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Interior circumambulatory path of Ananda

Keywords : Rock engraving, Kyanzittha, Ananda

Site common nameAnanda
Type of artworkArchitecture
Province/CityBagan
StateMandalay
CountryMyanmar
Geographic Coordinates
Decimal degree		Lat : 21.170833
Long : 94.8675

History of productionKing Kyanzittha had this temple constructed following the description of Cave Nandamūla. The legend narrates that he was inspired from a group of Indian monks who described Cave Nandamūla in Mount Gandhamādana to him.
ArtThe inner circumambulatory paths of Ananda are double in number surrounding the central solid core and the sanctums of the temple. There are also numerous sculptures embedded in the wall of the ambulatory path depicting the life of the Buddha. These sculptures are meant for educating the devotees while ambulating around the temple. The arch of the roof supports the sloping roof of the temple. This kind of inner circumambulatory path can be traced back to Pāla temples, including Paharpur and Vikramshila.
PeriodHistorical Period
Art periodPagan
Age10th-12th century A.D.
ReligionBuddhism
SectTheravada

Type of LicenseAttribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs (CC BY-NC-ND)
RightsPrincess Maha Chakri Sirindhorn Anthropology Centre
Date of record creation2015-02-00
Record creatorChedha Tingsanchali