Picto Diary - 16 April 2017 - Yangon, Myanmar
Above: TIMDT observes Shwedagon Pagoda. Yangon, Myanmar. 16 April 2017.
Today marks TIMDT's and Mwah (sic)'s first visit to Myanmar. Shwedagon was a great place to start.
The visual effect of this religious site is eye popping. Think Buddhist equivalent of Notre Dame, Salisbury, Blue Mosque, SLC LDS Temple, or Kanchipuram.
The pagoda is a gilded stupa, 325 feet fall. It is situated on Singuttara Hill in Yangon and dominates the Yangon skyline. The pagoda sits at the center of an enormous marble paved square and is surrounded by smaller stupas and temples containing relics and buddha statues.
Shwedagon is the most sacred Buddhist pagoda in Myanmar, as it is believed to contain relics of four previous Buddhas, including eight strands of hair from the head of Gautama Buddha, the first Buddha.
I asked our guide, "Are the eight hairs of Buddha ever brought out for the population to view?" "No," was the reply. I thought of my 2009 visit to St. Mary of Zion Church in Axum, Ethiopia, where Ethiopian Orthodox Church officials claim is housed the Ark of The Covenant. There, a monk lives for a year in the crypt where is housed the Ark, whereupon he is replaced by another monk for the next year... and so on. the Ark is never made available for public view. I asked our Burmese guide if there was a similar arrangement at Shwedagon. "No," she replied. "The relics are permanently sealed inside of the pagoda. There is no monk oversight of the relics."
Today was the fourth day of Thinngin, the Burmese Water Festival, and the day before Myanmar New Year's day. There were many local worshipers at the temple, young and old, giving the impression that the Myanmar people's spiritual nature remains strong, despite having lived for years under authoritarian military government.
Above: TIMDT at Shwedagon Pagoda Buddha display. Yangon, Myanmar. 16 April 2017.
Above: TIMDT at holy of holies. Shwedagon Pagoda. Yangon, Myanmar. 16 April 2017.
Above. Water Festival antics. Downtown Yangon, Myanmar. 16 April 2017.
Timing to see Thinngyan, the Water Festival, the most unique, colorful and happiest holiday in Myanmar, was excellent. We were out and about in downtown Yangon on the fourth and final day of the festival.
Large numbers of Yangon citizens roam around the city in cars or on foot and throw and splash water on one another.
We were told that we would get wet as we walked around the down town area... and, that was true... but, quite a bit of the dousing occurred because it was also raining.
People running around were hyper merry as they engaged with our intrepid band of Seven Seas Voyager geezer foreigners walking around down town. I was doused by youngsters three or four times.
People would also walk up to me and say with a smile, "Happy New Year (The Water Festival is also part of the Myanmar New Year celebration).
The Myanmar people believe that Thinngyan water has the power to cleanse the evil and sins of the old year.
Thinngyan falls on the last four days before Myanmar New Year day, which is roughly the second week of April according to the Gregorian calendar.
Above: TIMDT observes Thinnyan water festival. Independence Square. Yangon, Myanmar. 16 April 2017.
Above: TIMDT observes Chaukhatgy Buddha. Yangon, Myanmar. 16 April 2017.
Why should TIMDT seem so enamored with this reclining Buddha when she sees the real thing every day?
Addendum:
Good one.
Thank's Steve.
Brand, Ventura, CA
Penang: When Clancy was doing the first motorbike ride around the globe in 1913 he stopped in Penang, where his plan was to off load his motorcycle from the boat and ride down to Singapore. The plan failed to recognize there was no road to Singapore at the time, so he played tourist in the town of Penang, then was back on the boat.
Dr. G.
Crow Agency, MT
Enjoyed your comments about the assisted living crowd --700 or so-- on your ship.
How about going on a cruise with 4000+/_ like that, as we did on an Alaska cruise in 2015..
We leave for Portugal on 4/25 for 3 weeks. and will wing it--well, we have rented a home in Evora for 2 weeks.
We hear the food and wine is great!!
Ohl, Midway, UT
Great shots... thank you.
Zibby, NY, NY