PREVIOUSLY unknown ancient wall paintings have been discovered at the historic Mahabodhi Temple in Myanmar’s Bagan ancient cultural zone during ongoing restoration work carried out by the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI).
The discovery was made while the ASI team was conducting structural conservation and cleaning decorative plasterwork at the 13th-century temple. As part of the restoration, 13 small test sections were opened beneath thin layers of plaster inside the upper Gandhakuti chamber to determine whether original murals remained hidden. The inspection revealed three sections containing mural paintings: one well-preserved painting on the eastern wall and two faded paintings on the southern and northern walls.
Following the report, a conservation team led by the Director of the Bagan Branch of the Department of Archaeology and National Museum carried out an on-site inspection and confirmed the presence of the ancient murals. Bagan is home to 3,837 historic monuments. Previously, 416 structures were officially recorded as containing wall paintings.
The discovery at the 13th-century Mahabodhi Temple adds another monument to that list, highlighting the site’s growing archaeological significance. Authorities plan to continue uncovering and conserving the newly discovered murals as part of preparations to nominate the Mahabodhi Temple for inscription on the UNESCO World Heritage List through a transnational nomination.
Dipa Linn/ST
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