Kyaukgu Umin(154/ 123)
Kyauk Gu U Min is situated about two miles east of Nyaung U town. It is one of the four monuments in Bagan, built of stone brick.
On the upper reaches of the wall are stone sculptures of ogres clutching floral garlands, below are triangle shaped floral designs, at the base of the arched entrance are figures of Gonban, Keinnara and Keinnari between the lotus flowers, lion, tiger, deer, hare, and deva god. The main pillars of the devotional hall have floral designs around at the base.
Kyauk Gu U Min was built into the river bank of sand stone. In the lower section were skillfully laid stone bricks and the two stories above were built of earth bricks. A maze of about 500 feet long was dug into the sand stone wall, with many twists and turns, tunnels and cellars for meditation.
Kyauk Gu U Min faces north around the inside of the front main hall are niches in which eight important events of the Buddha’s life are sculpted. The large Buddha image in the main hall was hewn out of sand stone. On either side of it are relief figures of the Buddha’s two disciples. On the ceiling are two Arahats in relief, each on either side of the Buddha image.
A Buddha image in Kyaukgu U Min The inner vaulted corridor of Kyaukgu U Min
Unique stone curving Unique stone curving
floral design
Stone curving of Kyaukgu U Min
Kyaukgu Umin (Google Map)
Reference Books:
Glimpse of Glorious Bagan, Universities Historical Research Centre, Yangon, Myanmar, The University Press, 1996
Pictorial Guide to Pagan, Ministry of Culture, Yangon, Myanmar, The Printing and Publish Corporation, Reprint 1975
The Pagodas and Monuments of Bagan, Vol. 1, Translated by Dr Khin Maung Nyunt, Ministry of Information, Yangon, Myanmar, Graphic Training Centre (G.T.C), 1995
The Pagodas and Monuments of Bagan , Vol. 2, English Text by Dr Khin Maung Nyunt, Ministry of Information, Yangon, Myanmar, Graphic Training Centre (G.T.C), 1998
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