in the tharthanar era (111), gautama buddha arrived at kaylartha mountain, thuwunna bonmi. he stayed at a monastery built by king tissa dama thiya yazar. the buddha preached sermons to the public for seven days. during that time, he became close with the hermits tissa and thiha and the local hermit of kaylartha mountain. they requested that he leave behind some relic to be revered by the people in his place after he left to return home. buddha agreed and gave six of his hairs to hermits from kyaiktiyo, zinkyaik (to tissa), mount zwegabin (to thiha), kaylartha, kuthaerayone and melan. a pair of belu brothers from kyaikhtisaung also received a hair. all the hermits and belus enshrined the hair in great stones.