MAJESTIC BAGAN

BAGAN HISTORY

Bagan, formerly Pagan, is an ancient city in the Mandalay Division of Burma. Formally titled Arimaddanapura or Arimaddana (the City of the Enemy Crusher) and also known as Tambadipa (the Land of Copper) or Tassadessa (the Parched Land), it was the ancient capital of several ancient kingdoms in Burma. It is located in the dry central plains of the country, on the eastern bank of the Ayeyarwady River, 90 miles (145 km) southwest of Mandalay.

The ruins of Bagan cover an area of 16 square miles. The majority of its buildings were built in the 1000s to 1200s, during the time Bagan was the capital of the First Burmese Empire. It was not until King Pyinbya moved the capital to Bagan in AD 874 that it became a major city. However, in Burmese tradition, the capital shifted with each reign, and thus Bagan was once again abandoned until the reign of Anawrahta. In 1057, King Anawrahta conquered the Mon capital of Thaton, and brought back the Tripitaka Pali scriptures, Buddhist monks and craftsmen and all of these were made good use of in order to transform Bagan into a religious and cultural centre. With the help of a monk from Lower Burma, Anawrahta made Theravada Buddhism a kind of state religion, and the king also established contacts with Sri Lanka. In the 12th and 13th centuries, Bagan became a truly cosmopolitan centre of Buddhist studies, attracting monks and students from as far as India, Sri Lanka as well as the Thai and Khmer kingdoms. Among many other works, Aggava?sa’s influential Saddaniti, a grammar of the language of the Tipi?aka, would be completed there in 1154. In 1287, the kingdom fell to the Mongols, after refusing to pay tribute to Kublai Khan. Abandoned by the Burmese king and perhaps sacked by the Mongols, the city declined as a political centre, but continued to flourish as a place of Buddhist scholarship.

SHOOTING & POST EDITING

It’s been my hectic dream to stand on Bagan’s soil, feel the breeze of this legendary land and shoot around the city. June 2009, my dream came true. My heartiest thank to my Dad and Mom for allowing me for this 3-day trip. I got friends coming down from Mandalay. I made my Bagan trip just 1 week before I left my beloved country. And yes, this trip has been a blood stream for me to continue blogging with photos from Burma. On 4th July, I silently left Burma. Even some of my fans do not know I am struggling here in Singapore.

So, this is very post of Bagan titled MAJESTIC BAGAN. There will be 30+ post i.e. famous stupas and pagodas coming along. Mostly HDR (High Dynamic Range) and some are light / shade, seldom framings. Sorry for uploading this post late. My sincere apology to my big fans who have been thrilling to see and finally here it comes, MAJESTIC BAGAN.

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