Pyatthat

[1] The pyatthat is commonly incorporated into Burmese Buddhist and royal architecture (e.g., kyaungs, palace buildings, pagodas) and towers above the image of the Buddha or other sacred places (e.g., royal thrones and city gates).

There are three primary kinds of pyatthat, with the variation being the number of tiers called boun (ဘုံ, from Pali bhumi).

Three-tiered, five-tiered and seven-tiered roofs are called yahma, thooba, and thooyahma, respectively.

[2] The usage of the pyatthat began early in Burmese architecture, with examples dating to the Pagan period.

[3] 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 buildings, which itself symbolized Tavatimsa, a Buddhist heaven.