Upali Ordination Hall

Upāli Ordination Hall
ဥပါလိသိမ်
Shown within Myanmar
Basic information
Geographic coordinates	21°10′47″N 94°52′35″E / 21.179674°N 94.876330°E / 21.179674; 94.876330Coordinates: 21°10′47″N 94°52′35″E / 21.179674°N 94.876330°E / 21.179674; 94.876330
Affiliation	Buddhism
Sect	Theravada Buddhism
Municipality	Bagan
Region	Mandalay Region
Country	Myanmar
Architectural description
Founder	Anawrahta
Completed	c. 1200s

Upāli Ordination Hall (Burmese: ဥပါလိသိမ်, Pali: Upāli Sīmā) is an 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.

References

1. 1 2 3 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. 1 2 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.