Myat Thura

Myanmar Thingyan is coming! Now is the time for celebration for all Myanmar - whether poor or rich, educated or none. Burmese communities all over the world will also be celebrating Thingyan in their places also. This is a great time, the most joyous time for the Myanmar people. Thingyan, or Water festival is the most important and most celebrated event in Myanmar. This is the celebration for everybody in Myanmar. In case you don't know what Thingyan is, I have written an account of Myanmar Thingyan on Today in Myanmar. You can read about Myanmar Thingyan on Today in Myanmar .

Last 20 years saw the establishment of beer culture in Myanmar. Before 1988, beer is a rare commodity in Myanmar. The government produced Mandalay beer was always in short supply. It was available only in a very few hotels and restaurants. Foreign brands like Heineken and Tiger beer were available in black markets at a high price. Most Myanmar people cannot afford to buy a can of beer then. With the opening of economy in 1988 saw the introduction of a number of locally produced beer brands in Myanmar. These Myanmar beer brands include Myanmar Beer, Mandalay Beer (now a private venture), Dagon Beer, as well as Tiger Beer, ABC Stout and Anchor Beer which are produced under license from the parent brands. With the introduction of cheap locally made beer, people in Myanmar saw ... more at M yanmar Beer culture

Yadayar is a custom of Burmese people, done to promote one’s luck. Originally a belief of Indian Hindi Brahmans , it has established itself as a Burmese custom, even incorporated into Buddhist belief of Myanmar people (although it is a total contradiction to the teachings of Lord Buddha). It is a concept which has no equivalence in the western culture, and one difficult to explain to foreigners. Simply speaking, it is an act which is totally unconnected to the outcome you wish for, but which, in celestial meanings, has great influence over the expected outcome. For example, suppose you wish to sell your old car which you find difficult to attract any interested person, you go and ask for the advice from an astrologer. He will, base on his astrological calculations, which usually takes into consideration of the day you were born ..... read more at Make yadayar to promote your luck

Here is another song about Chin Land by the same Chin song writer, Salai Thaw Na. This is about the famous flower Rhodendron which is also the national flower of Chin State. This song is also in Burmese.

The following is my contribution to the blog Myanmar2day . What is Thingyan Sar ? Probably you might never heard of this term before. It might be a strange term and concept for outsiders, even for our South East asian neighbours from Thailand, Laos and Cambodia. Actually, thingyan sar is an integral part of Myanmar people. Thingyan sar literally means words of Thingyan, which is Myanmar counter part of Thai Songkran or water festival. Thingyan is also the Myanmar new year celebration. Essentially, thingyan sar is a written prediction of what would happen in the next Myanmar year. This is usually prepared by Myanmar astrologers most of whom are of Indian Brahmin origin. As there is no official thingyan sar, and many astrologers use different methods of interpretation for the calculated results, thingyan sar from one astrologer might be different from that of another one...... Read more at Thingyan Sar on Myanmar2day blog.

One of the places that you must pay a visit in Yangon (Rangoon) is the famous Shwedagon Pagoda. Believed to be the first padoda ever built on Earth, Shwedagon is the centre of worship and devotion for all the Buddhist in Myanmar (Burma). Myanmar (Burmese) Buddhists believe Shwedagon was built around 2,500 years ago, during the time of Lorda Buddha, although archiologists believe the pagoda was built during 6 and 10 century AD by Mons. Whether this claim is true or not nobody knows, Shwegadon remains centre of Burmese and Mon buddhism since ancient time. Many Burmese and Mon kings and queens renovated Shwedagon Pagoda several times in history, many of whom said to have donated gold equal to their body weights. Today, Shwedagon is estimated to be covered in 60 tons of gold plates! Shwedagon Pagoda at night Situated on the highest hill in Yangon, and rising above 326 feet above its base, the pagoda can be seen from up to 50 miles away. It is indeed the most famous and prominent lan...

Breakfast for many people in Myanmar is fried rice. Usually it is a mixture of cooked rice and other leftovers from the evening before. One or two egg is often stirred into the fried rice. Sometimes, some slices of fried Chinese pork sausage is added to it. Most usually, a kind of steamed beans sold by vendors in the early morning is added. This makes a cheap but tasty and nutritious breakfast for most families. Another popular breakfast for Myanmar people is mohinga (monhinga). This is a peppery fish broth eaten with rice vermicelli. This is eaten steaming hot. Vegetable fritters, slices of fish cake or hardboiled egg are usually added to give extra nutrition. This is further enhanced with the addition of chopped coriander leaves, morsels of crispy fried garlic, fish sauce, a squeeze of lime and chili. This is the most popular dish ...... Read more about Myanmar Breakfast .

The most famous song about Chin Hills and Chin Land, by the same song writer Salai Thaw Na. This song was sung very frequently in Chin Land as well as aired on Myanmar TV quite frequently. This song is also in Burmese. Enjoy.

