Kaylartha Pagoda
Kaylartha Pagoda is a Buddhist Pagoda that sits atop the summit of Mount Kaylartha in Mon State, Myanmar. Local legend claims that at the foot of Kaylartha Mountain sat the ancient Kingdom of Gold.
Geography
Kaylartha Mountain is situated from Taungson, Mon State, and can be driven by truck. The range is part of the Eastern Arakan Yoma Mountains. It is at a distance of from Yangon and 136 kilometers north of Mawlamyine, the capital of Mon State. The summit is above. Monkeys live atop the mountain and are fed by pilgrims.The Pagoda and surrounding monasteries are located within the Kelatha Wildlife Sanctuary.
History
At the top of Mount Kaylartha stands a pagoda said to house the hair of Gautama Buddha. It is believed that in the Tharthanar Era, The Buddha arrived at the Kaylartha Mountain, Thuwunna Bonmi. He stayed at a monastery built by King Tissa Dama Thiha Yaza. The Buddha preached sermons to the public for seven days. During that time, he became close with the Hermits Tissa and Thiha and the local hermit of Kaylartha Mountain. They requested that he leave behind some relic to be revered by the people in his place after he left to return home. The Buddha agreed and gave six of his hairs to hermits from Kyaiktiyo, Zinkyaik, Mount Zwegabin, Kaylartha, Kuthaerayone and Melan. A pair of belu brothers from Kyaikhtisaung also received a hair. All the hermits and belus enshrined the hair in great stones.The Hermit of Kaylartha, whose name was Tila of Dokkhalun, discussed how to go about enshrining the hairs and building pagodas around them with Hermits Tissa and Thiha and Indra Sakka, who had supported Thiha in constructing a pagoda on Mount Zwegabin. He enshrined the hair relic in the pagoda atop Kaylartha Mountain, and was advised by Indra Sakka.
The hermits communicated with each other by shining lights atop their respective mountains at night-time. Tissa, who stayed atop Zinkyaik Mountain, did not see the light coming from Mountain Kaylartha and wondered what might have occurred. He went to Kaylartha Mountain and found the body of the Kaylartha Hermit. The body was burnt and buried, while the head, which was not burnt nor decomposed, held one of Buddha's hairs in its braid. It was returned to Mok Soe Taung Pagoda and joined the original two hair relics there.