Thanlyin
 Thanlyin
is situated at the confluence of the Yangon and
Pegu Rivers; to be exact, on the southern bank
of the Pegu River. To the south of Thanlyin is a
ridge named Utaringa Kon in history but locally
known as Shin Mwe Nun Kon. It is on this ridge
that Kyaik Khauk Pagoda stands.
The
colonial town of Syriam was built by the British
for it's port and petroleum refinery plant. It
is also a sub-urban town right a few miles away
from Yangon, across 1.5 mile-long bridge.
Famous Places In THANLYIN
Kyaik
Kauk Pagoda
 Its legend
dates its building far back to the time of
Emperor Asoka the great king of India. Two
hundred and thirty six years after the demise of
the Lord Buddha, Emperor Asoka who embraced
Buddhism after he heard and understood the
Buddha’s dhamma, held the Third Buddhist
Council. Maha Thera Ashim Moggalana Putta Tisa
presided over the Council. At his advice, the
Council with the royal patronage and support of
Asoka sent out religious missions to nine places
and nine countries to spread the Dhamma,
Buddha’s Teachings. The mission sent to
Suvannabhumi [Thaton] was headed by Maha Theras
Sona and Uttara who successfully carried out
their missionary works there. One of their
pupils and assistants Ashin Somaga was sent on a
mission to Pauk-khara-wady or Dagon. He resided
at this place and visited Let-kha-ya and Siha
islands and propagated the Buddha’s teachings
there. A hermit named Khaw Laka who lived on
Utaringa Kon, after hearing the Dhamma became a
bhikkhu. Later Ashin Somaga and Bhikkhu Kaw Laka
went to Pataliputra in India and requested
Emperor Asoka to give them some sacred relics of
the Buddha for worship. They received 24 strands
of the Buddha’s hair. They returned to Siha
Island and when they reached the Pada jetty,
they left two sacred hairs to be enshrined in a
pagoda built there. Later these hairs were
re-enshrined in a pagoda now know as Kyaik DeiYa.
The remaing hair relies were enshrined each in
one pagoda at each of 16 Villages such as (1) Ta
Hmaw Village (2) Ka Lun Pun Village (3) Ka Hnein
Village (4) Ka Hnaw Village (5) Mon Naw Village
(6) Tha Laing Village (7) Hmaw Wun Village (8)
Kan Ti Village (9) Kha Pi Village (10) Tha Naw
Kaik Village (11) Ah Lwei Eake Village (12) Pa
Wun Gai Village (13) Pa Yin Village (14) Wi
Thone Village (15) Pa Ro Village (16) Than Hlyin
Village [Saga Village] and the remaing six hairs
were enshrined in a pagoda built on Utaringa Kon
[now called Hlaing Pok Kon].
The pagoda
on Utaringa Kon was built by King Cula
Thirimasoka of Thaton in the Buddhist Era 241.
It was a big structure built of laterite stone.
Because this place was where Ashin Bhikkhu Kaw
Laka resided, the Pagoda came to be known as Kaw
Laka Pagoda. This name in course of time
corrupted to Khauk Pagoda or Kyaik Khauk in Mon.
A small
town on the Twante canal is two hours away by
boat from Yangon. Twante is a centre for
pottery.
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