Phaung Daw Oo Paya Festival

The Inle Lake on the cusp of change

The Inle Lake in Shan State, Myanmar is transformed during the month of Thadingyut (September to October) when an 18-day pagoda festival is held. Four revered golden Buddha images from the temple are placed on a replica of a royal barge designed as a hintha bird (the golden swan of Myan legend) and taken to many sites on the Inlay Lake. One image always remains at the temple. The elaborately decorated barge is towed by several boats of leg-rowers rowing in unison, and other accompanying boats, making an impressive procession on the water. The barge is towed from village to village along the shores of the lake in clockwise fashion, and the four images reside at the main monastery in each village for the night.

The high point of the festival is on the day when the images arrive at the main town of Nyaung Shwe, where most pilgrims from the surrounding region come to pay their respects and veneration. The barge and the images are welcomed to Nyaung Shwe by a high-ranking official in the government before they are placed in the temple. As part of the festival there are several energetic leg-rowing races on the channels between the villages.

Inle lake is a beautiful area with its villages on stilts, traditional fishermen working from their boats on the glassy surface of the lake, Buddhist temples on islands, floating gardens and flat bottomed skiffs propelled by the Intha’s technique of leg rowing. Touched little by the modern world apart from commuter and tourist motorboats, this is all about to change as large swathes of the hillsides to the South East of the lake have been carved up to put in roads to enable the development of large hotel resorts. This will continue to challenge the lakes fragile eco system which is already suffering from diminishing water levels and increased use of pesticides.

Four revered golden Buddha images are placed on a replica of a royal barge designed as a hintha bird (the golden swan of Myan legend) and taken to many sites on the Inlay Lake. Here at Ye Tha dams need to be built to allow the barge to pass due to lack of water.

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To enable the royal barge to be able to reach the temple at Ye Tha dams have had to be made to retain as much water as possible near the dock. The increasing development in the area will continue to challenge the lakes fragile eco system which is already suffering from diminishing water levels.

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The Thadingyut Festival of Lights in Nyaung Shwe.

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A replica of a royal barge designed as a hintha bird (the golden swan of Myan legend) arrives at Phaung Daw Oo, the final resting place for the four revered golden Buddha images.

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Locals at Phaung Daw Oo, watching the return of the four revered golden to their final resting place after traveling on a replica of a royal barge and taken to various sites on the Inlay Lake in Myanmar.

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Monks visiting the the shrine at Phaung Daw Oo, the final resting place for the four revered golden Buddha images that have been traveling on a replica of a royal barge and taken to various sites on the Inlay Lake in Myanmar.

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A monks speaks with a group of women visiting the Phaung Daw Oo pagoda. Women are not allowed to enter the shrine of the final resting place for the four revered golden Buddha images.

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Men in the shire at the Nyaung Taw pagoda pay their respects by applying gold leaf to the four revered golden Buddha images that are now hardly recognisable.

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Offerings at the Nyaung Taw pagoda.

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Typical houses on the Inle Lake.

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Typical houses on the Inle Lake.

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A traditional fisherman working from his boat on the glassy surface of the Inle Lake.

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Several energetic leg-rowing races take place on the channels between teams from different villages.

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Several energetic leg-rowing races take place on the channels between teams from different villages.

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Several energetic leg-rowing races take place on the channels between teams from different villages.

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Several energetic leg-rowing races take place on the channels between teams from different villages.

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Traditional fishermen working from their boats on the glassy surface of the Inle Lake.

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A traditional fisherman working from his boat on the glassy surface of the Inle Lake.

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A traditional fisherman working from his boat on the glassy surface of the Inle Lake.

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Fish for sale at the market in Nyaung Shwe.

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A boy brings his cart back down from the hills near Khaung Dain.

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The floating gardens on the west side of Inle Lake. Whilst helping with the local economy, these gardens contribute to environmental problems as in time they become solid ground, reducing the area of the lake itself, a loss of over 35% in the last 80 years.

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Large swathes of the hillsides to the South East of the lake have been carved up to put in roads to enable the development of large hotel resorts. This will continue to challenge the lakes fragile eco system which is already suffering from diminishing water levels and increased use of pesticides.

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Boys playing football in the dust near Shwe Inn Thein monastery near the Inle Lake.
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A bridge over the canal near Taungg, Inle Lake.

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The setting sun behind the shrine in the middle of the Inle Lake.

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