ACKNOWLEDGEMENT (LEADER) NUR FARAHADLIN BINTI ADLAN (1811574) SITI NUR DAYANA BINTI ZULKEPLI (1811689) WAN NUR NATASYA BINTI WAN MOHD KAMAL (1810434) AAR 3136 - HISTORY AND THEORY OF ARCHITECTURE 3 DR. AIDA KESUMA BINTI AZMIN
Bismillahirrahmanirrahim. First and foremost, we would like to give our biggest gratitude to Allah SWT for allowing us complete this magazine and also for granting us good health. Secondly, we would like to thank Dr. Aida Kesuma Binti Azmin for issuing this assignment. we gained a lot of knowledge regarding the history and architecture of these three buildings. Thirdly, we would like to thank our family and friends for the financial and moral supports. Without your supports we would not be able to submit this magazine. Last but not least, thank you to all the readers of this magazine. May Allah bless you always. -ADLIN, DAYANA,NATASYA
TABLE OF CONTENT BOROBUDUR TEMPLE, INDONESIA HISTORY AND BACKGROUND ARCHITECTURE: DESIGN ELEMENTS ARCHITECTURE: STRUCTURE AND CONSTRUCTION ARCHITECTURE: ORNAMNETS AND DECORATIONS ANALYSIS AND SYNTHESIS CONCLUSION VISUAL SUMMARY QURANIC VERSE
KAMTHIENG HOUSE, THAILAND HISTORY AND BACKGROUND ARCHITECTURE: DESIGN ELEMENTS ARCHITECTURE: STRUCTURE AND CONSTRUCTION ARCHITECTURE: ORNAMNETS AND DECORATIONS ANALYSIS AND SYNTHESIS CONCLUSION VISUAL SUMMARY QURANIC VERSE
SHWEDAGON PAGODA, MYANMAR HISTORY AND BACKGROUND ARCHITECTURE: DESIGN ELEMENTS ARCHITECTURE: ORNAMNETS AND DECORATIONS ARCHITECTURE: STRUCTURE AND CONSTRUCTION ANALYSIS AND SYNTHESIS CONCLUSION VISUAL SUMMARY HADITH
BOROBUDUR TEMPLE, INDONESIA ANCIENT INGENUITY
TABLE OF CONTENT HISTORY AND BACKGROUND ARCHITECTURE: DESIGN ELEMENTS ARCHITECTURE: STRUCTURE AND CONSTRUCTION ARCHITECTURE: ORNAMENTS AND DECORATIONS ANALYSIS AND SYNTHESIS CONCLUSION VISUAL SUMMARY QURANIC VERSE
Factors of History
HISTORY AND BACKGROUND
One of the largest Buddhist temples in the world is the Borobudur Temple. It is situated in the Kedu Valley, about forty kilometres north-west of Yogyakarta, Indonesia, and sits majestically in an open field. It is in the very middle portion of Indonesia's Java Island. The architecture of Borobudur was conceived by Gunadharma, an author, thinker, and architect. It was built during the reign of the Shailendra Dynasty who obviously had some cultural links to India and were big advocates of Mahayana Buddhism, which they vigorously introduced through Indonesia. It was founded over approximately 1,200 years in the 8th and 9th centuries AD.
The architecture of the Borobudur is based on Buddhist philosophy, theology, and cosmology. The temple symbolizes the holy Mount Meru, which is located at the heart of the Cosmos in Indian cosmology. In Buddhist theology, the temple also reflects the core teaching, including the Four Noble Truths, the Noble Eightfold Path, and the three realms of life: Kāmadhātu, Rūpadhātu, and Arūpadhātu.
For centuries, Borobudur was a major pilgrimage site, attracting the faithful from as far away as India and China. It seems to have been very popular, but then was inexplicably abandoned in the 15th century because of the great disaster in Java Island and the civilization movement to East Java. It remained lost for roughly 400 years before the colonial governor of British Java decided to have it excavated.
The Borobudur Temple Compounds consist of three monuments: the Borobudur Temple and two smaller temples, the Mendut Temple, whose image of Buddha is depicted by a formidable monolith flanked by two Bodhisattvas, and the Pawon Temple, a smaller temple whose inner space does not indicate which deity may have been the focus of worship. These three monuments represent steps in the process of attaining Nirvana.
Borobudur is free from the jungle after the rediscovery, but it has been left vulnerable to looters. A huge effort was undertaken to preserve and rebuild the site by the Indonesian government and UNESCO. Statues were removed from private collections, stones were returned, and Borobudur was washed, reconstructed, and reopened to the public. It is currently a UNESCO World Heritage Site and a spectacular example of Indonesian architecture, but its position as a Buddhist pilgrimage site has also been restored.
