REMAINS OF A PYU CAPITAL

The city was built by King Duttabaung. Other folk figures also took part in the creation of the site: Gavampati, Rishi, Naga, Garuda, Candi and Parameswar, all legendary figures who put their grain of salt in many Burmese stories. The layout of the city was drawn on the ground, a circle indicating the enclosure where the future capital was to be inscribed. Reigning over this new city, Duttabaung tried many times to attack Beikthano, and capture the princess, but he met fierce resistance, rich in stratagems. Finally, he defeated the rebel and his city and was finally able to reign as an all-powerful master over the region. Unfortunately, his successors were poor rulers and the city died five centuries later. The folkloric origins attributed to the creation of this capital do not coincide with the historical sources concerning the site. But such discrepancies no longer surprise anyone! One thing is certain: the city is said to have come into being in the heart of the Pyu period, between the 1st and 10th centuries. Note that historians reserve a nice margin of error by bringing these dates forward!

The pagodas of Sri Ksetra are quite different from their sisters scattered throughout the rest of Burma. Two buildings are particularly distinctive: the Bawbawgyi pagoda has an ovoid hat while Payama has a tubular shape.