Kaba Aye Pagoda and Maha Pasana Guha

Kaba Aye Pagoda, whose name means 'World Peace Pagoda', and the adjoining Maha Pasana Guha, or 'Great Cave', stand along Kabar Aye Pagoda Road in northern Yangon, Myanmar, between Mayangone and Yankin townships. Prime Minister U Nu commissioned the complex for the Sixth Buddhist Council (Chattha Sangayana), which met from May 1954 to May 1956 to mark the 2,500th year of the Buddhist Era. Construction of the pagoda began in 1952 and was completed in 1954. The pagoda is a circular stupa about 34 metres tall and the same in circumference, with a relatively simple whitewashed profile and a gilded crown, and it stands on a large platform with a central shrine containing a Buddha image and relics, including reputed relics of the Buddha's chief disciples Sariputta and Moggallana that were sent from India. Around the compound are statues of mythical creatures and guardian figures, and the pagoda is often visited by pilgrims on festival days. A short walk away stands the Maha Pasana Guha, an artificial cave built of reinforced concrete and brick, designed to resemble the Sattapanni Cave in India, where the First Buddhist Council is said to have convened. The hall is about 140 metres long and 115 metres wide and could hold around 10,000 monks and lay participants during the Council, where monks recited and reviewed the Pali Tipitaka. Inside, the cave has a large gathering hall with a Buddha image and exhibits about the Council. The curatorial approach is devotional and commemorative, reflecting 1950s state-sponsored religious revival rather than ancient fabric. The complex is also home to the Buddhist Missionary University and the World Peace Pagoda precinct, and a small museum with displays of Buddhist art. Maintenance is funded through donations and government support. Visitors should remove shoes and socks, dress modestly, and expect a quieter setting than Shwedagon or Sule. The site is reached by taxi from downtown.