BOROBUDUR'S TIMELINE 8th Century
CONSTRUCTION
15th Century
19th Century
ABANDONMENT
REDISCOVERY
1907
EARLY RESTORATION
1956
2ND PHASE RESTORATION
1971
ARCHITECTURE DESIGN ELEMENTS The monument is both a shrine to the Lord Buddha and a pilgrimage site for Buddhists. At the base of the monument, the journey for pilgrims starts and takes a path through the monument and ascends to the top through three symbolic stages of Buddhist cosmology: Kāmadhātu (the world of desire), Rupadhatu (the world of forms) and Arupadhatuu (the world of formlessness).
Kamadhatu brings the meaning of the phenomenal world, the world inhabited by common people. The hidden Kamadhatu stage of Borobudur consists of 160 reliefs portraying scenes from the law of cause and effect, the Karmawibhangga Sutra. The reliefs that demonstrate the behaviour of human desire. A corner of the covering base has been permanently removed to allow visitors to see the hidden foot and some of the reliefs. Rupadhatu brings the meaning of the transitional sphere, humans are released from worldly matters. Rupadhatu's foursquare levels contain galleries with reliefs of carved stone, as well as a chain of niches holding Buddha statues. In particular, on these balustrade stages, there are 328 Buddha, which also have a number of strictly ornate reliefs. It extends for 2.5km. Arupadhatu brings the meaning of the highest sphere, the abode of the gods. The height above the world is depicted by the three circular terraces rising to a central dome or stupa, and these terraces are much less ornate. The form's purity is paramount. There are rings of perforated stupas on the terraces, and an inverted bell shape featuring Buddha sculptures. There are 72 of these stupas in total.
Borobudur is a series of open-air passageways radiating along the central axisl mundi (cosmic axis). Via a comprehensive series of stairways and passages, pilgrims circumambulate clockwise, steadily rising to its peak degree while serving 1,460 narrative relief panels along the walkway on the walls and balustrades. It was formed as a single large stupa and takes the shape of a massive tantric Buddhist mandala when seen from above, concurrently reflecting the cosmology of Buddhism and the essence of the mind.
The original foundation is a square, approximately 118 metres on each side. It has nine platforms, the lower six of which are square and the upper three of which are circular. Seventy-two tiny stupas circling one large central stupa form the upper platform. Each stupa is bell-shaped and various decorative openings pierce it. The Buddha's statues rest inside the pierced enclosures.
Borobudur's architecture took the shape of a step pyramid. Earlier, numerous earth mounds and stone step pyramid structures called 'punden berundak' were built by the prehistoric Austronesian megalithic culture in Indonesia. The building of stone pyramids is based on native beliefs that ancient spirits abide in mountains and high places. In Borobudur, the 'punden berundak' step pyramid is the fundamental form, believed to be the continuation of the older megalithic tradition incorporated with the concepts and symbols of Mahayana Buddhism.
ARCHITECTURE STRUCTURE AND CONSTRUCTION
Building Structure Approximately 55,000 cubic andesite stones were taken to build the temple from nearby stone quarries. Using wooden carts, the stone was cut to scale, shipped to the site, and laid without mortar. To shape joints between stones, knobs, indentations, and dovetails were used. In the corbelling method, the roof of stupas, niches and arched gates were built. After the construction was finished, reliefs were produced in situ. The monument is fitted with a strong drainage system to cater for the heavy run-off of stormwater in the area. 100 spouts are mounted on each corner to avoid floods, each with a special carved gargoyle in the form of a giant or makara.
Hilly Construction Borobudur varies greatly from the general architecture of other structures that have been designed for this purpose. Borobudur is situated on a natural slope, not on a level surface. The building technique is identical to other Java temples. Borobudur was first considered to be more likely to have acted as a stupa, rather than a shrine, without the interior spaces found in other temples, and with a general form similar to the pyramid form. A stupa is supposed to be a Buddha shrine. Stupas were often designed only as devotional Buddhist symbols. In the other side, a temple is used as a place of adoration. The meticulous complexity of the monument's design suggests that Borobudur is in fact a temple. The Borobudur temple has a ratio of 4:6:9. The architect had used the formula to lay out the precise dimensions of the fractal and self-similar geometry in Borobudur's design. This ratio is also found in the designs of Pawon and Mendut which are the nearby Buddhist temples. Archeologists have conjectured that the 4:6:9 ratio has calendrical, astronomical and cosmological significance, as is the case with the temple of Angkor Wat in Cambodia.
ARCHITECTURE ORNAMENTS AND DECORATIONS
As the complex itself is very impressive, Borobudur is unique, and particularly noted for a large amount of artwork. There are 504 Buddha statues scattered throughout the site, and the pyramid's walls are covered with reliefs of Buddha's life and teachings.. A physical and spiritual journey that eventually leads pilgrims into higher levels of consciousness is mediated by carefully carved relief sculptures. In fact, the reliefs at Borobudur are approximately 2,520 square metres. If the reliefs were stripped off the walls and spread down, part of a football field could be filled entirely.
