Mahabodhi Temple, Bagan

Mahabodhi Temple is a Buddhist temple in Bagan featuring a large pyramid-shaped tower with over 450 Buddha images set into niches across its surface. The structure rises in tiers of brick and stone, creating a distinctive silhouette that tapers toward the top.

This temple was built in the early 13th century under King Htilominlo, following the design of a temple in Bihar, India. It represents one of many religious structures constructed during Bagan's most active period of temple building.

The temple serves as a working spiritual center where monks and pilgrims gather daily to pray and leave offerings before the Buddha images. You can observe how people move through the space with quiet reverence, treating this location as a living place of devotion rather than simply a historical site.

The temple is open to visitors and can be entered freely, though wearing respectful clothing with covered shoulders and legs is advised. Morning visits are generally more comfortable, as temperatures are cooler and crowds tend to be smaller than later in the day.

A major earthquake in 1975 damaged many structures across Bagan, yet this temple survived the disaster with relatively minor damage. Restoration work following the quake has kept the building stable and standing to the present day.

Location: Bagan

GPS coordinates: 21.17330,94.86060

Latest update: December 6, 2025 17:42