Upali Ordination Hall

Upāli Ordination Hall
ဥပါလိသိမ်
Religion
AffiliationBuddhism
SectTheravada Buddhism
RegionMandalay Region
Location
MunicipalityBagan
CountryMyanmar
Upali Ordination Hall is located in Myanmar
Upali Ordination Hall
Shown within Myanmar
Geographic coordinates21°10′47″N 94°52′35″E / 21.179674°N 94.876330°E / 21.179674; 94.876330
Architecture
FounderAnawrahta
Completedc. 1200s

Upāli Ordination Hall (Burmese: ဥပါလိသိမ်, Pali: Upāli Sīmā) is a Buddhist ordination hall located midway between Bagan and Nyaung U in Myanmar.[1] The ordination hall is known for its well-preserved Konbaung Dynasty interior frescoes.[2][1]

The ordination hall was built during the reign of King Anawrahta and was consecrated by four monks from Ceylon, led by Upāli Thera.[1] The exterior was altered during the reign of Bodawpaya.[3] The interior frescoes were begun on 4 March 1794 and completed a year later.[3] The highest tier depicts the 28 past Buddhas seated in the bhūmisparśa mudra, while the middle tier depicts scenes from the Jataka tales, and the lowest tier depicts the rehabilitation of a Buddhist monk who has violated the Vinaya.

  1. ^ a b c Survey, Burma Archaeological (1902). Report of the Superintendent. Superintendent, Government Print and Stationery.
  2. ^ Chihara, Daigorō (1996). Hindu-Buddhist Architecture in Southeast Asia. BRILL. ISBN 9004105123.
  3. ^ a b Bailey, Jane Terry (1978). "Some Burmese Paintings of the Seventeenth Century and Later. Part II: The Return to Pagán". Artibus Asiae. 40 (1): 41–61. doi:10.2307/3249813. JSTOR 3249813.