At Kamadhatu, 160 relief sculptures adorn the base of the monument. The reliefs depicting the scenes of Karmawibhangga Sutra, the law of cause and effect. Illustrating the human behaviour of desire, the reliefs depict robbing, killing, rape, torture and defamation. The hidden narrative reliefs were photographed when they were discovered in the late 19th century before the stones were put back to help ensure the temple’s stability. At Rupadhatu, there are 328 Buddha on these balustrade levels which also have a great deal of purely ornate reliefs. The Sanskrit manuscripts that are depicted on this level over 1300 reliefs are Gandhawyuha, Lalitawistara, Jataka and Awadana. They stretch for 2.5km. In addition, there are 1212 decorative panels. In the architecture of Borobudur, there are also many other types of decoration that are rendered in the form of ornaments, such as birds, flowers and mythical beings such as Kāla and Makara. The birds and flowers on the reliefs are additional spaces. Kālas are portrayed above the entry gates of the temple and at the base of the Borobudur the Makara, mythological creatures with an elephant's trunk rolled upward and an open mouth through which a small lion emerges out are sitting.
ANALYSIS AND SYNTHESIS MATERIAL
This temple was built using Andesite stone from the nearby Mt. Merapi volcano. The local material, was shaped to size and was laid without mortar. To shape joints between stones, it uses knobs, indentations, and dovetails. The material culture, provides an overview of the economic development, power and ideology of Shailendra Dynasty.
CONSTRUCTION
This temple uses mathematical formula to lay out the precise dimensions of the design. By using formula, this building uses the ratio of 4:6:9 to construct the building. by having a precise dimensions this create a self-similar geometry in Borobudur's design.
TECHNOLOGY ADVANCEMENT
SPIRITUAL TEACHINGS
· The technology used to construct the temple was imported from the South Indian region; however, variations in shape suggest that this expertise was mixed with local wisdom and imagination. The creation of stone carving, sculpture and the performance arts have all assisted the building of the temple.
· Borobudur temple serves 1,460 narrative relief panels on the walls and the balustrades along the walkway. Pilgrims can learn the spiritual teachings depicted on the temple reliefs. Spiritual teachings are in form of carved reliefs that makes it easier for people visualize.
CONCLUSION The Borobudur Temple is a building which depicts the essence of ancient ingenuity. Ancient provides the sense of belonging to the distant past, while ingenuity means the capacity, always in original, clever and imaginative ways, to solve difficult problems. This building shows the architectural solutions of the time which are in terms of building construction, material, technology advancement and many more.
Borobudur Temple is an engineering marvel for the time. The fact that this ancient building still standing despite many volcano eruptions on the site makes it renowned and considered to be one of the world's seven wonders. Previously, Borobudur temple is a pilgrimage site, attracting the faithful from as far away as India and China. Up until now, this temple is still relevant since it becomes a tourist attraction for Indonesia.
The decision to restore the site is a brilliant decision. Many aspects can be learnt such as in terms of the building construction and history during that time. It is now a UNESCO World Heritage Site and a stunning example of Indonesian architecture. It has also reclaimed its role as a Buddhist pilgrimage site.
BOROBUDUR TEMPLE
Borobudur temple is a 9th-century Mahayana Buddhist temple located at Central Java, Indonesia. It is the world's largest Buddhist temple. It was built as a single large stupa and when viewed from above, it takes the form of a giant tantric Buddhist mandala which expresses the idea of a close world as well as a path to enlightenment.
ORNAMENTATION
PLAN BUDDHA STATUE
ELEVATION PERFORATED STUPA
ARUPADHATU RUPADHATU KAMADHATU
SECTION
RELIEFS ON BALUSTRADE
Did you not see that Allah has made what is in the heavens and what is in the earth subservient to you? And completed His visible and invisible (outwardly and inwardly) blessings upon you? Yet of mankind are those who dispute concerning Allah without knowledge or someone who made them reach Hidayah, or an enlightening Book (Surah Luqman, Verse 20)
VERNACULARITY & IDENTITY
Kamthieng House, Thailand
NORTHERN TRADITIONAL THAI HOUSE
TABLE OF CONTENT HISTORY AND BACKGROUND ARCHITECTURE: DESIGN ELEMENTS ANALYSIS AND SYNTHESIS ARCHITECTURE: STRUCTURE AND CONSTRUCTION ARCHITECTURE: ORNAMENTS AND DECORATIONS
CONCLUSION
VISUAL SUMMARY QURANIC VERSE
INTRODUCTION Traditional Thai Architecture was initially created from Thai behavior on the basis of beliefs. Each feature had different decorated styles.But, they had the same main function such as spaces created by separated time zoning, split step floors, being made of natural material and prefabricated building elements.
Kamthieng House's History As A Lanna Architecture
Traditional Thai Architecture displays the various attractive forms, which have developed into the unique architecture of Southeast Asia. Because of the agricultural lifestyle, traditional Thai Architecture was based on the ancestor’s knowledge of how to achieve a comfortable life in a hot-humid climate with a rich natural environment. Therefore, living with nature was appropriate in the former traditional Thai Architecture.
