visits, gave a strand of his hair to Taik Tha, a hermit. The
Hermit, who had tucked it in the tuft of his hair safely, in turn gave the
strand to the King, with the wish that the hair be enshrined in a boulder
shaped like the hermit's head. The King, had inherited super natural powers
from his father who was well known as Zawgyi (a proficient alchemist)
and the mother was a naga (serpent dragon) princess. They had found
the rock at the bottom of the sea. With the help of the Thagyamin, the
king of Tawadeintha Heaven in Buddhist cosmology, found the
perfect place at Kyaiktiyo for locating the golden rock and build a pagoda,
where the strand was enshrined. It is this strand of hair that, according to
the legend, prevents the rock from tumbling down the hill. The boat, which was
used to transport the rock, turned into a stone. This also is now worshiped by
pilgrims at a location about 300 meters (980 ft) from the golden rock. It
is known as the Kyaukthanban Pagoda or stupa (literal meaning: stone boat
stupa).
Legend also mentions that pilgrims undertaking the
pilgrimage by trekking from the Kinpun base camp, three times consecutively in
a year will be blessed with wealth and recognition
