Kalyani Ordination Hall, Buddhist ordination hall in Bago, Myanmar.
Kalyani Ordination Hall is a Buddhist ordination building in Bago featuring ten sandstone pillars inscribed with Pali and Mon-language texts. These pillars preserve important historical records related to Theravada Buddhist monastic traditions and practices.
King Dhammazedi of the Hanthawaddy Kingdom founded the hall in 1476 to address divisions within the Buddhist monastic community. The establishment reflected efforts to strengthen and unite the monastic order during that period.
The hall continues to serve as a place where Buddhist monks undergo their ordination ceremonies following practices passed down through centuries. People gather here to witness these formal initiations and to understand the religious commitments that monks make to their community.
Visitors can walk through the hall and view the ten sandstone pillars and their inscriptions up close. Hiring a knowledgeable guide helps clarify the meaning and significance of the historical texts carved into the stone.
The name Kalyani references the Kelani River in Sri Lanka, where Myanmar monks traveled to receive re-ordination before this hall was built. This connection reveals how closely Buddhist communities across Southeast Asia were linked to one another.
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