Encasement of the Buddhist Monuments at Bagan, Myanmar
Keywords:
Encasement, Bagan, Myanmar, Architecture, Buddhist Monument, EpigraphicAbstract
Among the encased Buddhist monuments in Myanmar, the most have been documented at Bagan, located in the central part of the country. The types of encasement are the encased stupa, the encased temple, the encased group of stupas, the moathtaw stupa, and the encased image. Archaeological evidence indicates that the development of this practice from circa 900-1300 CE can generally be seen in the existing chronological and spatial developments of Bagan.
This idea originated from ancient India and some encased Buddhist monuments built in successive periods can be found in India. The practice of encased monuments was distributed in various parts of Myanmar. This was a deliberate and religious practice, not merely a way for a donor to conserve a damaged monument. The objectives of this article are to understand their concepts and technological developments, to realize the ritual customs and beliefs of the encasement. Sources include the strong epigraphic records such as stone inscriptions, ink inscriptions, Myanmar chronicles and history of Buddhist monuments regarding the encasement.
This paper combines archaeological study, architectural and art historical study, epigraphic records regarding the encasement and anthropological approaches. Most of the style of the encasement show varied influences of India, Sri Lanka, Pyu, and Mon areas. Some of them are Northern Indian styles while some are southern Indian styles. Some of them are very similar to Sri Lanka styles while some are very similar to Pyu and Mon styles.
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