Sulamani Temple Place guide

The beauty and intricacy of Bagan doesn't begin and end at their plethora of pagodas and temples. Beauty can be found anywhere, and in this case, the rich culture of Bagan is beautifully represented in Sulamani temple's gorgeous temple paintings. If you love art and can appreciate beauty in all things, love unique aspects of architecture or you're just eager for something new, Trip Guru can definitely recommend a visit to the Sulamani Temple.

Sulamani represents one of the most beautiful of Bagan's ornamental work, which includes the intricate carvings of stucco on the mouldings, pilasters and pediments, which are still in very good condition. There are also glazed plaques decorating  the base, and gorgeous terraces have not been obscured from view. Various paintings of Buddha face all four directions. In line with Buddhist symbolism, the prevalant color is red, with green and yellow. Most of these paintings were created in the 18th century, and hold an ethereal quality, seeming to move any person that gazes upon them.

Along the Eastern side is a fairly large Buddha, as the eastern entrance was believed to be reserved for royalty. There are vaulted stairways towards the terrace, and seem to shine from the light. These stairways are also an area where hawkers gather, selling all sorts of precious antiques. In all cases, if you wish to purchase something, take care and bargain with everything you've got. To the north of the compound, there are the remains of a monastery building, revealing that there once must have been a hundred monastic cells. This is unique to Bagan’s ancient monasteries. This must have also been an ordination hall, or a place where Sulamani’s senior monk would have stayed.

From Old Bagan, you can get to Sulamani Temple using a rental car, via Anawrahta Rd. Head south, turning left onto Anawrahta Rd, then turn right, a slight left, and finally a slight right to arrive at the Sulamani Temple. Be mindful of temple etiquette when visiting and avoid wearing revealing clothing, such as short tops, pants and skirts.