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Festivals in Myanmar 

In October (Thadingyut)
Thadingyut Festival of Lights/ End of Buddhist Lent

          Thadingyut' (October) is the end of the Buddhist Lent or the rains retreat. It is the festival of lights on the full-moon day, one day before and one day after. Houses and streets in cities and towns are brilliantly illuminated. Pagodas are also crowded with people doing meritorious deeds. It is not only a time of joy but also of thanksgiving and playing homage to teachers, parents and elders, and asking pardon for whatever misdeeds in speech or thought they might have committed during the year, and elders also readily forgive if these is anything to forgive. This beautiful custom of Myanmar people serves as a bridge across the generation gap which often is the cause of trouble in many other countries.

         It originates in the story of worldly beings welcoming back the Buddha with lights as He descended from 'ta-va-tim-sa,' the highest abode of the 'Nats' (celestial beings).He had spent the three moths preaching 'Abhidham-ma', the Highest Doctrine of Buddhism, to the celestials headed by His mother who has died soon after hiving birth to Him and reincarnated as a 'Deva' by the name of 'San-tus-si-ta'. It will be remembered that'Gautama Buddha', after displaying unheard of miracles under the 'Ganda' mango tree, had disappeared from that mango grove and gone to 'Ta-va-tim-as', and spent the three moths of the Rains-Retreat. The full moon day of the Thadingyut is accordingly known as 'Maha Pavarana Day' from the earliest times. Its also known as 'Ta-va-tim-sa festival' or 'Festival of Lights on Mount Meru'.

Phaungdaw Oo Pagoda Festival

         The festival of 'Phaungdaw Oo pagoda' in 'Inle' Lake is held every year during the month of Thadingyut (October), is the biggest occasion of the lake. The images of the Buddha from 'Phaungdaw Oo Pagoda' are placed on a decorated royal barge called 'Karaweik' (Mythical bird) and taken around the lake, stopping at villages for people to pay homage. The festival is full of pageantry and colourful and there are fun fairs, music, dances and boat races participated by both men and women rowing with their legs.

Elephant Dance Festival

          En route from Yangon to Mandalay, there lies a thriving town called 'Kyauk-se' in Upper Myanmar situated some 26 miles to the south of performed at annual Light Festival in the month of Thadingyut (October). The main feature of this festival is the elephant dance accompanied by colourful pageantry a life-size white paper elephant decked with regal trappings carries on its back a replica of the sacred Tooth of Buddha or some relics of an 'Arahat' while a black paper elephant follows as the finale of the procession. Each of these paper elephants is borne and animated by two men inside. The black paper elephant dances merrily to the procession music and thus it is the center of attraction during the carnival. Nowadays, the elephant dance no longer sticks to its native town along. It has become one of the highlights in many auspicious celebrations throughout the country.

Thadingyut Festival of Lights/ End of Buddhist Lent
Venue: nation wide

Phaungdaw Oo Pagoda Festival
Venue - Inlay Lake, Shan State.

Kyaukse Elephant Dance Festival 
Venue: Kyaukse, Mandalay Division

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