Kyaikkalo and Kyaikkalei Pagodas
The Kyaikkalo and the Kyaikkalei are the two
ancient Pagodas standing on the left side of the
highway running from Yangon to Bago,. The pagodas
are located in Mingaladon township, Yangon. Their
names are with the Mon accent, where Kyaik means
pagoda. The pagodas are only a short distance away
from the highway and can be seen quite clearly.
Among the two pagodas, Kyaikkalo is a much larger
and more prominent pagoda, which overlooks the
surrounding terrain. The two pagodas are landmarks
to travelers going out and coming into Yangon.
The Kyaikkalo and the Kyaikkalei are both
associated in legend. During the lifetime of
Kakusandha, the first of the five Buddhas of the
present age (Baddha Kaba) a certain yakkha (ogre)
offered a challenge to Kakusandha Buddha. The latter
wishing to subdue the arrogant yakkha, accepted the
terms of the wager, which were that the two would
play a game of hide and seek, with the loser
submitting to the winner. The yakkha, using his
supernatural powers, reduced himself to the size of
an atom and hid himself in the deepest bowels of the
Earth. But Kakusandha Buddha took him out from his
place of hiding and placed him on his palm. Now it
was the turn of Kakusandha Buddha. He made himself
the size of a particle of an atom and walked along
the space between the eyebrows of the yakkha,
calling out to the yakkha to try and find him. The
yakkha only heard the Buddha's voice but could not
find him. At last he gave up and submitted to the
Buddha who preached the Dhamma for the yakkha to
observe. The hillock on which the Buddha hid himself
and disappeared from the yakkha came to be called in
old Mon "Kyaik-day-kaler", "the Hillock of the
Buddha's Disappearance". The hillock on which the
yakkha surrendered and submitted to the Buddha came
to be known as "Kyaik-day-kalo" meaning the Hillock
of submission to the Buddha."
Structure
The Kyaikkalo Pagoda has been an object of
veneration throughout Myanmar history. Successive
Mon and Bamar kings repaired and renovated it. In
the year 747 of the Myanmar Era (A.D. 1385) the Mon
king Banyanwe (A.D. 1385 - 1423) better known as
Yazadarit (Rajadhiraja) restored and embellished it.
The octagonal shape of the plinth indicates that
the pagoda has the Mon architectural design and was
originally built entirely of massive blocks of laterite stone. It is a pagoda with a solid stupa.
Each side of the octagonal plinth measures 35 cubits
in length and 5 cubits in height. The main pagoda
stands on the uppermost terrace and it is surrounded
by 25 minor stupas. The northern, western and
southern sides have stairs leading up to the
uppermost terrace. As there are deep precipices on
the western and nothern sides, massive retaining
walls fortify the precinct.
Festival
The pagodas' festival is held for three days
annually, during Tabodwe (January/February). Not
only the town folk people, but also people from
Yangon and Bago come to worship the pagodas and
enjoy the festival. People around come to pay their
homage and offer flower, food and fruit.
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