THE Kyaiktiyo Pagoda Festival will be celebrated for seven months, starting from the full moon day of Thadingyut until the full moon day of Kason, according to U Soe Hla, Chairman of the Board of Trustees of the Kyaiktiyo Pagoda.
He said, “The festival will begin on the full moon day of Thadingyut. Arrangements are being made to provide accommodation and meals for pilgrims throughout the festival period. To facilitate smooth transportation for visitors, more than 150 mountain vehicles will be operating from 1 October. During the last festival season, over 1,240,000 pilgrims from both home and abroad came to worship at the Kyaiktiyo Pagoda.”
Clean food stalls and souvenir shops will be opened at the Kinmon camp, while similar stalls will be allowed to open on the platform area in line with rules and regulations issued by the Board of Trustees, ensuring that they are hygienic.
Although it is currently the rainy season, pilgrims from across the country continue to visit the Kyaiktiyo Pagoda daily. About 15 mountain vehicles run each day up the mountain, while hotels, guesthouses, free lodgings, and food stalls have been arranged for pilgrims’ convenience. — ASH/KNN
