Le-myet-hna Buddhist temple- Myanmar (Burma)

Address

Le-myet-hna Buddhist temple- Mrauk-U, Rakhine state, Myanmar (Burma)

Diety

Buddha

Introduction

Le-myet-hna is a Buddhist temple in Mrauk U located at the northwest corner of the Shite-thaung Temple. It has four entrances, one to each cardinal point and eight seated Buddhas round a central column. It was built by King Min Saw Mon in 1430 AD. Temple was entirely constructed with black sand stones. The Le-myet-hna Paya, which translates to “four faced pagoda” is a rectangular sandstone structure. At the center of each side is a vaulted entrance protruding out of the structure facing one of the four cardinal directions. The main entrance is east. On top of the temple’s flat surface are five stupas. In the center is the main, large bell shaped stupa topped with a mushroom shaped. The stupa with concentric rings at the base rises to a height of 21 meters. The main stupa is surrounded by four smaller stupas; one on each corner of the temple. The temple’s interior has an octagonal floor plan with a large column at the center. Around it, seated on pedestals are eight stone images of the Buddha in the Bhumisparsha mudra of calling the Earth to witness. The wall opposite the central column contains 20 niches, each enshrining one slightly smaller image of the Buddha. The total number of 28 images signifies the 28 Buddhas mentioned in the Buddhavamsa, a part of the Tripitaka, the Buddhist scriptures written in ancient Pali language.