Buddhist Architecture - first Century CE

A R T A N D C U L T U R E ทท A R C H I T E C T U R E

Southeast Asia

ORIGINS | CAVES | INDIA | STH. EAST ASIA | CHINA - JAPAN

Burma

Southeast Asia includes Burma, Thailand, Laos and Cambodia.
Burma: There is a tradition (as there is in Sri Lanka) that the Buddha himself visited the country. The earliest record of Buddhism in Burma is of the Indian King Asoka (c. 273 – 236 BC) sending two monks. There is a very consistent history of Theravada Buddhism here and probably in no other country is the impact of this religion so apparent - even to this day. Probably the most significant point for Buddhism was the conversion of King Anawrahta of Pagan (1044-77). His dynasty survived for over two centuries and during that time a great Buddhist culture blossomed at Pagan - upper Burma.
• There is an unusual characteristic of popular Burmese Buddhism which has contributed to there being more stupas and temples in Burma than anywhere else in the world. The concept is that the restoration of an old temple gains merit for the original founder - not the one sponsoring the restoration - so many constructions are maintained for a generation or two and then allowed to fall into decay. Nevertheless, an enormous number of national shrines are always extremely well maintained. Swe dagon [§] in Rangoon is one of the more famous. The most important place of pilgrimage in Mandalay is the Mahamuni pagoda which houses an ancient statue of the Buddha brought there by King Bodawpaya in 1784. Early architecture shows strong Indian influence [§] - seen in many of the Pagan temples - but later developments saw a more delicate and attenuated style. The thumbnail links to two pages of pictures.

Cambodia
Angkor Wat

Cambodia: Indian culture and religion were the formative influences for many centuries - certainly up to the 9th century. At this time a great civilisation blossomed centered on the Angkor region. Enormous resources were spent glorifying and maintaining the 'divine-king' cult. The religion was a mixture of Hinduism and Mahayana Buddhism. The huge constructions at Angkor Wat can be seen as an embodiment in stone of the Hindu cosmology. At the centre is a massive tower meant to represent Mount Meru, the city of Brahma and the home of the gods. Its upper portion is divided into seven major levels and subdivided into 33 lesser tiers (the 33 heavens). Indra sits in the 33rd, presiding over the universe. By virtue of its physical height the central tower pierces the sky, becoming one with the heavens themselves. In legend the tower was surrounded by 13 concentric circles: seven oceans and six mountain ranges, the last dropping into the great primordial ocean. In Angkor, architects contented themselves with fewer than 13 rings but did not stint in creating grandeur on a scale worthy of heaven's giants - the outer wall of Angkor is 12 kilometers on a side!
Theravada Buddhism became predominant around the 13th century but was totally destroyed by the Communist regime in 1975. The present situation is uncertain.

Thailand

Thailand: Buddhism traditionally appeared among the Mon people at the time of Asoka (3rd BCE) and Thai architecture was heavily influenced - until the 13th century CE - by India, Sri Lanka and Cambodia idioms. Many of the ancient ruins that remain bear an obvious Khmer / Cambodian influence. In 1350 Ayutthaya became the capital and distinct styles flourished with the aesthetic not so much in relation to artistic merit but more symbolic intent - pointing to some aspect of Buddhism. Many of these symbolic elements are recognisably Indian / Hindu. The overall layout of temples and cities also bears this influence but with later constructions aligning more with the Khmer concepts which particularly suited a water based culture like Thailand. The cylindrical or pyramidal shape of Mt. Meru dominates much of Thai art generally and can be seen in the 'prang' - a Hindu based architectural element imported from Cambodia [discussion]. One factor in the emergence of a specifically Thai style is the abhorrence of straight lines and true perpendiculars. The ordination hall replaced the prang / stupa as the central construction in the 18th century.
Laos: was initially under the power of the Khmers but later became a virtual province of Thailand. A Communist revolution in 1975 all but destroyed the Sangha. Architectural styles are very similar to Thailand.

ORIGINS | CAVES | INDIA | STH. EAST ASIA | CHINA - JAPAN