An historic house built in 1844 on the banks of the Ping River in Chiang Mai by Mae (“mother”) Saed, great granddaughter of the Prince of Chae, Kamthieng House brings together many elements of lifestyle and culture in a typical Lanna house of the period. Constructed and passed on through the women of a northern matriarchal lineage, the house is one of the oldest surviving examples of traditional northern Thai architecture. Exhibits of primary crafts and rituals provide a glimpse of the taste and style of the merchant elite of late Lanna period, between the lifetimes of Mae Saed and her granddaughter, Mae Kamthieng – namesake of the house. Through its first hundred years, the house was pitched at a turning point in Lanna culture, with traditional lifestyle slowly giving way to the prestige of Western taste. But Kamthieng House was to remain a repository of the Lanna spirit, even as the late Professor Kraisri Nimmanhaeminda moved it to the Siam Society in 1962, to become a northern Thai ethnological museum.
NORTHEN THAI TRADITIONAL HOUSE REGION In addition to depending on climate and location, regional styles have evolved to meet the needs of local communities and their key means of living. Traditional architecture is well built in every field. Not only is the house a sanctuary for its current inhabitants, but also for the ancestral spirits of the family. Window spaces in northern Thailand, where the climate can often be very cold, are usually constructed on hardwood pillars and the outer walls of houses often slope outward with a frontfacing verandah for added strength. Roofs can be tiled or thatch-made in more rural areas. To provide the house with indoor heating, the living quarters and cooking facilities are always located together.
Figure: The region of the Kamthieng House
Figure: The Kamthieng House: (above) in situ, Chiang Mai, 1963;
LANNA PEOPLE Lanna culture practices animism, a belief in natural objects and phenomena in the form of spirits. To calm these spirits before any family or communal activity, special rituals are performed. The Naga serpent is a sign of water essential for the production of rice, the rice goddess affects the crop of rice, a staple food, and the spirit of the buffalo affects the beast of burden working the Figure: The Naga fields
Figure: The lanna people back in 1963
Figure: Location:Chiang mai, North Thailand
CULTURE There is great open room for the group in Lanna Architecture. Specifically, there is also room for neighbors and family in the house field. It's the collective culture; from house to house, there's no simple boundary, we lived like generosity. People are able to walk through each house's open room. Being an agricultural society there's a deep respect for nature and the need to be in harmony with the elements.
VERNACULAR LANNA ARCHITECTURE ARCHITECTURE DESIGN ELEMENT Vernacular Lanna Architecture, a direct reflection of the values and social circumstances, relationships and environments of the Thai people, is culturally significant. The architecture was a direct response to the lifestyle of farming and the ability of people to live with nature. The vernacular house is a symbol of oneself, rather than a practical response to the environment, a sign of status, a symbol of social inclusion, community, cultural and religious beliefs. The Vernacular Lanna architecture primarily used timber, but this is no longer the case for more recent examples of vernacular architecture in the northern region. Teak has become increasingly scarce as a result of agricultural practices and Thai growth policies due to heavy deforestation.
KALAE Kamthieng House, distinguished by open-air living spaces and cross beams on the roof, is a Lanna 'kalae' house. The cross beams show that living quarters are located in the building. There are V shaped extensions to the gable ends that are intricately carved and point skyward by about a meter. There are several potential theories for their historical origins
One theory is that during times of Burmese occupation they were instigated when Thai people were forced to add them to houses to signify Thai occupation so that the Burmese could say who was who. Buffalo horns, or a pair of birds meant to provide a deterrent to crows who were considered a sign of bad luck, are portrayed by others. A simpler explanation may be that they were just a structural characteristic intended for the beautification of the house
Figure: Lanna cloth
Lanna houses are not only a personal and shared expression of identity, but a symbol of beliefs, religion and tradition.
Figure: Elevation view of Kamthieng House
Figure: Lanna weaving
Figure: Kalae roof
BUILDING ANALYSIS AND SYNTHESIS Place Of Identity The theory of Thai architecture has a definite identity through the relationship of elements.
Spatial Order It is the place to welcome visitors and also a place to sleep, the center of family life. The main portion has only one piece and serves the entire family as a dormitory.
Window spaces in northern Thailand, where the climate can often be very cold, are usually constructed on hardwood pillars and the outer walls of houses often slope outward with a front-facing verandah for added strength. Roofs can be tiled or thatch-made in more rural areas. To provide the house with indoor heating, the living quarters and cooking facilities are always located together. Figure: Plan
1 Jan Na’- Front Deck 2‘Teun’-Multi-purposed Area 3 ‘Hong Non Yai’Master Bedroom 4 ‘Hong Non Noi’- Bed room 5 ‘Heuan Kheua’Kitchen 6 ‘Jan Lang’- Back Deck 7‘Hom Lin’- Passage 8 ‘Han Nam’- Water Pot
The basic building consists of at least two separate rectangular rooms, it the simplest form, usually one bedroom and one kitchen and living room. They have a common floor but separate, steeply sloped, tiled roofs with teak wood finishing with a hooked end allowing them to be held in place simply by hanging on small wooden lathes
Figure: Layout of Kamthieng House
The main house faces south, which means to the south is the main portion of the terrace. With the north-facing terrace, the complexes are located across the soi and the compounds facing south in the second soi.
