YANGON: During the Kayin New Year celebration on Dec 19, as well as the following weekend, many devotees visited the Kyaikhtiyo Pagoda in Mon State, according to locals and the treasury board of the pagoda trustees. The influx of visitors was a resullt of the New Year holiday period when people got time off work.
A local resident shared that vehicles were backed up along the road from Kyaikhtiyo to the nearby villages, and the pagoda grounds were so crowded that there was hardly any space to walk. They noted that such large crowds hadn’t been seen since the Covid-19 pandemic.
Due to the large number of visitors, vehicles were required to make at least 10 trips up and down the mountain to accommodate everyone. On weekends, this number increased to 11. Even on weekdays like Monday, the trips continued to be busy, with at least six trips.
To ensure safety, the vehicles followed strict regulations due to the large crowds. On Dec 19, around 33,000 visitors came for the Kayin New Year, and on Dec 20, about 48,000 attended. The board of trustees had to make arrangements for visitors to stay, even outside the pagoda grounds.
The Kyaikhtiyo Pagoda has seen a major increase in visitors during the 2023-2024 period, with over 720,000 people coming from both Myanmar and abroad. This is a significant rise compared to the previous year, which saw around 1.16 million visitors.
Every year, the Kyaikhtiyo Pagoda holds its Buddhist festival from the full moon of Tazaungmone to the full moon of Thadingyut, usually attracting about three million visitors. - Eleven Media/ANN
