Bagan , formerly spelt Pagan , is believed to have derived from name Pyugarma , a race from whom Bamars have descended. Its classical Pali name is “ Arimaddana-Pura “ which means “ the city that tramples on enemies “. And its other names in Pali to its extreme dry zone climate are : Tattadesa ( Parched land ) , and Tampadipa ( bronzed country ). The Burmese chronicles also report other classical names of Thiri Pyissaya and Tampawaddy.
Bagan with over 2000 well-preserved pagodas and temples of the 11th-13th century is the main tourist attraction in Myanmar and one of the richest archaeological sites in Asia. It enjoys worldwide renown for the ancient pagodas , temples and religious buildings around it. It lies on the eastern bank of the Ayeyarwaddy river and covers an area of 42 Sq-Km. It’s about 180 km southwest of Mandalay and can be reached by air , by boat , by car and by train.
The constructions of numerous pagodas , temples and other religious buildings are an irrefutable proof of the prosperity of the Bagan Empire ( first Myanmar Empire ).
The founder of the Bagan Empire was King Anawrahta ( 1044-1077 ). He broadened his domain from a small area in central Myanmar until it spreads beyond present-day boundary and introduced pure Theravada Buddhism to upper Myanmar with the help of a learned monk from Thahton ( Suvanabumi ) in lower Myanmar. Although King Anawrahta was the greatest king of Bagan dynasty , he was not the first king of Bagan. There are altogether 55 Kings in the Bagan Dynasty and he was the 42th King in that.The reason why there are so many pagodas at Bagan is because it was the capital of the first Myanmar Empire that flourished from 11th to 13th centuries AD. Another reason is that the rise of the empire coincided with the introduction into it of pure Theravada Buddhism from lower Myanmar. Bagan’s golden age came during the 12th century , a time in which in acquired the name “ the city of golden pagodas “. The civilization was supported by rice cultivation , made by highly developed system of irrigation canals. But, in the middle of the 13th century , the empire began to crumble. The Bagan Empire collapsed in 1287 due to repeated Mongol invasion ( 1277-1301 ). From that time onwards , its population was reduced to a village that remained among the ruins of the once grand city. In 1998 , the Village and it dwellers were forcibly relocated a few kilometers to the south of Bagan , forming “ New Bagan “ where one will find accommodation of cheap , quaint , clean hotels. Some people resides in Nyaung-U , north of old Bagan. The majority of native residents are Bamars. The present-population of Bagan and its vicinity is between 150,000 to 200,000. Bagan economy is mainly based on tourism. It’s also the center of Burmese lacquerware industry , which depends on tourist demand and much of it is destined for souvenir shops in Yangon and to send to the world markets. Moreover , the lacquerware-making process itself has become a tourists’ interest. Bagan with many pagodas and temples , dating back more than 1000 years of history is the most impressive and fascination place for tourists and one can arrange his sightseeing tour by car , horse cart , on E-bike. Also , One can enjoy a idyllic sunset boat trip on the Ayeyerwaddy river to view the beautiful sunset over Bagan.
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