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Bupaya Temple (built c. 850)

It is not clear when the original Bupaya (or Bu-hpaya; it is spelled both ways--even on separate signs on the site!) was built. Tradition suggests it had its origin during the reign of King Pyusawhti in the 3rd century AD. Yet most authorities date it from around 850, or about the same time as the old city walls which it adjoins on the north. Still others suggest a date in the 11th century.

As a result of the disastrous earthquake of 1975, however, the controversy perhaps is moot concerning the structure itself, since the old Bupaya fell into the nearby Ayeyarwady River and was totally destroyed. The former brick masonry construct has since been replaced by a hollow reinforced concrete structure in 1976-78 that differs in significant ways from the earlier pagoda. Unlike its predecessor, it also is fully gilded.

The name Bupaya comes from its bulbous resemblance to the bu or gourd, while paya means pagoda. According to tradition, its builder, King Pyusawhti, was able to rid the riverbank of a huge gourd-like plant that infested the area (he also won a wife, but that is a looong story).

The Bupaya is a small stupa setting on a polygonal platform made up of a series of crenulated semi-circular terraces overlooking the river; it has long served as a conspicuous landmark for river travelers. The Bupaya is also a favorite place to watch the sunset; alas, such an opportunity was not possible at this writer’s visit.

The Bupaya is Bagan Monument Number 1657.

Text by Professor Robert D. Fiala of Concordia University, Nebraska, USA.