Bawditataung Pagoda Festival, Monya

Bawditataung Pagoda Festival is celebrated over two days in Monya alongside the Chindwin River in Sagaing Division. Bawditataung means 1,000 Bodhi trees (different spelling). Sure enough, near the festival there were 1000 of the trees and beneath each was a stone statue of the Buddha seated beneath a stone umbrella.

Having climbed 1000 steps (or was it 5000?) we emerged from the pagoda into a panoramic view of a standing Buddha, a reclining Buddha and a Buddha protected from the elements by a Naga (or dragon) that reared over his head. The standing Buddha is 1050 feet high. His cloak had regular oblong marks all over it. These turned out to be windows climbing 33 floors. Some brave souls would climb them (inside the image) but I resisted the temptation. This whole area of monastery, pagoda and images was organised by a sayadaw (abbot) in 1995. The project was finished in 2007, sadly just one year after its benefactor died.

Round about Mandalay

Win Kyaing is no better and is back in his village. Khaing Gyi and I spent the day photographing for the Mandalay file.
Below is a monk paying respects to the Buddha at Kuthodaw Paya. It is not necessary to go to the pagoda to get married, but most make attractive settings for wedding photographs. The Kuthodaw is the most unusual library. Dozens of stupas house each page. A typical Myanmar meal. The palace wall, a guard house above the moat

Paukwe

It is butterbean time in Paukwe half an hour by motorbike from Mandalay. The harvest is in and lies in heaps on the ground outside most of the houses. The women (mainly, though there were two men) sat on the ground in the shade of trees husking (if that is the right term) the slim, green, partially curved beans which closely resemble snow peas. The women were only too pleased to stop work when we told them why we were here.

It is a couple of years since a taxi-driver friend of mine in Mandalay, Win San, told me his uncle’s life had improved greatly when he received a pair of my no-longer-used glasses. He told me there would be hundreds of elderly people in Myanmar whose lives could also improve if they could see to read – or just see around them. So this morning we set out to see if there were elderly people in Paukwe who needed glasses. Yes, there were and yes they did, but the butter bean huskers were not elderly: Daw Khin Tauk is 72, Daw San Ye is 77 and Daw Khin Htay is just a girl of 68.    

As is most of Myanmar, this is farmland. It contrasts with Mandalay the very-close big city with paved roads and shiny cars. Here there are dilapidated trucks wheezing (as opposed to whizzing) along and bullock carts. Villagers grow and sell maize, peanuts, sesame and several types of beans including soybeans and butterbeans. The women cut up a juicy watermelon for their visitors and we were delighted to quench our thirst after the clouds of dust the motorbike had thrown up.  

In the past when the villagers could not fit into their budget, they allowed the Chinese (of whom there are many in Mandalay) to rent some of their land. Sometimes the Chinese would sow, harvest and sell their produce, at other times they would pay the villagers to do this for them.

It is not always possible to get there by motorbike. The village is inundated each year, flooded by a tributary of the Ayeyarwaddy River. So from July to September many of the villagers will move their cows to higher ground and move themselves, by places where they can find employment. Some may go as far away as the Shan States and pick tealeaves. The village carpenters, who build canoes in the village, will leave to build new houses for people in Mandalay.

One by one the women tried on the glasses. Someone was sent off to find reading material and great were the smiles when one after another they found the glasses helpful. So a big thank you to all who gave the glasses to me: they now have new homes.

It was great to visit this village for another reason: Pu Pu, who was in our sewing project, lives here. She now designs wedding dresses by order and employs two other seamstresses. Our sewing project gave her a start in life and she has risen past all expectations.

Hopefully the glasses will give the recipients a second start in life so, if you are going to Myanmar or indeed any developing country, please take all your unwanted glasses with you to give away.

Mandalay and Hsipaw

We are in damage control. Win Kyaing is taking his damaged back back to his village at his father’s request. I volunteered other medical suggestions, but it seems rest is the most important thing.

We are now working on Plan B. Luckily my phone is on roaming so we can keep in touch.

Saya Tay and I called on Pyone Pyone to give Tet Tet, the new baby her first dress. The photos will show that mother and big sister Kyaw Tazin like it too. 

Kyaw Tazin at kindergarten. Below as a model! 

Hsipaw in Northern Shan State, where one of the festivals will be held, has a romantic story attached to it – albeit with a sad ending. Cont. myandering.blogspot.com. Two young people studying in America in the 1950s fell in love and got married. The bridegroom was Shan and he took his bride, Inge Sargent, an Austrian-American, back to his home in Myanmar. Their ship docked in Yangon and surveying the cheering crowds on the quay, Inge remarked to her husband that there must be some very important people on board because there were hundreds of people waiting to greet them.  He then revealed that he was a sao pha: a Shan prince!   He took his bride to live in his haw sao pha or palace in Hsipaw.

The couple had two daughters and did much to improve the lot of their people. The prince was philanthropic and progressive and gave land away to the people who worked it. Then, in 1962, the sao pha failed to return from a meeting in Yangon and has not been heard from since. His disappearance coincided with the March 1962 military coup by General Ne Win. The prince, like many others, was arrested and perhaps died or was killed in prison. Inge remained in Myanmar for a long time trying every avenue to find her husband or even hear news of him. Eventually, intimidated, Inge returned home.

Mandalay

The trip to Myanmar didn’t start well as the Immigration Officer at KLIA2 noticed that my Malaysian visa had expired. Eek. Three officials later, with me apologising for giving them more work, plus stating that I had been approved for Malaysia My Second Home (MM2H) and was just one stamp away from being legal – they let me go with two stamps on my passport and ticket, and a scowl on their faces.

I subsided into an ice cream and reminded myself to think of every eventuality next time I travel to Myanmar. Of course MM2H gives me visas for ten years, so I doubt I will have to apply again and anyway at 82 I may not feel like riding in bullock carts or on the back of motor bikes. Maybe I will have settled down by then. 

This time in Myanmar we will be covering one festival in Northern Shan State: Bawgyo Paya Festival in Hsipaw and another in Southern Shan State: Kekku Pagoda Festival. We are researching a nat festival in the vicinity of Mandalay. We will be visiting isolated villages to give the oldest people who need glasses ones that have been donated by people who no longer need them. Thanks to all who gave them to me.

I’m now in Mandalay staying at Garden Hotel where the staff greets me as I walk in. I will catch up on their news later.

We visited the family who were in dire financial straits the last time I was here. I gave the children your presents Raksha and they send you their thanks

17.02.16 Win Kyaing has a bad back – which doesn’t bode well for driving over mountain ranges. I have travelled alone in the Shan States before, so know how to get there and get around. However he won’t hear of it and assures me it will be fine in a day or two. Fingers crossed.

While in Mandalay we can do gentle activities like photographing U-Bein Bridge and three royal cities.

Update: I have just heard he won’t be coming to pick me up today. Hopefully he will go to the clinic and then rest.

I have two more festivals to research:  Alongdaw Kathaphe Pagoda Festival at Monywa, Sagaing Region and A May Yae Yin Nat Festival not far from Mandalay.

 It’s back to riding a motorbike. Win Kyaing can’t drive his taxi, so Saya Tay, who was the senior seamstress in the sewing project, took me on her motorbike to Zegyo Market where we bought fabric for her to make me a longyi set. Then we went to visit Pyone Pyone, who was another of the seamstresses. She has a new baby girl named Tet Tet, sister to Kyaw Tazin . To my surprise Hla Myo, who was the manager of the sewing project, was home working on Kinny 1, to get her re-registered! This doesn’t mean his business is not good: he now has a guiding license and a company that calls him whenever they have customers needing to be escorted around. Kinny 1 a just a useful back-up. We waited to see big sister, Kyaw Tazin, home from school then took some photos.

My photography is not helped by my shake, which has deprived Hla Myo of the top of his head: I urgently need my photographer back.

Myanmar Festivals February - March 2016

I have found another three pagoda festivals which may fall within the time I am in Myanmar (14 February-11 March 2016). I hope to learn the Gregorian dates for these, then Win Kyaing and I can choose which will be possible for us to attend.
Bawditataung Pagoda Festival in Monywa, Sagaing Region.
Alongdaw Kathaphe Pagoda Festival Monywa, Sagaing Region
A Mae Yae Nat Festival - not sure where.
Other festivals are on my previous blog.

Myanmar Festivals 14 February to 11 March 2016

I shall be in Myanmar writing for a month from 14 February - 11 March 2016 writing up Buddhist Festivals and Nat Pwe.

14 February 2016
To Yangon. overnight bus to Mandalay. Stay at Garden Hotel

February 16 - 2 March.
Maw Tin Zun Pagoda Festival near Pathein. My Myanmar Festival Calendar says it is on from

24 February - 3 March
Pyi Daw Pyan Festival at Zalun, Ayeyarwaddy Division.

24 February to 3 March
The Kekku Pagoda Festival near Taunggyi

25 February - 1 March
Bawgyo Pagoda Festival in Hsipaw Shan State

25 February to 1 March.
Pindaya Cave Festival in Pindaya, Shan State

26 February - 

Za Lun Pyi Taw Pyan Pagoda Festival

3-10 March 

Shwesayan Pagoda Festival in Pathein-gyi, Mandalay

4 March - 

Shwe Myat Mhan Pagoda Festival, Pyay.