2011, DEC 19: MYANMAR, BAGAN-B, Anand Pahto

Our next destination was Ananda Pahto, which is reputed to be the finest temple of Bagan. This white-washed and beautifully symmetrical temple was built by King Kyanzittha in the late 11th century. Its design, particularly its North Indian features are said to have been inspired by a visit here by eight Indian monks, who told the king of the Himalayan cave, where they had lived.

The central cube in Anand Pahto has a 30-ft standing Buddhas, facing each of the four cardinal directions.

One has a special smile, which seems to grow bigger as you move away from it.

Two parallel corridors surround the central cube. Windows in the inner corridor provide natural light. Also the temple natural ventilation, weather conditioning, and sound control eliminating any echo.

There are hundreds of niches, many with Buddha images and sandstone reliefs depicting scenes spanning his life from his birth till his death.

It was now time for lunch. Mr. Win, our guide directed us to Aroma 2, an Indian restaurant. It is run by Rajinder Kumar, a third-generation to Indian, who was born and raised in Myanmar, and has never been to India. His wife does all the cooking.