It seems you can't travel anywhere in Bagan for more than a few minutes without encountering a temple, pagoda, shrine or stupa (zedi). This seemingly boundless desire of the Buddhist people in Burma to build such religious structures has to do with merit-making, to achieve improved rebirth and compensation for transgressions committed in the present life.

This group of stupas was sited just outside the gate of our hotel accommodation in Bagan (the Tharabar Gate).