Bank notes, and many of them, are features of the pwe. Everyone inside and outside the
enclosure hands up money as well as bananas and coconuts to the helpers on stage
who present the offerings to the nats.
Once the nat has
blessed the offerings, showers of notes – some as large as 5,000 kyat float down to the people below. The
crowd outside the barred enclosure leaps around as the notes float down and I
can see the bars are a good idea. By contrast, quietly and slowly, some senior,
well-dressed matrons are circling a pillar. Their heads are down and their hands
are together worshipping and praying.
A Shan man – judging by his Shan pants - has two bottles of Glan
Master Whisky hung around his neck. I am sure Ko Gyi Kyaw will be pleased with those. Oh, this is different: a nagadaw
is given a sword - and then another. She crosses them, lays money on them and
then wafts the notes towards the orchestra.
The most spectacular nagadaw
is one reputedly from Shan State. Her costume is all red and decorated with gold
jewellery. She gives much condescension to those of us not in the enclosure and
becomes ever more regal the more she accepts sips of Grand Master Whisky.
All too soon, it is time for us to leave the pwe and catch the boat back across the
Ayeyarwaddy. Fortunately the boat is only normally full, as most of the crowd is
camping. They accept the discomfort happily just to have the opportunity to pay
Ko Gyi Kyaw the respect due to him for one more year.
Senior matrons circling the pillar
Photos by Win Kyaing
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