ACCORDING to the chairman of the Board of Trustees, more than 58,000 pilgrims from across the country visited Kyaiktiyo Pagoda in Mon State during the first week of January.
The opening ceremony of the Buddha Puja Festival at Kyaiktiyo Pagoda was held on the full moon day of Thadingyut, 6 October 2025. Since then, pilgrims from all over Myanmar have visited the pagoda during public holidays, including the first week of January 2026, the New Year holidays and Independence Day.
U Hla Soe, Chairman of the Pagoda Board of Trustees, said: “To ensure that pilgrims from rural areas can visit Kyaiktiyo Pagoda safely and with peace of mind, the Pagoda Board of Trustees is working together with state- and district-level officials to provide security, free accommodation, food and health care. A total of 152 mountain vehicles are also operating daily, and arrangements have been made to facilitate convenient access at a fixed rate.”
Well-known sites along the Kyaiktiyo Pagoda mountain, as well as restaurants in the market square and souvenir shops, have been crowded with pilgrims, many of whom are staying in free or paid accommodation. — ASH/MKKS
