Manuha Temple, Bagan

This is one of the oldest temples of Bagan, from 1067, named after Manuha, King of a Mon Kingdom in lower Burma. There are 4 HUGE Buddah statues inside - quite startling when you enter and too big to fit in a photo! Three are seated and in the back section is a 30m reclining Buddah. It is still a very active temple for worship with several other buildings and icons in worth seeing.

It was built by Manuha, the captive king of Thaton, in 1059 A.D. It is a reduplicated square structure with a battlemented terrace, the upper storey being smaller than the lower, so that the entire building appears to assume the form of a pyramid. It contains three images of seated Buddhas and a recumbent image of gigantic proportions representing the Buddha in the act of entering Nirvana. The temple is an allegorical representation of the physical discomfort and mental distress the captive king had to endure. The builder’s grievance is graphically demonstrated by the uncomfortably seated and sleeping Buddhas.

About Pagoda About the same time Makuta, captive king of the Thaton Kington (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 pariniruâna; and he prayed saying 'Whithersoever I migrate in samsâra, may I never be conquered by another!' The temple is called Manuha to this day.

If you go there you will find that the buddha statute is big while the pagoda or the building is so narrow. The head of the Buddha touches the roof. It was said that the name of the pagoda was named as the Mon king who was arrested and made to live there. The structure was to express his feeling living unfree at that time. It is interesting to learn about the history!

Very big buddha statues inside small building. As you walk along the narrow passage of the building, you will soon understand the depressed feeling of the captive Mon King.