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Dhammayazika Pagoda

Bagan Archaeological Zone, Bagan, Myanmar (Burma)

Pagodas of Bagan, Myanmar

The gold stupa stands out on the plain. Photo by David Coleman. How to license & download this image.

Myanmar (Burma) // Bagan Myanmar (Burma)· Buddhist Art & Architecture· Pagodas Temples Wats & Stupas· Southeast Asia· UNESCO World Heritage Sites Location: [post_gps_latitude], [post_gps_longitude]

The gold stupa of the Dhammayazika Pagoda certainly stands out, especially at sunrise and sunset. But it wasn’t always this opulent. Until the 1990s when it was restored, it was basically deserted.

The renovations included a gleaming gold finish for the massive stupa. They also destroyed some of the original stucco work, very little of which now survives.

Dhammayazika Pagoda lies in the eastern part of the Bagan plain, and it was completed in 1198–despite its massive size, it took only two years to build and consumed an estimated 6 million bricks

Unusually, its footprint is 5-sided, with each side representing one of the five principal Buddhas: the historical Gautama Buddha, his three predecessors, and the Buddha of the Future, Metteyya.1

Photos of Dhammayazika Pagoda

Buddha Statue at Dhammayazika Pagoda in Bagan, Myanmar

Photo by David Coleman. How to license & download this image.

Gold Stupa of Dhammayazika Pagoda in Bagan, Myanmar

Photo by David Coleman. How to license & download this image.

Gold Stupa of Dhammayazika Pagoda in Bagan, Myanmar

Photo by David Coleman. How to license & download this image.

Pagodas of Bagan, Myanmar

Photo by David Coleman. How to license & download this image.

Gold Stupa of Dhammayazika Pagoda in Bagan, Myanmar

Photo by David Coleman. How to license & download this image.

Dhammayazika Pagoda in Bagan, Myanmar

Photo by David Coleman. How to license & download this image.

Hot Air Balloons over the Pagodas of Bagan, Myanmar (Burma)

Photo by David Coleman. How to license & download this image.

Gold Stupa of Dhammayazika Pagoda in Bagan, Myanmar

Photo by David Coleman. How to license & download this image.

Jataka Story Tiles

One of the highlights of Dhammayazika Pagoda is the collection of several hundred plaques telling the jataka stories which tell of the previous lives of the Buddha. Based on the number of niches, there were probably 601 tiles originally, but only 371 remain today.

Jataka Terra Cotta Tiles at Dhammayazika Pagoda in Bagan, Myanmar

Photo by David Coleman. How to license & download this image.

Jataka Terra Cotta Tiles at Dhammayazika Pagoda in Bagan, Myanmar

Photo by David Coleman. How to license & download this image.

Jataka Terra Cotta Tiles at Dhammayazika Pagoda in Bagan, Myanmar

Photo by David Coleman. How to license & download this image.

Jataka Terra Cotta Tiles at Dhammayazika Pagoda in Bagan, Myanmar

Photo by David Coleman. How to license & download this image.

Jataka Terra Cotta Tiles at Dhammayazika Pagoda in Bagan, Myanmar

Photo by David Coleman. How to license & download this image.

What to Know Before You Go

With its glistening gold stupa, Dhammayazika Pagoda stands out and is pretty easy to find in the eastern part fo the Bagan plain.

As with many Burmese names, it has been transliterated several ways. You’ll also see it written as Dhamma-ya-ka Zedi and Dhamma-Yazika.


  1. Donald M. Stadtner, Ancient Pagan: Buddhist Plain of Merit (Bangkok: River Books, 2013) ↩

Where to Next?

  • Shwezigon Pagoda at Nyaung-U, Myanmar, Burma
    The Golden Shwezigon Pagoda in Nyaung-U
  • Lemyethna Pagoda in the Bagan Archaeological Zone
    Lemyethna Pagoda
  • Taungbi Village Pagoda, Old Bagan Myanmar (Burma)
    Taungbi Village Pagoda
  • Jade Emperor Pagoda Ho Chi Minh City Shrine with Incense
    Jade Emperor Pagoda
  • Bagan Nyaung Airport
    Nyaung-U Airport
  • Gold Statue of Gautama Buddha in Htilominlo Temple in Nyaung-U, Myanmar (Burma)
    Htilominlo Temple


Travel Advice for Myanmar (Burma)

You can find the latest U.S. Department of State travel advisories and information for Myanmar (Burma) (such as entry visa requirements and vaccination requirements) here.

