Thursday, May 14, 2009

Dancing Elephant Festival

Myanmar  is  famous  for   a number of  festivals. The country has a rich culture. These festivals play a major part in the culture of the country.  Some of these festivals  are very  famous.  Many of  these festivals are regional  while  most others are celebrated  throughout the nations.  There are many festivals that have a connection with the religion while there are some festivals that can  be  considered as the folk  festivals. 

 

Dancing Elephant Festival is considered as one of the famous festivals in Myanmar. This festival is held in Kyaukse that is situated near Mandalay. This festival is one of the most significant festival of Myanmar.  In this  festival a  marvelous performance  by two  men in presented.  The two men dance with the rhythm. In this festival a huge life size   elephant figurine is made from paper and bamboo.  So it is pretty much lightweight. The two men take their place inside the figurine and they dance around the town. To accompany this dance dobats and drums are also played. The men dance to the rhythm of these instruments.  

The elephant dancers circle at the  foot of  the  hill for three  times.  It is a way to pay homage to the Shwe Tha Lyaung Pagoda. It is a difficult dance.  This dance requires precise rhythm and timing. Timing is very necessary for the elephant dancers to maintain the unity among the elephant dancers who remain inside the elephant figurine.  It is truly an unforgettable experience.  People from different parts of the country come to this town to take part inn the elephant  dance festival. You too can have loads of fun watching the elephant dance.  

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