Culture And Us

Dancing Elephant Festival

2009-05-14T05:07:00.000-07:00

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.

Htamane festival

2009-05-12T04:22:00.000-07:00

If you are interested in knowing the culture of different countries then you are going to have a great time in Myanmar. The beautiful country is well known for its rich cultural heritage. In different times in an year different festivals are held in this country. some of these festivals are celebrated with joy and gusto by the entire country while some of the festivals are regional festivals. But the people of Myanmar celebrate these festivals with equal joy and gusto. If you are planning to visit Myanmar somewhere in near future make sure you be there during at least one festival. It is truly an experience to remember.

If you are planning to visit Myanmar somewhere between the month of February and March then you will be in at the right time to take part in the famous Htamane festival. This festival is also known as the festival of sticky rice. This festival is celebrated throughout country. In this festival sticky rice is prepared as a ritual. This sticky rice dish is made of sticky rice and sesame seed. To prepare this dish a large pan is required along with four small baskets of sticky rice. Twenty coconuts a small basket of peanut and sesame seeds, oil ginger and salt is required. Preparation of Htamane is not very easy. It is indeed an elaborate process. First of all the sticky rice is soaked in water overnight. On the next day the small pieces of coconuts as well as other ingredients are fried. These ingredients are then poured over the soaked sticky rice in a pan. Then the rice is stirred until it is cooked. Once the delicious dish is prepared it is offered to the Buddha in the Pagodas. After that it is given away for free to all the visitors to the Pagoda.

Kason Watering festival

2009-05-12T01:09:00.000-07:00

Myanmar is home to a number of fairs and festivals. If you are going to Myanmar somewhere in the near future make sure to experience at least one festival in this country. every year thousands of tourists visit this beautiful country and experience the festivity. These festivals give them an idea about the rich cultural heritage of Myanmar. if you love knowing about the culture of different countries then you are sure to love the culture of Myanmar.

Many of the festivals in Myanmar have a direct relation with the religious practice of the country. A large section of the population of the country follow Buddhism. So naturally many of the festivals of Myanmar have a relation with Buddhism. Kason Watering festival is one of the well known festivals in Myanmar. It is regarded as a religious festival. This festival is celebrated during the month of Kason. During this month the length of day is longer that the length of night. This is one of the summer months when due to scorching heat the water of ponds and other water bodies reduce to the minimum level. In local believe the month of Kason is considered as the Taurus season. The zodiac of the Taurus season is considered as a ball.

Kason festival is nothing but a water pouring ceremony during which water is poured at the maha-Bodhi tree. The Maha Bodhi tree is the holy banyan tree at the which the Buddha attained the enlightenment or the Buddha hood. As during the summer the earth remains extremely dry and all the water bodies dry out too people pour water at the foot of the Maha Bodhi tree so that it does not die due to extreme heat or draught. It has become a popular culture in Myanmar that during the full moon day in the month of Kason people will pour scented water to the Bodhi tree in a large procession.

Festival of the Shwedagon Pagoda

2009-05-11T00:35:00.000-07:00

Myanmar is well known for its rich cultural heritage. During your trip to Myanmar do not forget to experience the culture of this amazing country. The best way to know about the culture of the country is to take part in the festival of Myanmar. There are a number of festivals and fairs held in Myanmar. These festivals reflect the true color of the cultural scenario of Myanmar. There are a number of religious festivals in Myanmar. You can have a great time taking a part in this religious festival.

The festival of the Shwedagon Pagoda is one of the most well known religious festivals in Myanmar. Thousands of tourists every year take part in this religious festival. This beautiful festival is celebrated on the full moon day of the month of Tauaung or March every year. Many followers in the country contributes funds for the festival. A large section of the population of the country pay homage to this pagoda everyday during the festival. During this festival a great many rituals are performed. In this pagoda a great number of festivals are also performed. These small festivals are also given prime importance by the followers. These festivals include the pouring water to the sacred Bo-tree, the overnight weaving contest for the yellow robes as well as the donation of gold leaves in a buck and many others are some well known festivals that are celebrated through out the year.

The Tabung festival is the greatest festival among the festivals that are celebrated in Shwedagon Pagoda. A great deal of renovation work is done to prepare the pagoda for the festival. For the convenience of the tourists as well as people with walking disabilities a number of elevators have been set up. Visitors from all over the country enjoy the festival. If you visit the country somewhere in the month of March then you too can be a part of this amazing festival.

