Bagan Loka-hteik-pan Temple, Myanmar

Address

Bagan Loka-hteik-pan Temple, Myanmar

Old Bagan,

Myanmar (Burma)

Moolavar

Buddha

Introduction

Loka-hteik-pan (c. 12th century) is a small Buddhist temple located about 170 meters NNW of the massive Shwe-hsan-daw temple. The renown of the mural paintings is such that the Archaeological Department posts a permanent guard whose sole function is to monitor visitors’ entry into the interior. Photography is strictly forbidden, as flash photography easily damages the fragile pigments.

Puranic Significance

The theme of the mural paintings focuses on the life of the historical Buddha, Gautama, including his various past incarnations as told in the jataka tales, as well as the lives of the 28 Buddhas who preceded him. The Buddha of the future, Matreiya, is also included to round out the series. Though these themes are common to mural paintings in Bagan—for instance, the interior of the Upali Thein ordination hall is decorated with similar stories—the paintings at Loka-hteik-pan are captioned with both Mon and Burmese inscriptions identifying the subject matter. The use of two languages in a single site is uncommon, suggesting the temple was built at a transitional time when Mon had not yet been fully supplanted by Burmese, probably no later than the early 12th century.

Paintings aside, the plan of the temple is quite simple, comprising a centrally located shrine measuring 5.61 x 5.72 meters, connected to an antechamber and barrel-vaulted porch on the north side. A seated Buddha, facing north, is present in the shrine. Three windows, one located behind the Buddha, and the others to the left and right, provide a small amount of illumination. A narrow staircase on the west side leads to the roof.

The exterior surfaces retain about 25 to 30% of the original stucco, including some important details such as the decorative cusped arches over the east and west windows.

The temple suffered damage in the 1975 earthquake and was subsequently repaired and strengthened by the Construction Corps from 1976-82. The interior paintings were treated and cleaned by the Archaeological Department from 1993-94. In August 2016, a moderate earthquake hit Bagan, causing apparently limited damage at Loka-hteik-pan: the only significant casualty was the rooftop spire, itself a conjectural reconstruction.