The British and Australian governments offer their own country-specific travel information. You can find the British Government's travel advice for Myanmar (Burma) here and the Australian Government's here.

Health & Vaccinations

The CDC makes country-specific recommendations for vaccinations and health for travelers. You can find their latest information for Myanmar (Burma) here.



Traveling to Bagan?

Very few of the temples, pagodas, or stupas in the Bagan Archeological Zone have any information about them on site. And with literally thousands of sites to choose from, it's handy to go armed with information on what to see and where to start--especially for independent travelers without a guide.

If you're looking for something that goes beyond the patchy information in the standard guide books, I've found these to be good:

David Raezer and Jennifer Raezer, Myanmar (Burma): Temples of Bagan
Approach Guides, 2017
Kindle

With maps, diagrams, and pictures, it's pitched as a "travel guidebook for the ultra curious." It offers detailed profiles of 21 of the major sites. It's an especially good option if you traveling with a Kindle, tablet, or smartphone and don't want to take up any space in your luggage or deal with the extra weight of a hard copy.



David M. Stadtner, Ancient Pagan: Buddhist Plain of Merit
Bangkok: River Books, 2013
Paperback

Written by a former professor of Art History who has authored many books on Indian and Burmese art, this book offers authoritative and detailed information on not just the architecture and art of the temples of Bagan but also the history of the region. It focuses on 33 of the major sites. Its photos by Michael Freeman are a standout feature. It's only available in paperback.



Ma Thanegi, Bagan Mystique
Yangon: Tanintaye Sarpay, 2011
Paperback

Ma Thanegi is a Burmese writer and journalist. The book doesn't offer the level of detail of the other two and is harder to find in the West, but it still offers useful summaries of a number of the major sites. It's available in paperback only (when you can find it).



Director of Archaeological Survey (Burma), A Pictorial Guide to Pagan
Rangoon: Ministry of Union Culture, 2nd rev. ed. 1963

This is a guide compiled under the auspices of the Burmese government in the mid-1950s and early-1960s. Despite being quite outdated, it has its own value with background on a number of pagodas and temples as well as fascinating historical photos of how the monuments looked in the middle of 20th century--sometimes quite different to how they appear today after being renovated. It's long out of print and hard to find, but I've scanned it and posted it here.



Maps: When you get to Bagan, there are good local maps available for free at the hotels that show many of the major sites.

David Coleman Photography

I take photos. I travel. I write. I do it for a living. Seven continents. Dozens of countries. Up mountains. Under water. And a bunch of places in between. You can find my main site at havecamerawilltravel.com. Or check out what’s in my go-to travel photography kit. Or get in touch here.


Location: Dhammayazika Pagoda, Bagan
Country: Myanmar (Burma)
Coordinates:
      Latitude: 21.14469081
      Longitude: 94.88340331

      # Bagan Myanmar (Burma)
      # Buddhist Art & Architecture
      # Pagodas Temples Wats & Stupas
      # Southeast Asia
      # UNESCO World Heritage Sites



About David Coleman

I take photos. I travel. I write. I do it for a living.

I’m based in Washington, DC.

You can find my photography gear reviews and tips at havecamerawilltravel.com/photographer.

David Coleman Photography

I take photos. I travel. I write. I do it for a living. Seven continents. Dozens of countries. Up mountains. Under water. And a bunch of places in between. You can find my main site at havecamerawilltravel.com. Or check out what’s in my go-to travel photography kit. Or get in touch here.

Licensing & Prints

Looking for travel stock photos or prints? I might be able to help. You can search my collection here:

If you already have a buyer account with Alamy and would prefer to use that, you can search my images directly here.

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Photos by David Coleman. Please contact me for licensing images.
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