The Mon Emperor Ukkalapa
The founder of Kyaiklagon or Shwedagon Pagoda
(Special presentation for the overseas Mons)

By Nai Sunthorn

Kyaiklagon in Monland
The pagoda is known as Kyaiklagon in its original name which the holy eight
hair of alive Lord Buddha was enshrined in. In those days that area was
named Ramanyadesa, Monland, an inhabited country of Ukkalapa Emperor.

The Mon Emperor Ukkalapa
The historical background of Emperor Ukkalapa is quite different to other
human beings. The King's mother was not born from a human mother as usually
as other beings to be done. Regarding to this connection, four kinds of
birth should be explained first clearly. According to Buddhism, there are
four kinds of birth, namely, egg-born beings (Andaja), womb-born beings
(Jalabhuja), moisture-born beings (Samsedaja) and beings having spontaneous
births (Opapatika). Here the birth of king's mother belong to the third class.

Thus the historical said. Once upon a time, the Hamsavati district included
Rangoon area was not as populous as a nowadays. An anonymous Mon acetic who
was wandering about in the forest in western part of Singuttara hillside,
marvelously found a huge mangrove fruit near a creek and took it to the
hermitage and kept well. As the time went on, the fruit gave birth a female
baby as the moisture-born being when it became well nature and ripped
enough. The old ascetic reluctantly had to take care of new born baby for
such thing was in fact a great disturbance to his meditation practice who
resided lonely.

When she became of age, the Sakko, King of Gods one who rules celestial
realm came to her and advised to pray for a child. She immediately had
pregnancy after praying and gave birth a baby in the year 71 of Great Era
(Maha Sakkarat). The King of Deves named him Mam Paw La as generation of
devas and regarded the child of his own grand son. He predicted the little
child as the one who would be able to erect Kyaiklagon Cheti (Shwedagon
Pagoda) on the top of Singuttara hill when he became an Emperor of
Ramanyadesa later on.

When he became of age in this way, in the year 87 of Great Era, the Lord of
Devas came again to consecration him as a king under the title of Ukkalapa
Emperor and all of territories under His sovereignty was called Ukkalapa
district embodied Hamsavati and Dala area.


The linage of Emperor Ukkalapa thus descended up to 32 in number ruled
Ramanyadesa, Mon region with their own sovereignty.

In conclusion, the Ukkalapa Emperor was the first king of Ukkalapa
district, The mother was Madam Mi Kamu, who was a moisture-born being. The
father also had no connection with the royal blood but the Sakko, Magha,
King of Devas. The grandfather was the old Mon ascetic who resided lonely
in hermitage that was very near to Singuttara hill. The Mon villages were
actually in that area since then that before an advent of Lord Buddha.