72 Buddhist Temples to Explore in Myanmar

Alodaw Pauk Pagoda is situated in Nampan Village, Nyaung Shwe Township, southern Shan state. It was one of the most seasoned holy places on Inle Lake, remains on stilts, worked by King Thri Dhamma. The pagoda was first named by the Innphaya Pagoda, after that, it changed to Yadana Pagoda lastly Alodaw Pagoda as it is currently. It is one of 84000 pagodas worked by King Thiri Dhamma Thawka.

Andaw Thein Temple first became famous as a reliquary for one of the Buddha's teeth, which historians believe may have originally come from Sri Lanka. The name literally translates to “tooth shrine,” and tours of Mrauk U stop here to appreciate the distinctive pagodas, very much unlike what you’ll see in other parts of Myanmar.

A 12th-century Buddhist temple which was located in the heart of Bagan. The temple complex has a large central temple, which has a rectangular plan. The main idol of the temple is a brick image of Gautama Buddha. It is now one of the key attraction in this area and daily a lot of peoples visits to this place.

The Bagaya Monastery, located in Inwa, Mandalay Region, Burma is a Buddhist monastery built on the southwest of Inwa Palace. This magnificent monastery is also known as Maha Waiyan Bontha Bagaya Monastery. During King Hsinbyushin's reign, Maha Thiri Zeya Thinkhaya, town officer of Magwe built the monastery in the Bagaya monastic establishment and dedicated to Shin Dhammabhinanda. It is one of the famous tourist attractions in Burma.

A beautiful 12th century buddhist pagoda which was located in Hsipaw, Myanmar. The temple is famous for its festival that commemorates the pagoda's founding on every march.

The Bawbawgyi Paya is the best preserved ruin of the old Pyu kingdom of Sri Ksetra. Of uncertain age, it was likely built between the 6th and the 7th centuries when the Pyu people commanded the circular city immediately to the north. Despite its antiquity, the pagoda is in excellent structural condition, having miraculously survived a number of major earthquakes over the preceding centuries.

The Botataung Pagoda was built some 2,500 years ago by the Mon people. The 40-meter high golden pagoda enshrines a sacred hair relic of the Buddha. The pagoda was destroyed during the Second World War by an airforce bombing mission. Rebuilding started in 1948 following the original design.

It houses one of the most revered reclining Buddha images in the country.

An orange-hued Buddhist temple that rises from the ground like a pyramid. Not only is Dhammayangyi one of Bagan’s best preserved and most visited places of worship, but its the biggest temple in town and can be spotted from afar. There are four entrances to the temple in total, each one home to a giant Buddha image. It is one of the historically and architecturally important places in this area.

The Dhammayazika Pagoda is a Buddhist temple located in the village of Pwasaw in Myanmar. It was built in 1196 during the reign of King Narapatisithu. The pagoda is circular in design and is made of brick. Its three terraces contain terra cotta tiles illustrating scenes from the Jataka.

The pagoda was built by King Pagan Min in 1847, on the site of his former summer house where he used to live as a prince of the royal family before he became king in 1846 and ascended the throne in Amarapura. The pagoda houses a Buddha statue that was brought from India in 1839. The Buddhist monastery situated around the pagoda is called Ein Daw Yar Monastery. Standing 35M tall the pagoda is covered in goldleaf which makes for a stunning sight on a sunny day.

The Gawdawpalin Temple is a Buddhist temple located in Bagan, Myanmar. Construction of the pagoda began in 1203 during the reign of Sithu I and completed on 26 March 1227 during the reign of Htilominlo. At 55 m, Gawdawpalin Temple is the second tallest temple in Bagan. Similar in layout to the Thatbyinnyu Temple, the temple is two storeys tall, and contains three lower terraces and four upper terraces. The temple was heavily damaged during the 1975 earthquake and was reconstructed in the followi

The temple contains a large array of well-preserved frescoes on its interior walls, the oldest original paintings to be found in Bagan, which was built in 1113 AD by Prince Yazakumar. It is one of the pure examples for the Myanmar architecture and is also famous among the tourists by its historical importance.

The Hinthagon Pagoda is a shrine in Bago, Myanmar. It is a popular tourist destination as it was named after the mythological Hintha bird, a symbol of the Mon people. The monastery is situated on top of a hill that, according to Myanmar legend, was the only point rising from the sea where the Hintha bird could land. Paintings and carvings of the Hamsa are visible throughout the temple.

Built-in 1218 with 46-meter in height during the reign of King Htilominlo, Htilominlo is known as the last Myanmar-style temple in Bagan. This beautiful temple also has alternate names Zeya Theinkha or Nadaungmyar. Locating about 1.5km to the south, Htilominlo is best known as an iconic temple in Myanmar. It was one of the key attractions in this area which attracts a lot of tourists.

Htukkanthein Temple is one of the most famous temples in the ancient Arakanese city of Mrauk U, in Rakhine State, Western Myanmar. The name means “Cross-Beam Ordination Hall“. Like most of Mrauk U’s Buddhist temples, it is designed as a dual purpose ‘fortress-temple’. Although it is a ‘thein’, it is one of the most militaristic buildings in Mrauk U, built on raised ground, with a single entrance and small windows. This temple might have been employed as a refuge for the Buddhist religious order

The Kabar Aye Pagoda and the adjoining Maha Pasana Guha cave were built in 1952 by U Nu, the prime minister of Burma to host the 6th Buddhist council. The cave is 455 feet long and 370 feet wide. Inside, the assembly hall is 220 feet.

A beautiful Buddhist pagoda which was located in the hill west of the vast lake east of Mudon. There are so many interesting things in and around this temple and daily a lot of devotees visit this place. It was built to enshrine a Buddha's hair relic granted by Buddha as he and five hundred arahantas were going on sojourn this way on completion of eight vasas to a hermit named Maung staying there.

Kaunghmudaw Pagoda is a 17th Century Buddhist religious site located in Sagaing, near Mandalay in Myanmar. Modeled on the Ruwanwelisaya Stupa in Sri Lanka, the Kaunghmudaw Pagoda was originally painted white, however, it was controversially painted gold by the government of Myanmar a few years ago and the local people are now campaigning for the pagoda to be returned to it original color.

Located on a plain a few kilometers East of the Royal Palace is the Koe-Thaung temple, the largest structure in Mrauk U. The massive monument, built of stone walls and stone terraces measures 76 meters by 70 meters. Resembling a fortress with its thick stone walls the temple is surrounded by fields of farmers.