Myanmar and Germany signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to conserve the cultural heritage of Bagan in northern Mandalay region according to the Global New Light of Myanmar, state-owned media.
According to a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) signed, Germany will provide technical aid to conduct a project of conserving the Nanpaya Temple, one of the 389 pagodas destroyed following a 6.8-magnitude earthquake on August 24 in 2016.
The temple is adjacent to the Manuha Temple and was built by captive King of Thaton Kingdom King Manuha. It was built using mud mortar, stone, and brick, and was used as the residence of Manuha. The temple contains intricate carvings of Brahma, and also contains depictions of other Hindu gods. Also, because Manuha was a Mon, there are many figures and symbols of the Mon within the temple, including hinthas. Manuha Temple is one of the oldest temples in the Bagan cultural zone.
A training program for maintaining and preserving murals in the Narathihapate Pagoda will also be carried out, the MoU said. The repair work will begin in January 2018 with the use of German technology, an official of the Department of Archaeology and National Museum was quoted as saying.
Meanwhile, Myanmar is striving for enlisting Bagan, lying in the central part of the country, as one of the world’s cultural heritages with thousands of religious edifices and pagodas. Cooperation is being made with intellectuals and technicians for the maintenance of Bagan.
Bagan is well-known for its rich history and culture. With over 3,000 Buddhist temples, monasteries, stupas and monuments compacted into one area, Bagan is a home for Buddhist architectures signifying the unique morals aborning interior walls of the religious edifices.
