13th Century Wall Painting Found at Mahabodhi Pagoda

New evidence of 13th-century wall paintings has been further uncovered at the Mahabodhi Pagoda, located within the ancient cultural heritage site of Bagan, by expert professionals from the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI), according to the Bagan branch of the Department of Ancient History and National Museums. The team from the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) had been carrying out building restoration and cleaning of stucco artwork at the Mahabodhi Pagoda, building number (1670), in the Bagan region. While undertaking these tasks, they tested 13 small sample areas to ascertain the presence or absence of wall paintings beneath the thin layer of plaster inside the upper storey Gandakuti Hall. As a result, they discovered wall paintings in three locations: one prominent wall painting on the east wall, and one faded wall painting each on the south and north walls. Upon receiving reports of these findings, officials from the Bagan branch conducted an on-site inspection and confirmed the accuracy of the wall painting discoveries. Out of the 3837 ancient structures in the Bagan region, the number of ancient structures with wall paintings was previously recorded as 416. However, with the recent discovery of one more pagoda featuring 13th-century style wall paintings, this number has now increased. Preparations are currently underway to nominate the Mahabodhi Pagoda for inscription on the World Heritage List through a transnational joint nomination, and the work to restore the wall paintings within the pagoda will continue to be carried out.