the golden rock on burma

The Golden Rock Pagoda is Burma's most popular pilgrimage site because followers believe that a visit there will bring good health and fortune.

The Kyaiktiyo Pagoda, today also known as the Golden Rock Pagoda is located on top of Kyaiktiyo Hill at about 3615 feet (1100m) above sea level, in the Mon State and approximately 130 miles (210km) from Yangon .

The pagoda was built over a hair relic more than 2,500 years ago in the life time of the Buddha. Legend has it that the Hair Relic was given to a hermit by Buddha himself. The hermit treasured the sacred relic in his hair knot until he found a boulder resembling his own head on which he could build a pagoda to enshrine it. In the Mon language, "kyaik" means pagoda and "ithi" in Pali means hermit. Thus, the name "Kyaiktiyo", derived from "Kyaik-Thi-Yo".

The pagoda is a glowing affirmation of Myanmar 's spirituality. Although small in size, it is one of the most revered and celebrated pagodas in Myanmar . Kyaiktiyo Pagoda is recognized as one of the wonders of South East Asia by a recent publication sponsored by the Tourism Authorities of ASEAN countries. It can also be qualified as one of the wonders of the world by virtue of the fact that it sits uniquely at the apex of a huge, almost egg shaped, granitoid boulder. This boulder (now completely gilded) is precariously perched on a projecting tabular rock. The gilded boulder and the rock table are two separate pieces, the boulder actually balancing off the extreme verge of the sloping surface of the rock and overhanging it by nearly half its length. This slope drops down perpendicularly into the valley below. On the other side, the rock table is separated several feet from the rest of the hill by a deep chasm, now appended by a a small foot bridge. By gently rocking the boulder, a thread can be passed between it and the table rock. When viewed from a certain angle, this separation can be appreciated by virtue of a thin beam of daylight shining through. It is not known what freakish law has kept the boulder in its precarious position for many centuries and despite several violent earthquakes. Of course, pious Buddhists attribute this to the power of Buddha's hair relic enshrined in the Pagoda