Figure: Orientation of the Kamthieng House
BUILDING ANALYSIS AND SYNTHESIS Sense Of Place VISIBLE APPEARANCE By being high and upright on the column, rising high into the sky, the embodiments of Kanthieng House express their status.
AROMA APPEARANCE Several aroma binder plants can be found. in Thai Houses. There were typically flowery plants to provide smells.
TOUCH APPEARANCE The elements of varying tangibility have been integrated into traditional Thai architecture. The texture of the wall was created by using pieces of wood from traditional Thai houses. It is the tradition of Thai people to sit on the floor; they often touch the coolest place of their homes..
Figure: Elevation of the Kamthieng House shows the stilt construction Figure: Aroma binder plants
Figure: Wood materials of Kamthieng House
The under croft space was used for SOUND APPEARANCE storage for farming tools, a place for There were a lot of trees weaving and rice grinding, as surrounding the Thai house, ventilation and a way to observe such as bamboo, mango, , banana. They were often outside planted for food or crafts. The NATURAL MATERIALS Made from natural materials, wood, sound of various leaves dancing was the Kamthieng Building. As the played as background noise or language of Thai Architecture, the natural music any time the wind living place of Thai people had a blew. Via their handmade special form reflecting the human musical instruments such as body, man-shape, woman-shape, or bamboo, ceramics or seashells, people improved the natural giant-shape. sound.
STRUCTURE AND CONSTRUCTION The house "KALAE", as its cousin the center is built based on prefabricated panels, mounted on stilts with a space below multipurpose. The typical house consists of
The structure is raised from the ground on several teak columns to prevent flooding during the rainy season, and also provides accommodation below for use during the dry season for working activities such as weaving or other handicrafts.
Another aspect is the sloping walls that, using A frame principles, add structural support. Lanna Thai styles of architecture are both conventional and suit local factors such as the climate and natural materials to form a framework that can withstand the rains, but stay cool in the hot and dry season. Many of the house's features originate from the spiritual and animistic beliefs of the Lanna people that allow them to live in harmony with their spiritual neighbors.
a double jointed building at the edge of the roof by a gutter with wooden tiles. The exterior walls are straight and not leaning inward trapezoidal roof is flat and not curved as in the version of the center. Figure: Gutter system
Figure: Section showing gutter's location
Figure: Section showing timber structure
teak wood
Timber rafter
Roof detailings
Timber beam
Figure: Timber structure system
Figure: Selak connection
Figure: Structure system of Kamthien House
ORNAMENTATION AND DECORATION HAMYON Hamyon is a wood carving collection of Kamthieng House. This intricate, carved wooden plaque above the bedroom door is considered a protective talisman for the family, dividing the private family space inside, from the public verandah space outside. 'ham yon' is variously believed to represent the protective power of the ancestral spirits, or of the male head of household. The latter is based on a loose interpretation of the word 'ham', meaning 'testicles', and 'yon' the northern Thai derivative of the Sanskrit word 'yantra', for 'magic diagram or symbol'.
Evaluation SMALL WINDOW The windows are small and placed only on the side walls to better retain heat during the cold season, as temperatures can drop close to zero degrees.
small window
Figure: Small window location
STAIR The stair is connecting the two seperate rectangle by the verandah.
Beyond this point, those who are 'tang-phi' (literally 'of a different spirit') meaning 'of a different clan', must ask permission of the ancestral spirits (phi pu-ya') to enter. Figure: Stair's location
CLIMATE RESPONSE The north-south positioning of the building is made to take advantage of the winds
Figure: Hamyon's detailing
flowing for cooling and ventilation in these directions and the built area would increase the breezes with its elevated construction and the varied vegetation.
CONCLUSION The Thai house is a symbolic place; one that unites itself with the community's social, spiritual and metaphysical values. Lanna houses are not only a personal and mutual expression of identity, but a representation of beliefs, religion and culture. Thai house share the same critical care for ordinary Thai individuals as that for the rich. With their inward-sloping walls and steep roofs, Thai-style teak houses rarely struggle to impress with their airiness and their adaptation to the tropical environment.
It can be claimed from the analysis of the Kamthieng House that religion and culture play a significant role in shaping a country's architecture. In their typical dwellings, the architectural features, such as elevated floor, high pitched roof, choice of construction material, removable wooden exterior staircase, rectilinear shapes. It can also be argued that the region's environment plays an important role in the architectural features of traditional dwellings.
