Pyatthat
Encyclopedia
Pyatthat is the name of a multi-tiered and spired roof commonly found in Burmese royal and Buddhist architecture, especially pagoda compounds, monasteries and palace buildings. The pyatthat is made of successive roofs, with a box-like structure between each roof called the lebaw . It is topped off with a finial called the taing bu or kun bu depending on its shape, similar to the hti
, an umbrella ornament that tops Burmese pagodas. The edges of each tier are gold-gilded decorative designs made of metal sheet, with decorative ornaments called du yin at the corners (analogous to the Thai chofah
). There are three primary kinds of pyatthat, with the variation being the number of tiers called boun . Three-tiered, five-tiered and seven-tiered roofs are called yahma, thooba, and thooyahma,] respectively.
The usage of the pyatthat began early in Burmese architecture, with examples dating to the Pagan period. Prominent examples from this era that feature the pyatthat include the Ananda Temple
and Gawdawpalin Temple
.
In pre-colonial Burma, the pyatthat was a prominent feature in the royal palaces, which itself symbolized Tavatimsa, a Buddhist heaven. Above the main throne in the king's primary audience hall was a seven-tiered pyatthat, with the tip representing Mount Meru and the lower six tiers representing the six adobes of the deva
s and of humans.
Hti
Hti is the name of the umbrella or top ornament found in almost all pagodas in Myanmar. They have been found in pagodas constructed by all four of the pagoda building ethnic groups of Myanmar: the Mon, the Bamar, the Rakhine and the Shan....
, an umbrella ornament that tops Burmese pagodas. The edges of each tier are gold-gilded decorative designs made of metal sheet, with decorative ornaments called du yin at the corners (analogous to the Thai chofah
Chofah
Chofah is a Thai architectural decorative ornament that adorns the top at the end of Wat and palaces roof in most of the continental Southeast Asian countries, such as Thailand, Cambodia, Laos, and Myanmar. It resembles a tall thin bird and looks hornlike...
). There are three primary kinds of pyatthat, with the variation being the number of tiers called boun . Three-tiered, five-tiered and seven-tiered roofs are called yahma, thooba, and thooyahma,] respectively.
The usage of the pyatthat began early in Burmese architecture, with examples dating to the Pagan period. Prominent examples from this era that feature the pyatthat include the Ananda Temple
Ananda Temple
The Ananda Temple , located in Bagan, Myanmar is a Buddhist temple built in 1105 AD during the reign of King Kyanzittha of the Pagan Dynasty. It is one of four surviving temples in Bagan...
and Gawdawpalin Temple
Gawdawpalin Temple
Gawdawpalin Temple is a Buddhist temple located in Bagan, Burma. Construction of the pagoda began during the reign of Narapatisithu and completed during the reign of Htilominlo . Gawdawpalin Temple is the second tallest temple in Bagan. The temple is similar in layout to Thatbyinnyu Temple...
.
In pre-colonial Burma, the pyatthat was a prominent feature in the royal palaces, which itself symbolized Tavatimsa, a Buddhist heaven. Above the main throne in the king's primary audience hall was a seven-tiered pyatthat, with the tip representing Mount Meru and the lower six tiers representing the six adobes of the deva
Deva (Buddhism)
A deva in Buddhism is one of many different types of non-human beings who share the characteristics of being more powerful, longer-lived, and, in general, living more contentedly than the average human being....
s and of humans.