Kachin Manaw Festival

2009-05-10T22:57:00.000-07:00

Myanmar is one of the most well known tourist destination in southeast Asia. every year millions of tourists come to Myanmar to see its natural beauty. The beautiful country however, has more to offer than justs its natural beauty. The culture of Myanmar is also very rich. If you are person who loves to know about the culture of the country you are planning to visit then you are sure to have a wonderful time visiting Myanmar. The richness of the culture of this country will surely mesmerize you. The country also celebrated as number of festivals with joy and gusto.

The Kachin Manaw Festival is considered among the most well known festivals in Myanmar. Kachin is one of the states of Myanmar that celebrates a delightful festival. This festival is known as Manaw. The people of Kachin live in the hills and they celebrate the Manaw Festival with joy and gusto. The Manaw festival is one of the most popular festivals in Myanmar. This festival is generally held in the month of January. This beautiful festival has been held for more than three decades now. This festival is seen as a celebration of the New Year, Victory in battles as well as reunion of the tribes. Dring this festival everybody in town joins a spiritual dance in which they line up behind one another.

During this festival the traditional Manaw poles are decorated with colourful Kachin motifs. These poles are then stationed in the middle of the festival ground. Every person who attend the festival wear their best traditional costumes. The main feature of the festival is dancing around the erected Manaw poles. This dance is quite similar to the totem poles of North American Indians.

Myanmar Religion

2009-05-09T22:56:00.000-07:00

Myanmar is a well know country is south east Asia. a large seciton of the total population of Myanmar follow Buddism. Buddhism is the national religion of Myanmar. As a result about 85 % of the total population of Myanmar are Buddhists. But the Buddism in Myanmar has been influenced by a number of other things. Like Thai Buddhism the Buddhism Practiced in Myanmar too has a strong link with spiritism. You are sure to find the practice of Buddhism in Myanmar quite interesting.

Burma or Myanmar is the first country in Southeast Asia where the words of Lord Buddha were spread. Bt the first millenium AD the words of Budhism reached Myanmar with the Indian merchants. These Indian Merchants entered the delta of Ayeyarwaddy for doing trades with the country people. And these merchants first taught the people of Myanmar about Buddhism. However, Budhism has become popular and emerged as a dominant religon in Myanmar only after King Anawratha became the king of the Buremese Kingdom in Bagan. He was converted to Buddhism by Shin Arahan who was a mon missionary.

In Myanmar you will find two different schools of Buddhism. They are Teravada and Mahayana. It is just like Roman Catholic and Protestants in Christianity. Teravada Buddhism is often termed as the orthodox Buddhism. The Teravada Buddhism is the most prominent form of Buddhism you can see in Myanmar. There are a number of pagodas and shrines in different parts of myanmar. These temples, shirnes and pagodas are regularly visited by the followers of buddhism. A number of Buddist festivals also take place in this country with joy and gusto.

Culture of Myanmar

2009-05-08T23:48:00.000-07:00

If you are a person who love to know about the culture of a country that you are visiting then you are sure to find the culture of Myanmar quite interesting. the country has a long and varied history. Hence the culture of the country has also become very rich. Every year thousands of tourists visit this amazing country and there are a large section of these tourists have found the culture of the country quite interesting.

If you are planning to visit Myanmar in near future, you should have a fair idea about the country as well as the different aspects of it. The country is well known for its natural beauty. Since ages the natural beauty of the country has attracted the tourists and nature lovers to this country. recently this country has become a popular destination for adventure tourism. Apart from that Myanmar has also been a place for religious pilgrimage. Buddhism being the most prominent religion of the country there are a large number of pagodas as well as shrines.

From time to time a number of festivals also take place in Myanmar. There are a number of regional festivals that are very popular among the tourists. These festivals reflect the rich culture of Myanmar as a country. apart from the regional festivals there are a numberof regional festivals in Myanmar that are celebrated with joy and gusto. Some of the famous religious sites or pagodas also have their own religious festivals. During these festivals thousands of pilgrims from different parts of the country come to take part in this religious festival. If you come to Myanmar during any of these religious festivals you will be able to see the celebration of the festival all by yourself.