), and pavilion in front of Manuha Temple (right), seen from the southeast.


Column with the Burmese zodiac seen from the west.

Saturday corner.
The Burmese zodiac employs eight signs in a seven-day week, with each sign representing its own day, cardinal direction, planet (celestial body) and animal; it is known as the "Mahabote zodiac".


Manuha Temple seen from the southeast.

Interior of the pavilion located in front of Manuha Temple.
Note the large golden bowl in the center of the pavilion.


Large golden bowl in the center of the pavilion.
Believers climb a ladder to place offerings into the golden bowl.


Entrance to visit the large seated Buddha.

Large seated Buddha.
To see the face of this Buddha you have to crane your neck right back to look upwards towards his head


Circumambulating the great seated Buddha.
The nail of the great seated Buddha is touched by believers.


Shrine dedicated to the local nat spirit.

Shrine dedicated to Manuha and the Chief queen.
Manuha was the last king of Thaton Kingdom. Manuha ruled Thaton from 1030s until 1057 when he was defeated by King Anawrahta of Pagan Kingdom.

  • Traditional Burmese and Mon reconstructions also hold that Anawrahta, a recent convert to Theravada Buddhism, asked for the Theravada Buddhist canon from Manuha. The Mon king reputedly rejected Anawrahta's request, saying that the uncultured Burmans of the north were not worthy of the religion. This refusal was used by Anawrahta as pretense to invade and conquer the Mon kingdom.
  • See more at Manuha - Wikipedia.

Entrance to visit the large reclining Buddha.

Large reclining Buddha.

See also

Source

Location

Location: Myin Ka Bar, Myanmar (Burma)