Mahabodhi Temple

Mahabodhi Temple in Bagan

Mahabodhi Temple in Bagan

My next temple in the Bagan Archeological Zone was the Mahabodhi Temple. If the name sounds familiar, this is because the Mahabodhi Temple was modelled after the famous Mahabodhi Temple in India, which marks the place where Buddha attained enlightenment. As expected, the design of the temple is distinctly Indian with a towering gopura, justl ike any other Indian temple should have.

Buddha Inside the Mahabodhi Temple

Buddha Inside the Mahabodhi Temple

Interestingly, the temple was built way back in the early 1200s. This is a testament to how cosmopolitan Bagan was, when scholars and devout from all over the region would come to Bagan to study Buddhism and just worship. That spectacular moment in Bagan’s history is long gone now but there are still these impressive monuments left for us.

Intricate Structure of the Mahabodhi Temple

Intricate Structure of the Mahabodhi Temple

The temple was guarded by two friendly locals who also happen to operate a souvenir shop. They chatted with me for a while, but still didn’t buy anything, but it doesn’t seem that it mattered to them since they just wanted to chat. Their English was surprisingly good though. After some chatting, I went around the temple to take some photos of the temple before heading off.

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