THE GUIDE - The Rough Guide to Myanmar - page 283

Adjacent to the Thanaka Museum, the slightly more interesting Petrified Wood Museum
features colourful lumps of highly polished petrified wood, fossilized to the consistency and
texture of stone, plus assorted artefacts including a petrified-wood clock, teapot, mirror and
so on. If you fancy acquiring your own specimen of prehistoric timber, the Shwe Pyi Nann
petrified-wood showroom is conveniently close to hand.
Sapada Pagoda
At the junction of Anawrahta and Kyaukpadaung roads
Marooned in the middle of a roundabout, the small Sapada Pagoda is a good example of
the Sri Lankan-style stupa which was popular in the early days of Bagan, with its distinct-
ive box-like harmika (relic chamber) separating the slightly bulbous dome and the top-heavy
spire above - later Burmese stupas would replace the harmika with a lotus-shaped amalaka ,
achieving a far more satisfyingly seamless and organic form.
Shwezigon Pagoda
Shwezigon Pagoda St • Daily 6am-9pm
The most important pilgrimage site in Bagan, the Shwezigon Pagoda feels quite different
from the other temples of Bagan - closer in appearance and atmosphere to the great working
temples of Yangon than the historic monuments elsewhere in the city, with its enormous gil-
ded stupa surrounded by a colourful complex of subsidiary shrines. Despite its relatively
modern appearance, the Shwezigon is one of Bagan's oldest monuments, begun by King
Anawrahta (ruled 1044-77) to enshrine (it's said) a collarbone and a tooth of the Buddha
brought from Sri Lanka, although it wasn't finished until the reign of his son Kyansittha
(ruled 1084-1112) in around 1089.
Long covered passages, each flanked by a huge pair of white chinthe, lead into the temple
from the south and east (beware the shopkeepers on the southern side, where most tourists
enter, who are probably the most cut-throat in Bagan). Inside, the complex is dominated by
its vast stupa , set atop three battlemented terraces, with elaborate red-carpeted staircases
flanked with lions rising to the summit. The stupa is actually built mainly of sandstone rather
than the usual brick, although you can't see this since the whole thing (including terraces)
is dazzlingly gilded right down to the pavement. Fine glazed tiles depicting various Jataka
scenes are set around the base (although many are now missing), while double-bodied lions
guard each corner.
Largeshrinessitatthebottomofthefourstaircases,eachcontaininganimpressivestanding
gildedbronzeBuddha (the four largest in Bagan), modelled after the Indian Gupta style, al-
though they're rather difficult to see behind their protective grilles. Exiting the northern side
of the temple, the path leads down to the water, with fine river views.
The temple is the site of a major festival during the Burmese month of Tazaungmone (Oct/
Nov), during which pilgrims from all over the country converge on Nyaung U, and Shwezi-