Kyaiktiyo Pagoda ( or ; ; also known as Golden Rock) is a well-known Buddhist pilgrimage site in Mon State, Myanmar. It is a small pagoda () built on the top of a granite boulder covered with gold leaves pasted on by its male worshippers.

According to legend, the Golden Rock itself is precariously perched on a strand of Buddha's hair.

Etymology

In the Mon language, the word 'kyaik' () means "pagoda" and 'yo' () means "to carry on the hermit's head". The word 'ithi' ( in Mon (from Pali , risi) means "hermit". Thus, 'Kyaik-htiyo' means "pagoda upon a hermit's head".

Legend

The legend associated with the pagoda is that the Buddha, on one of his many visits, gave a strand of his hair to Taik Tha, a hermit. The hermit, who had tucked it in the tuft of his hair safely, in turn gave the strand to the king, with the wish that the hair be enshrined in a boulder shaped like the hermit's head. The king had inherited supernatural powers from his father Zawgyi, a proficient alchemist), and his mother, a naga serpent dragon princess. They found the rock at the bottom of the sea. With the help of the Thagyamin, the king of Tawadeintha Heaven in Buddhist cosmology, found the perfect place at Kyaiktiyo to locate the golden rock and built a pagoda, where the strand was enshrined. It is this strand of hair that, according to the legend, prevents the rock from tumbling down the hill. The boat, which was used to transport the rock, turned into a stone. This is also worshipped by pilgrims at a location about from the golden rock. It is known as the Kyaukthanban Pagoda or stupa (literal meaning: stone boat stupa).

Legend also mentions that pilgrims undertaking the pilgrimage by trekking from the Kinpun base camp three times consecutively in a year will be blessed with wealth and recognition.

Geography

The pagoda is located near Kyaikto in Mon State in the northern part of the Tenasserim coast. The Golden Rock is situated at an elevation of above mean sea level, on top of the Kyaiktiyo hill (also known as Kelasa hills or Eastern Yoma mountains); it is on the Paung-laung ridge of the Eastern Yoma mountains. It is at a distance of from Yangon and north of Mawlamyine, the capital of Mon State.

The Kinpun village is at the base of Mt. Kyaiktiyo. It is the closest to the Kyaiktiyo Pagoda. From Kyaiktiyo, the foot trail or road starts for the Golden rock. On this approach, there are numerous granite boulders on the mountain, perched in precarious condition. Near the top of the mountain, there are two large lions guarding the entrance to Kyaiktiyo Pagoda. From this location, known as Yatetaung (the last point for vehicular traffic), pilgrims and visitors have to climb to the Golden Rock barefoot, after leaving their footwear behind, as per Burmese custom. The paved mountain track, built in 1999, from the bus terminal at Yatetaung, is along a dusty section with kiosks on both sides and the climb of up to the Golden Rock is stiff and takes about one hour to reach. There are also many temples and pagodas, which have been built recently on other hills in the vicinity of the Kyaiktiyo Pagoda that are visited by pilgrims and tourists by trekking along foot tracks. The Full Moon day of Tabaung in March, is a special occasion for pilgrims who visit the shrine. On this day, the platform of the pagoda is lighted with ninety thousand candles as reverential offering to the Buddha. The devotees visiting the pagoda also offer fruits, food and incense to the Buddha.

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File:Kyaikhtiyo bus.JPG|Bus at Kyaikhtiyo base station

File:Road to Kyaikhtiyo.jpg|Road to the hill

File:Khaikhtiyo-Aufstieg-20-Saenften-gje.jpg|Litters for tourists

File:KyaiktiyoMonument.jpg|Tagundaing in the plaza area at Kyaiktiyo

File:Goldleafpilgramage.jpg|Upāsaka adding gold leaf to the rock

File:Kyaikhtiyo-Morning.JPG|Golden rock and Kyaiktiyo Pagoda precincts in the morning

File:Kyaikhtiyo-Sunset.JPG|View of Kyaiktiyo at Sunset

File:Rocher d'or 0003a.jpg|Night view of Golden Rock and the Pagoda

File:Myanmar Kyaiktiyo Pagoda Goldener Fels.JPG|Male Buddhists are allowed to paste gold leaf onto the rock, as a sign of devotion

File:KyaikHtiYoe Pagoda.jpg|The Gate of KyaiktiYoe Pagoda (ဆံ‌ေတာ်ရှင်ကျိုက်ထီးရိုးစေတီ‌ေတာ်၏မုခ်ဝ)

</gallery>

References

  • Kyaikhtiyo Wildlife Sanctuary