Over time, to protect the house from floods and wild animals, the houses were built higher on stilts, thus providing a room under the house to accommodate livestock or to be used for everyday work such as weaving. Kamthieng House is the examples of Vernacular Thai House that shown the implicit meaning of their history and as a symbolic place which unites itself with the social, spiritual and metaphysical values of the community.
KAMTHIENG HOUSE Kamthieng House is a Lanna teak house which is over 160 years old. The Lanna Kingdom (or “Kingdom of a million rice fields”) covered the northern Thailand area where there was a modern-day Chiang Rai and Chiang Mai. It reigned from the 13th to the 18th century before it eventually was invaded by the Thonburi Kingdom in 1775. Even though it was defeated, the unique culture and ethnology of Lanna still exist in the Northern Thailand of today. It can be seen from the food, language, religious traditions and clothing. water pat master bedroom
back deck
bedroom
multipurposed area verandah
Plan
Elevation 1
Perspective of Kamthieng House
Kalae roof
Lanna Architecture
teak wood
Elevation 2
Elevation 3 Roof detailings Timber rafter
Timber beam
Section 1
Section 2
Construction method- Timber structure
Beam an column connection
" Indeed, in the creation of the heavens and earth, and the alternation of the night and the day, and the [great] ships which sail through the sea with that which benefits people, and what Allah has sent down from the heavens of rain, giving life thereby to the earth after its lifelessness and dispersing therein every [kind of] moving creature, and [His] directing of the winds and the clouds controlled between the heaven and the earth are signs for a people who use reason. "
Surah AlBaqarah verse 164
SHWEDAGON PAGODA, MYANMAR MAJESTIC SYMBOLISM
C O N TENTS HISTORY AND BACKGROUND
ARCHITECTURE;DESIGN ELEMENTS ARCHITECTURE; ORNAMENTATION AND DECORATION ARCHITECTURE; STRUCTURE AND CONSTRUCTION ANALYSIS AND SYNTHESIS CONCLUSION VISUAL SUMMARY HADITH
These artefacts include the Kakusandha staff, the Ko Sangāgamana water pump, a fragment of the Kassapa theft, and eight hair strands from Gautama's head.
HISTORY AND BACKGROUND The Shwedagon Pagoda, officially called Zedi Daw, is a gold-plated stupa located in Yangon, Myanmar, and is also known as the Great Dagon Pagoda. On Singuttara Hill, west of Kandawgyi Lake, the 99-meter high pagoda is dominated by the Yangon skyline. Pagoda is believed to hold remains of four past Buddhas of the present kalpa and to be one of the most holy Buddhist pagodas in Myanmar.
Historians and archaeologists suggest that between the 6th and 10th centuries AD the pagoda was built by the Mon people. However, the legend has it, that over 2,600 years ago, the Shwedagon Pagoda was built, making it the oldest Buddhist stupa in the world. Taphussa and the Bhallika – two commercial brothers north of Singuttara Hill who are Yangon at present encountered the Buddha Lord Gautama during his lifetime and received eight of the Buddha's hair, according to tradition. The brothers returned to Burma and found Singuttara hill with the aid of the local ruler King Okkalapa, where remains of other Buddhas before the Buddha were consecrated. The stupa was destroyed before it was restored at a height of 18 m by King Binnya U of 1323– 1384 in the 14th century. The Queen Binnya Thau was elevated it to 40 m a century later (1453–1472) in height. She paved up the hill on which she lived, flagstones paved the high terrace, and inherited slaves and property were named to sustain her. Binnya Thau gave up the throne in 1472 and retired from Dagon to her son-in-law, Dhammazedi. She had her bed put during her last illness so she could see the dome of the stupa in gold.
The inscription on Mon face of Swedagon catalogues a repair list that begins in 1436 and ends at the reign of Dhammazedi. The Shwedagon pagoda had been the most popular pilgrimage site in Burma by the beginning of the 16th century. During the following decades there were a number of earthquakes in the 1890s. The worst damage was caused by an earthquake in1768, which took the tube to a height of 99m, but later King Hsinbyushin (325 ft). After the British annexed Lower Burma in 1871 King Mindon Min issued him a new crown umbrella. In October 1970, a relatively powerful earthquake noticeably separated the shaft from the crown umbrella. A grinder was installed and substantial repairs were carried out.
This very legacy has long been the dominant location and structure in the history of urban architecture in Myanmar. The old Myanmar was familiar with the power and role of an important structure in its entire urban scene. The key frameworks had these urban planning principles and they perfected the usefulness of these concepts in accordance with Myanmar's environment and cultural practises. Myanmar boldly stands out with its own tradition of ancient times throughout history. Yangon is renowned for its Shwedagon Pagoda, the capital of Myanmar. The Shwedagon was blessed with the remnants of its ancient history during 2500 years of its existence. With its architecture the Shwedagon is also appealing. Most tourists come to the Shwedagon from different countries. It is of immense significance to protect this legacy. In this case, it is important to research and better manage the visual approaches to the pagoda. The first glimpse of a landmark makes an impression permanent. As the city expands, a variety of constructs are installed around these visual axes of the Shwedagon Pagoda. Some trigger the Pagoda in the foreground to be obstructing. To safeguard the current views against the Pagoda, clear guidelines are required.
