Kyaikhtisaung Pagoda
| Kyaik Htee Saung Pagoda | |
|---|---|
 Kyaik Htee Saung Pagoda, Mon State, Myanmar
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| Basic information | |
| Geographic coordinates | 17°09′38″N 97°10′17″E / 17.160439°N 97.171523°ECoordinates: 17°09′38″N 97°10′17″E / 17.160439°N 97.171523°E |
| Affiliation | Buddhism |
| Sect | Theravada Buddhism |
| Region | Mon State |
| Country | Myanmar |
| Status | active |
| Website | kyaikhteesaung |
Kyaikhtisaung Pagoda (Burmese: ကျိုက်ထီးဆောင်းစေတီ) is a Buddhist pagoda in Bilin, Mon State, Myanmar.
Kyaik Htee Saung Pagoda is located on a laterite stone hillock near the town of Bilin. The hillock itself is formed by the layering of laterite stones on top of one another, forming a large square that gradually tapers upward.
According to tradition, in the Buddhist Era 111, the Gautama Buddha arrived at Kaylartha Mountain, Thuwunna Bonmi and preached to hermits and monks and then gave them pieces of his hair.
Along with the hermits and monks, two belu brothers named Deiwa Kondala and Namani Kondala also received one piece of hair. In the Buddhist Era 113, the two brothers built a pagoda on a stone hill known as Mya Oo Taung and enclosed the hair in it. The pagoda was originally 63 cubits high and it was called Kyaik Kalookdek, meaning "A Pagoda Built by Devas" in the Mon language. The sacred hair of Buddha was put in a gold casket and enshrined in the pagoda. Daughters of the ogre brothers cut their hair to make ropes to put around the gold casket. So, the pagoda was called Kyaik Zoke Thoke, or "Hair-Rope Pagoda" in the Mon language.
The village near the pagoda was also called Zoke Thoke Village. In the 236 Buddhist Era, King Culasirimasoka of Thuwunna Bonmi under the guidance of Ashin Sona and Ashin Ottara, enshrined a tooth relic of the Buddha in the pagoda. Over time, the pagoda became derelict due to a lack of care. The umbrella of the pagoda started tilting. Because of this, the pagoda was called Kyaik Htisaung, which means "The Pagoda with Tilting Umbrella" in the Mon language.
In 1971 the monk U Paññādipa, who later became the abbot of the monastery and well known as the Kyaikhtisaung Sayadaw, returned to his native village of Zoke Thoke. He found the old pagoda hidden under heavy growth. He then organized his disciples and local villagers to clear the area. Once the area was cleared, he rebuilt and renovated the old pagoda and old laterite hillock.
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Wikipedia