Taung Kalat Monsatery, better known as Mount Popa, is a very picturesque Buddhist monastery that is located on top of a volcanic plug that has the same name in the Mandalay Region of the Republic of the Union of Myanmar. Mount Popa is a volcano which rises up to a height of 4,980 feet. Situated in central Burma, almost 31 miles from the medieval city of Bagan, Mount Popa is one of the most prominent pilgrimage sites of the country where thousands of pilgrims and tourists flock each year to see the Nat temples and numerous relic sites on this volcanic mountain top. It can be seen from a distance of 37 miles on a sunny day and the mountain looks like a gigantic, rock castle with a pretty monastery nestled on its top. The name Mount Popa is derived from the Sanskrit/Pali term ‘Puppa’ which means “flower”, while the term ‘Taung Kalat’ means “Pedestal Hill”.
