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Htukkanthein Temple. Photo by Jmhullot.

Top 10 Fascinating Facts about Htukkanthein Temple

One of the most famous temples in the ancient Arakanese city of Mrauk U, in Rakhine State in Western Myanmar is the Htukkanthein Temple.

 The Htukkanthein Temple whose name means “Cross-Beam Ordination Hall” is designed as a dual purpose 鈥渇ortress-temple鈥� just like most of Mrauk U鈥檚 Buddhist temples

Dotting small windows, a single entrance and built on raised ground, the temple is one of the most militaristic buildings in Mrauk U.  

According to a 19^th century British archeologist, Emil Forchhammer, the temple was used as a refuge during times of war for Buddhist monks.

The top 10 fascinating facts about Htukkanthein Temple include the following.

1. The Temple Was Built Over 400 Years ago

Shite Thaung Temple. Photo by Jmhullot.

Built in 1571, the temple which enshrines 180 statues of Buddha is over 400 years old.  The temple was built on a small hill which is a stone throw away from yet another temple in Mrauk U called Shite-thaung Temple.

The temple is marked by a long spiraling corridor leading to the inner chamber and has a dark corridor. It is described as a bunker like form of a Buddhist temple due to its massive nature with small windows and a single entrance.

2. The Temple Attests to The Sophistication of Ancient Burmese Architecture

Htukkanthein Temple. Photo by Go-Myanmar.

A dome topped with a mushroom shaped crown surrounded by four smaller stupas at the corners stands at the center of the temple.

A square window designed in such a manner that at dawn the sun鈥檚 rays shine directly onto the main Buddha image inside the central vault is located at the fa莽ade base of the central dome.

Buddhist devotees can access a small meditation chamber accessible through the main temple located to the west side of the temple.  Brick and stone were the main materials that were used to construct the Htukkanthein Temple.

3. The Temple Contains A Total of 180 Buddha Images

There are three chambers rotating clockwise inwards in theTemple. The temple has 179 small Buddha images along the corridors with one large Buddha image located at the center of the main dome.

The Buddha images are kept in niches whereby one side of the niches are male figures sculpted in them. 

The donors who made construction of the temple possible are immortalized in male and female figures as they are said to represent them.

4. The Temple Is Designed as A Dual-Purpose Fortress Temple

Mrauk U. Photo by Go-Myanmar.com.

The Htukkanthein Temple just like most other temples in Mrauk U in Rakhine State was designed as a dual-purpose fortress temple to serve military purposes as well as propagate the Buddhist religious faith.

Built on a small hill, with one entrance and a small window the Htukkanthein Temple is one of the most militaristic temples in Mrauk U.

A British archeologist employed by the British Raj in the 19^th century did a study on uses of temples in Mrauk U. He found that Buddhist religious orders used the temples as places of refuge from adversaries during war times.

The Htukkanthein Temple is described as a bunker of a temple with a dark interior and a corridor that is long and spiraling and which leads to the innermost chamber of the temple.

5. The Temple Was Built by King Min Phalaung Who Also Built Other Pagodas

Pitaka Taik. Photo by Go-Myanmar.

In 1571, King Min Phalaung, who brought prosperity and expansion of the Mrauk U empire built the Htukkanthein temple.

The king built the Pitaka Taik, the only remaining library building, a dozen pagodas and the Royal Palace which was built in 1577.

Found near the Htupayon pagoda, the Pitaka Taik is a small, very ornate stone building decorated with carvings of floral motifs which was used to store the Tripitaka i.e. the ancient Buddhist texts which were handed to the king from Ceylon.

King Min Phalaung who reigned as the king of Arakan as from 1572 to 1593 presided over the rise of Arakan.

The king withstood a major invasion from Toungoo Burma and expanded his realm to Tripura and Northern Bengal.

6. The Htukkanthein Temple Is One of The Top Attractions in Mrauk U

The Htukkanthein Temple located in the city of Mrauk U in Myanmar is a large Buddhist pagoda. 

The pagoda served as an ordination hall and a military center as well as a temple and a fortress.

The architecture of the temple is unique as its built with just one entrance and no openings on an elevated platform like a fort. The temple is one of the top attractions in Mrauk U city.

7. The Htukkanthein Temple Attracts Tourists from Far

The temple attracts tourists from away due to its large central bell-shaped stupa which is topped by a circular mushroom on top of a flat surface.

The large central bell-shaped stupa is surrounded by four similar-in-shape stupas which are smaller in size and stand at the corners.

The temple built mainly as a place to enshrine statues of Buddha is designed as a fortress. 

The square window at the central dome which permit the rays of the sun to lighten up the main Buddha image in the central chamber attracts tourists to the pagoda from far.

8. The Intricate Sculpture in The Temple Reflect the Fashion of The Time

The inside passageway which coils its way several times before reaching the heart of the temple is one of the main attractions in the temple.

Lots of intricate sculptures depicting people with different facial expressions and distinctive hairstyles reflect the fashion of the time and also the nature of the times the Pagoda was constructed.

The donors who made construction of the temple possible are expressed by the sculptures on each side of the niches in the temple.  

9. Mrauk U Is A Proposed UNESCO World Heritage Site

Due to the large number of temples in Mrauk U, an international commission urged Myanmar to nominate Mrauk U to the status of a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2017.

Apart from the Htukkanthein Temple, Mrauk U hosts other temples including Shite-thaung Temple, The Koe-thaung temple and the Five Mahn Pagodas.

10. Lit Candles Create A Mystical Atmosphere in The Dark Interior

 A vaulted passageway spirals towards the temple鈥檚 interior. Along the walls and at regular intervals are 140 arched recesses and on each a stone image of the Buddha is enshrined. 

The principal Buddha image is found in the inner chamber. A mystical atmosphere is created by the candles lit in the temple鈥檚 dark interior.