Kyaiktiyo Pagoda
Kyaiktiyo Pagoda
MYANMAR, Mon
Kyaiktiyo means Pagoda Upon a Hermit’s Head, and the location is also known as the Golden Rock. The pagoda is situated at the top of Kelasa Hill, at 1,100 m above sea level in Mon state, approximately 190 km from Yangon. It is one of the most important Buddhist pilgrimage sites in Myanmar. It is believed that the Buddha’s hair relic is enshrined beneath the sacred rock. It was later covered in gold leaf and the pagoda was built on top of it. In 2001 the Golden Rock was regilded and the pagoda was renovated.
The Golden Rock measures 7.6 m in height and 15 m in circumference. It sits on the edge of a large rock. The golden pagoda atop it is 7.3 m high and is in the shape of a bell. The pagoda body is surmounted by a spire consisting of a canopy and a finial.
For more details, go to the Encyclopedia of Buddhist Arts: Architecture G-L, page 646.
Cite this article:
author = Hsingyun and Youheng and Johnson, Peter and Mankuang and Lancaster, Lewis,
booktitle = {Encyclopedia of Buddhist Arts: Architecture G-L},
pages = 646,
title = {{Kyaiktiyo Pagoda}},
volume = 2,
year = {2016}}