Kaba Aye Pagoda and Maha Pasana Guha

Kaba Aye Pagoda, known as the World Peace Pagoda, stands on Kabar Aye Pagoda Road in northern Yangon, Myanmar, and was built between 1952 and 1954 for the Sixth Buddhist Council. The stupa is a relatively modern, bell-shaped structure about 34 metres high, and its interior holds a shrine with Buddha images and relics. Beside it is the Maha Pasana Guha, or Great Cave, a large artificial cave hall built to host the council's recitation of the Buddhist scriptures. The cave is lined with concrete and was designed to resemble the Sattapanni cave in India where the first council is said to have met. The hall can hold thousands, and its curved ceiling and bare interior are quite different from other Yangon temples. The compound also includes smaller shrines, Buddha images and a museum-style display of Buddhist artefacts. Entry is free, though a small donation or camera fee may be requested. A visit takes one to one and a half hours. The site is quiet, set among trees, and receives fewer visitors than the downtown pagodas. Morning is the best time, when the air is cooler and worshippers come to make offerings. Visitors remove footwear at the entrances and should cover shoulders and knees. Taxis from downtown take about 30 minutes and cost roughly 4,000 to 7,000 MMK, and the Myanmar Gems Museum is nearby, so the two can be combined. Photo angles include the stupa from the compound's gardens and the interior of the great cave hall, where the scale is most apparent. Crowds are light on weekdays, and weekends and holidays are busier with local families. Visitors should confirm opening hours and ask the driver for Kaba Aye Paya.