HISTORICAL TIMELINE 3rd CENTURY 6th-10th CENTURY 11th-14th CENTURY
Stupa founded. Pagoda was first built.
Stupa fell into disrepair.
15th CENTURY
Renovations and series of significant repairs.
16th CENTURY
Swhedagon Pagoda had become the most famous Buddhist pilgrimage site in Burma.
1768
Earthquake brought down the top of the stupa but later King Hsinbyushin raised it to its current height of 99 meters.
1871
A new crown umbrella was donated by King Mindon Min, increasing the height of the monument to its current 112 meters.
ARCHITECTURE ; DESIGN ELEMENTS Shwedagon's current architectural style is highly common among a large number of monks and Buddhists both in Myanmar and abroad. While the stupa was evolving several times, it was as fine and great as the modern Bagan stupa style that was already common in the after-effect era, with only slight modifications, like Shwedagon, from early Myanmar, when Shwe Sigon stupa was built in early Bagan (11th Century). Over the years, the temple underwent many changes. The temple complex has been growing since the 15th century, with the addition of secondary houses, shrines and other monuments.
PICHAYAS ( The three terraces) The main structure, the massive golden Stupa was constructed up on a hill and consists from its octogonal foundation of many sections and stages. This base forms the cornerstone of the real pagoda and is surrounded by several small pagodas by a brick framework. Three octagonal terraces are the lower portion of the present pagoda, which can only be reached by the monks. All the elements are golden from the terraces up to the roof. Then the cupola, adorned with horizontal bands, comes.
HNGETPYAWBU (Pointed structure; spire) The upper component is the spiral-like, point-like structure. The structural arrangement is composed of seven concentric circles at the lower half, with the centre part in the form of petals for lotus: an "upturned lotus", kya lan & an "inverted lotus",kya hmauk, the top part in the shape of a teardrop and an umbrella, the hti.The lowest part, which is encircled by irregularly shaped seven concentric rings.
ORNAMENTATION AND DECORATION The Trilingual Inscriptions
HTEE (The crown) The umbrella of the crown on the top is an invaluable piece of precious stone. The decoration is made of ample rubies, saphirs and diamonds. One of the finest precious stones in it is a 76-carat diamond found at the top. The shield is often attached with hundreds of golden bells.
These three incised steel plates were discovered in 1880 on the east side of the slope, just one metre or two north of the present staircase, and about 15 metres below the platform (Forchhammer 1884). Later the trio transferred into the pagoda platform, where a pavilion on the north-east corner now shelters them. These stones were arranged to balance their original slope location, starting with the Pali record to the north and then the Mon and Burmese plates, respectively. The façade of each stone facing north was accorded a different language incised on both sides.
The three incised slabs of the 15th century represent Tapussa and Bhallika's base of the Shwedagon. Above, the detail is the reverse face of the Burmese block. The platform Shwedagon, north-east.
The Singu's Bell The oldest surviving globe on the Shwedagon is popularly called the Singu's Bell or the Great Bell, which is now hanging on a North-West Quadrant in an open hall. Singu's Bell is the Mahaghanta. On his visit to Upper Burma, King Hsinbyushin ordered a new Hti in 1774. He never heard his bell toll, which he completed on 17 January 1778, left to his son, King Singu. The bell was ordered to weight less than one third of Mingun's bell near Manda, which was 15,555 visas or around 27 tonnes.
Jatakas
The inscription documents the intention of the King to see Metteyya, the Buddha of the future. Tangy runes set above, Singu's Bell in the midst of floral architecture. The 12-line registration opens in Pali with typical Buddha praises. King Singu's reparations of the ancient shrines of Ava, his golding of the pagodas and 84.000 collection of scriptures or tipitaka, are represented by the remaining text in Burmese.
Indeed, Jataka referred to the Buddha's previous birth prior to his last birth. It also contains the tale of the animal birth of lord Buddha. Brahmanism states that the body is just a vessel that can be killed but the soul remains the same soul. In the mind of divine and physical bodies When the actual body expires, it could be moved to other bodies, and in those bodies, contrary to the actions of the mind, it may be put while in the current body.
All 547 jatakas exist on the tiles that are moving clockwise in the low parapet of the Shwedagon. The Mahosodha Jataka, one of ten last, has both featured scenes.
