This great religious construction is an infinitely hard query that hasn’t been cleared up to geography.
Golden Rock (or Kyaiktiyo pagoda) is the third most important Buddhist pilgrimage site in Myanmar behind Shwedagon pagoda and Mahamuni pagoda, located 200km from Yangon on the Kyaiktiyo hill. It’s settled totteringly atop a giant granite boulder pasted with gold leaves by devotees, at an altitude of 1,100m above the sea level.
First time seeing this rock, many people feel that it appears to be on the verge of rolling down the charm. The balancing rock seems to defy gravity. Burmese culture explained for this odd layout based on a story of Buddha. Legend has it that Golden Rock itself is precariously perched on a Buddha’s single hair, which is believed to prevent the rock tumbling down the hill. Whether trusting in this belief or not, it’s still an unexplainable phenomenon in geoscience.
Also mentioned in the legends, pilgrims, if undertaking the pilgrimage by trekking from the Kinpun base camp three times consecutively in a year, will be blessed with wealth and recognition.
Every good Buddhist dreams of the day finally setting eyes on this holiest of shrines, and more sincere if he experience an arduous hike to the hill summit, while devotees come here to worship, offer prayers and stick golden leaves on this mysterious rock in reverence. A part from religious beliefs and unique architecture, fabulous landscapes viewed from the mountain peak also inspired travelers to here.
About structure, Kyaiktiyo shrine complex contains several viewing platforms, pagodas, Buddha shrines and nat spirit shrines. Worshipers gather in the area behind the rock, and Buddhism melodies reverberate every corner. Away from the main shrine is a circle of 8 gongs with 4 statues of nats and angels in the heart. There are also several other stupas and shrines scattered on the ridge at the tip of Mount Kyaiktiyo, though none is as impressive as Kyaiktiyo itself. Even so, the interconnecting trails sometimes lead to unexpected views of the valleys below.
The peak season will be from November to March, as the pagoda is filled with Buddhist devotees around Myanmar, and the atmosphere surrounding it is charged with magic and devotion: pilgrims’ chants, light candles, meditation and offerings to Buddha (commonly fruits, food and incense) continues throughout the night. Men cross over a bridge spanning an abyss to the boulder to affix gold leaf squares on the rock’s surface in deep veneration, then put two hands on and pray. However, women are not permitted to touch the rock so cannot cross the bridge. Paying fee for gold covering is compulsory.
The most special occasion for pilgrims in Kyaiktiyo is the full moon day of Tabaung. On this day, the platform of the pagoda is lighted with 90,000 candles beside reverential offerings.
From the central Kinpun base camp, where stores and hotels are always available with lower costs, to Golden Rock, the route is 11km. Buses for transferring to the hill top are trucks without roof. Each of them can carry up to 40 people sitting on simple wooden benches. Experience when passing over narrow turns to Kyaiktiyo is like sitting in a roller coaster. There is a stop location 1.5 km from the summit. When getting out from vehicles, both pilgrims and travelers have to take off footwear and walk with bare foot to enter the shrine zone. By bare foot stepping on the ceramic tile yard, easily sense warm owning to heat from dazzling sunshine in day.
Staying overnight on Kyaiktiyo summit is highly recommended rather than in Kinpun, because it’s possible to contemplate magnificent sunset and sunrise, especially the boulder is really stunning when bathed in the purple, sometimes misty, and light of dawn and dusk.
In case trekking to the rock, it will take 5 hours through bushy jungle canopy and also offer beautiful locations to sight-see. Thank to being paved, way to the mountain peak is more convenient.
Recommended tours to Kyaiktiyo pagoda:
