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Monthly Festivals | Regional Festivals
Ayeyarwady
MawTinSoon Pagoda festival
This pagoda is situated at Maw Tin Zun, Ngaputaw Township in thePathein DistrictoftheAyeyarwaddy Divison. Maw Tin Zun is also called Nagayit Mountain, Tharana Mountain or Neibban Mountain. The pagoda is believed to have been built in Sakarit 103 by Zeyathena, the king of dragons, enshrining two hair relics of Buddha obtained from the two brothers Tapusa and Balika.It was name Maha Makuta Yanthi. It was repaired by King Thiri Dhammar Thawka, the king who held the Third Buddhist Synod, and later, in Sakarit 457, King Alaung Sithu of Bagan renovated the pagoda and renamed it Phaung-daw-Oo pagoda. The pagoda festival is held in Tabaung (March) for 14 days around the full moon day. People from all over Myanmar country come to the festival.
Zalun pyitatvpyan Image Festival
In Maha Sakarit 113 the King and lay disciples of Rakhine cast the Maha Myatmuni Buddha Image in bronze and three more images were cast out of the surplus bronze. The fourth statue came to be known as the Man Aung Myin Statue. This statue was conveyed to Amarapura by the Crown Prince, son of King Bodawphaya, in Sakarit 1146. The image was housed in the front part of the royal palace and was called Nan-Oo Phaya.
In Sakarit 1214 the statue was conveyed to Zalun by the Zalun headman U Shwe Pwint. The colonialists who had occupied lower Myanmar took the Image to England with the intention of using the bronze in their mint. According to legend they could neither melt it nor break it with hammers, and the Queen was said to have suffered nagging headaches and nightmares. She ordered that the statue be returned to the place from where it was taken. But because the British could not remember the original site from where it was taken, they left it on a sandbank near Hinthada, and the people called it Padawmu Phaya — the image found on the sandbank. A tug-of-war over ownership took place between the citizens of Zalun and Hinthada, and Zalun emerged as the winners. The image has been kept in Zalun ever since. In memory of its having been taken abroad and having been brought back, it became famous as the Man Aung Myin Pyitawpyan Image (the statue that was returned from abroad). This pagoda festival is held in Tabaung (March) for ten days around he full moon day.Bagan
Ananda Pagoda Festival
The Ananda is King Kyansitthar's masterpiece. It is laid out according to the plan of a Greek Cross, with arms formed by porticos radiating from the central square block. Within the tall arched alcoves of its four sides are the standing images of the Buddha. There are a large collection of green glazed terracotta plaques in the Ananda, the largest assembly in a single building. The pagoda festival is held for a fortnight during Pyatho (January) around the full moon day.
Shwezigon pagoda Festival
The pagoda is an example of early Bagan architecture. It was, built by King Anawrahta started building it, finished by King Kyansitthar, and enshrined with various relics of Buddha. At each of its four facades there is a small square temple housing a 13 feet high standing Buddha in bronze. The pagoda festival is held for many days in Tazaungmone (November) around the full moon day.
Mount Popa Nat festival
Mount Popa, a 1500m high extinct volcano, is about 50-km southeast of Bagan. It is the legendary home of nats or spirits. The mount Popa area has also been designated as a National Park, a perfect place for eco-tourism and summer resort. The Nat festival is held on Myanmar New Year Day in Tagu (April.)
Chin
Chin National day
This one-day festival is held in Haka (northern Chin State) and in Mindat (southern Chin
State) on the 20th February. It is a popular holiday for the Chin, one of the major ethnic groups in Myanmar. Different Chin groups at both venues perform folk dances.
Naga festival
The Nagas tribes live in the mountains, valleys and plains of one of the most remote regions on earth, in the northwest corner of Myanmar close to India. They live on both sides of the border.
Their New Year Celebration is from the 14th to 15th January, and held in one of the towns in Sagaing Division, either Layshi or Khamti. Tribes from all of Nagaland, from both the Indian side and the Myanmar side of the border come to the festival. On New Year day they have competitions involving traditional sports. The different Naga tribes, once fierce warriors, gather in their bright and exotic dresses and celebrate with endless drinking of rice wine, dancing and feasting on wild boar meat.
Kachin
Manaw festival
Manaw is the colorful festival of the Kachin people who live in northern Myanmar. Traditionally Manaw was a Nat Festival, honoring guardian spirits, and the Padain Nat is believed to be the protector and benefactor of the Kachin. There are many versions of Manaw: a version to celebrate the New Year, other versions to celebrate victory in battle, house-warmings, and so on. In earlier times it was a festival for the Duwars, or tribal chieftains, but now it is the victory festival for all of Kachin State.
A big Manaw Festival is usually held on Kachin State Day, 10 January, in the state capital, Myitkyina, to usher in the New Year and to celebrate prosperity and abundance. Traditional Manaw poles, decorated with Kachin motifs, and are placed in the center of the Manaw grounds.
A line of elaborately dressed dancers, led by shamans, approach the Manaw poles to the sound of brass gongs. As is usual for all mountain people, the dance is communal and everybody lines up behind the leaders. The dance is a show of gratitude to their ancestral spirits and their wish for brighter future. Although most Kachin are now Christians, they are still proud of their ancestral traditions.
Inn Dawgyi
Inndawgyi, Myanmar's biggest natural lake, is situated in the Moegaung area in the Myitkyina district of the Kachin State. The lake is 16 miles long (north-south) and 7 miles wide (east-west,) with a total lake area of is 80 sq. miles. Every year in March, the festival of the Shwe-Myintzu Pagoda, built during the Konebaung era, is held from the
gth waxing day to the 1st waning day ofTabaung.
An intriguing fact is that two sandbanks are washed up by the waves before the festival begins so that people can walk from the bank to the pagoda. People believe that one sandbank is for human use and the other is for the Nats (spirits and celestials). The two sandbanks disappear into the lake shortly after the festival.
Kayin
Kayin State Day
Kayin State comprises 7 townships and has a total area of ll,731sq. miles, ie, 4.9% of the Union of Myanmar. November 7 is the Kayin State Day, which is celebrated in Pa-an, the state capital.
Kayin New Year
The Kayin New Year falls on the 1st Waxing Day of Pyatho (usually in December, but some times in January). It is celebrated in Kayin State, Kayin quarters inYangon and in other cities where Kayin dominate. The celebrations include folk dances, traditional boxing and fun fairs.
Magwe
Myathalun Pagoda Festival
The Magway Myathalun Pagoda is believed to have been built by Thubawga the philanthropist in the Maha Sakrit era. The original height was 52 ft, but it was extended to 82 ft by King Saw Lu of Bagan, enshrining 120 relics and seven gold Buddha images. When it was damaged by earthquake in Kawza Sakarit 1290, it was rebuilt to a height of 99 ft.
King Mindon gilded the pagoda in 1214 in the Myanmar calendar. The pagoda festival is held around the full moon day of Thadingyut for two weeks.
Kyaungdawyar Fish Feeding Ceremony
The Kyaungdawya pagoda is in Pwint Phyu, near Magway, and the festival is lengthy, held from mid July to the second week of October. It is a famous festival known as Fish Feeding Festival. People believe that hundreds of big fish, which can only be seen in July, came specially to pay homage to the pagoda.
Mandalay
Mandalay,the last capital of the myanmar kings,is located in central myanmar ,668 km north of yangon.Also known as Yadanabon-nepyidaw (Gem City) it was built in 1857 by King Mindon,the father of the last king Thibaw.
Mandalay is the second largest city boasting a rich cultural heritage,and it is also a commercial center with rail,road,river & air links to all parts of the country.Mahamuni Pagoda Festival
King Bodawphaya built this pagoda in 1784 to house the Mahamuni Buddha Image, brought from Rakhine state.The image originally was of alloy but now it is heavily gilded with fine foils of gold,and is estimated to be over one ton in weight.Being the most revered Pagoda in Madalay,the early morning ritual of washing the face of the buddha's image draw daily crowd of devodees.
The pagoda festival is held in the month of Dabodwe.In the first ceremorny from the 1st Waxing Day to the 9th Waxing Day of Dabodwe (february),a number of monks chant Buddist scriptures nonstop.On the 8th Waxing day,there are communal offerings of dry rations and other necessties to the monks from nearby monasteries.
The evening entertainment includes zats (a variety of dances ,songs,short & long plays), anyeints ( comedic dances) ,open-air movies ,and many stalls selling various traditional snacks and other utilities.
Taung pyone Festival
This is the most famous Nat Festival (appeasing of spirits) in Upper Myanmar. It is held at Taung Pyone village, in Madaya Township, one-hour drive from Mandalay. The festival is held in August, around the full moon day of Wahgaung, and lasts five days, with special programs each day.
Yadanagu Festival
This is another Traditional Nat Festival held in also in August, around the no moon day of Wahgaung. The festival is on the Mandalay-Sagaing road in Amarapura township, half an hour drive I from Mandalay.
Kyauk-Taw-Gyi pagoda Festival
King Mindon built Kyauktawgyi pagoda (the Pagoda of the Great Marble Image,) in 1865. The huge Buddha image was cast out of a single alabaster boulder and brought from the Sagyin hills, about 50 miles from Mandalay. Ten thousand labourers are said to have been employed for 13 days to transport the boulder along a specially dug canal othe site of the pagoda at the foot of Mandalay Hill.
The festival is from 8th waxing day to the full moon day of Thidingyut (October.) The event is similar to other pagoda festivals.
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