STRUCTURE AND CONSTRUCTION The hills, monasteries, stupas, and the platforms' art and architecture represent the artistic imagination of Buddhist professors in the creation of public space where visitors are invited to partake in group ceremonies, to sing sermons and silently prayers, to link the physical symbol and the invisible experience. The Shwedagon Paya is set up at each cardinal spot on all four cardinal points of the compass and each of the four incarnations of the Buddha is entered in a plinth or platorm. The primary Zedi or the central Stupa are both arranged. There are eight planetary shrines around the Zedi itself while in Myanmar there are many other shrines and halls related to Buddhism and its history. Click on the picture below and a virtual tour will open to discover many of the features of the striking complex.
Interlocking Stones
Multi-tiered Roof
This dome was designed with free span (without centering): the masonry rings supported by themselves, as blocks interlocked. In order to grab one another, steel boulders were dressed to have an interlocking shape.
There are very fine wood carvings in the Arakanese Prayer Pavilion, while another pavilion features wall paintings of the Jataka myths, the past lives of Buddha. A great number of complex pavilions with elaborate decoration and multistage roofs, Pyatthat and several Tazaungs, are enclosed by a Burma temple pavilion that encloses Buddha images.
Adapting Natural Hill The Shwedagon Pagoda on the Singuttara Mountain is a rare masterpiece of Buddhist architecture, converting into one of the most emblematic Buddhism stupas of the world a natural peak, which has had a sacred value since time immemorial. The three intermediate platforms with hundreds of monasteries and donation halls surround the ascent level of Singuttara Hill cover four large, paved staircases. The high spire and the sky are clear to frame the paths and shrines surrounding the famous golden stupa, appearing on the white (45m) marbling curves of the upper platform (5,66 hectares) (112 meters high).
ANALYSIS AND SYNTHESIS MAJESTIC SYMBOLISM The Shwedagon Pagoda bears exceptional witness to a continuing religious practise which combines Buddhist teachings and a place which is historically sacred. On the southernmost tip of the lateritis BagoYomarange, the Singuttara hill sits on a high site in the seasonal delta on the edge of the Gulf of Mottama. From the earliest pre Buddhist period, this site gives the site special importance. In the cardinal and sub cardinal division of the terraced platforms (pissayas) that are built to alter the hill for religious purposes, the symbolic and physical importance of this position is echoed and enhanced. The Shwedagon combines all facets of the Burmese culture, from the wealthy to the poorest to the most well-known and overlooked. Generations also merge, travelling hand in hand with parents, children and grandparents. Monks often go to Shwedagon, alone or in small groups, often with lay faithful, but rituals are not planned. The appearance of the bodyguards and tv crews, who reported the piety of the day on the evening news, also comforted high-ranking military leaders. The international visitor often joins this open level, a matter of curiosity and honest attempts to be safe and polite. According to UNESCO, the religious sculptures, including the consolation of Bo Bow Aung's figure, show the provision of individual as well as community space on Singuttara Hill, have other spiritual aspects.
CONCLUSION A typology of sacred buildings that can be an iconic emblem for all sites/regions/countries. The magnificent architectural symptoms that were described in this magazine were inspired by this building . The Shwedagon Pagoda is a structure that reflects the spirit of old genius. Ancient gives the impression that it belongs to the ancient past, while naivety implies the ability to address complicated issues in original, articulate and creative ways. This building demonstrates the contemporary architectural strategies of building, materials, technical change, and much more.
Burma's very identity today is linked to the Shwedagon expressed by the first president Sao Shwe Thaike on the Pagoda's platform on the Independence Day in 1948. The Shwedagon's sanctity and traditions are increased by constant donation and refurbishment and the huge gold monument is an opening work for each new generation to leave their own chapter. The growing Shwedagón myth illustrates how the imagination and prayers of millions were shaped by a single trivial tale extracted from the ancient Pali canon. Indeed, this episode of Buddha's life was very trivial and expands into an epic account that never stopped rising, like a seed brought to a distant country with a deep core.
SHWEDAGON PAGODA, MYANMAR
The Shwedagon Pagoda, officially called Zedi Daw, is a gold-plated stupa located in Yangon, Myanmar, and is also known as the Great Dagon Pagoda. On Singuttara Hill, west of Kandawgyi Lake, the 99-meter high pagoda is dominated by the Yangon skyline. Pagoda is believed to hold remains of four past Buddhas of the present kalpa and to be one of the most holy Buddhist pagodas in Myanmar. Diamond Bud Umbrella Crown Banana Bud Lotus Petals Inverted Alms Bowl Turban Band Bell
PLAN
ORNAMENTATION AND DECORATION Jatakas The Singu's Bell Conical dome The Trilingual Inscriptions Catenary dome Auxiliary dome
ELEVATION
SECTION
"'Abdullah (b. Umar) reported that Allah's Messenger (may peace be upon him) found, Umar b. al-Khattab amongst the riders and he was taking oath by his father Allah's Messenger (may peace be upon him) called them (saying); Our Allah, the Exalted and Majestic, has forbidden you that you take oath by your father. He who bag to take an oath, he must take it by Allah or keep quiet. " Sahih Muslim; Book 15, number 4038
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