The above is a music video by Kyo Kyar and Cindy , two Chin singers about Chin Land. The title is " The Home Land of Chin People " and composed by a Chin song writer Salai Thaw Na . The lyric is in Burmese, not in Chin. Please enjoy.

Here is a document I found on SCRIBD . It is called Kya Kyan (Kya Gyan) , a collection of series of weekly cartoons by Aw Pi Kyae (APK). APK is a famous cartoonist who usually portrays the rediculous aspect of human nature in a humerous way. His cartoons are famous among Myanmar readers as they delicately portray the current social situation in Myanmar. The one here is a good example. It is written in Burmese so you won't understand the meaning of these cartoons. Even if you read the English translation, it is difficult for you to understand the hidden meaning as you need to have a thorough knowledge of the current social situation in Myanmar. Anyway, enjoy. Kya Kyan by APK - Upload a Document to Scribd ]ususrf;} qdkNyD; umwGef;awGa&;w,f/ yxrqkH;umwGef;udk [mo*sme,fay;wm qifqmjzpfcJhw,f/ emrnfaMumifhjzpfr,fxifvdkY tcGifhtvrf;*sme,fukd ]rqdkrrdefY} qdkwJhemrnfajymif;NyD; ay;w,f/ tqifajyoGm;ayr,fh t&ifemrnf ]ususrf;}udk ydktm;&wmrdkY trSwfpOf(3)rSm jyefajy...

If you are a fan of Myanmar (Burmese) astrology, this is a good starting point for you. Not only you could see what your future is, you can also learn Myanmar astrology at this site. The site has extensive articles on Myanmar traditional astrology. Some of the articles are quite indepth. I believe all Myanmar astrology lovers will love this site very much. Check it out at Myanmar Astrolog y .

When you visit Myanmar, you will encounter ah-lhu one day or another. What is ah-lhu ? It is in deed a religious donation ceremony. People usually do ah-lhu when they donate food and offerings to the monk or the monastry. It can be a sole even. Or it can be in celebration for the wedding, anniversary, or to mark the day a family member died. People usually do ah-lhu at home or at the monastery. Usually, on the day of ah-lhu , monks are invited to the home. They are then offered food and offerings, after which monks recite Buddha's scriptures and give sermon. After the monks go back to the monastery, meal is served to the invited gusts. This is usually a Burmese formal lunch, although sometimes, it can be monhingha, a popular Burmese noodle soup. Ah-lhu is an integral part of Myanmar Buddhist life, and most Myanmar people, if they could afford, will do ah-lhu quite frequently.

If you ever want to visit Chin Hills, Mindat is the most convenient and easiest to reach town in Chin Hills. Situated in Southern part of Chin Hills, Mindat is a small but peaceful, beautiful and tranquil town. With a total population of nearly 10,000 people, it is considered a sizable town in Chin Hills. The town is built along the top of a mountain range that runs east and west. So practically, Mindat is a long line of houses built along the main road with some small side roads fanning out here and there. Situated at 4,860 feet above the sea level, it is cool in summer and very cold in winter. And a lot of rain falls during the rainy season. The best season to visit Mindat is during summer where the weather is cool but not cold, and the roads are dry. As soon as you reach Mindat, you will notice immediately how beautiful the town is. Tall pine trees line the approaching road while distant mountains shadows the town. It is a scenery that will definitely impress the first time visitors...

If you travel in Chin Hills, you will see many stone slabs erected on the side of the road. They are all written in Chin language so you won't know what the meaning is. They are actually the memorial stones erected in the memory of the deceased. Usually, they give a brief description of the person who passed away, with achievements while they were alive. They include the awards, possessions, wives and children, animals killed, enemies killed in battles, positions held in the government service, etc. Usually, these memorials are erected by the children of the deceased. There usually is a grand feast to those who come the the stone erection ceremony. It is indeed an expensive ceremony with many cows and pigs killed to serve the guests. Although the expense is quite huge, this is considered a great honor to the deceased and the family so the family will try their best to continue this honorable tradition. In my opinion, these memorials are the written history of Chin State and Chin pe...

If you ever sailed along the great river Irrawaddy, the largest and longest river in Myanmar, you would notice one thing. Life is almost as it was sixty years ago. Old wooden ships still run along the river as it was before the World War II. Workers carry rice sacks over their shoulders, loading and unloading ships docked at the piers. Naked children swim in the muddy river while their mothers bath on the river bank; the same thing that their mothers and grand mothers might have done a century ago. Meanwhile, their fathers row small boats, catching fish along the river. Life was no different from sixty years ago for them. Irrawaddy, being the longest river in Myanmar, runs through the heart of the country. As most of Burma's ancient cities were built along the river, it was always the life line of the country for more than a thousand years. Although. with the development of modern land transportation, its importance has declined in recent years, Irrawaddy still plays an important r...

If you ever have an experience of visiting a Burmese friend's house in Myanmar, you will remember that you had been asked a particular question. "Have you already had your lunch/dinner?" is the question that we Burmese always ask our visitors whenever they happen to visit us at meal time. This is not because we are inquisitive of our visitors. This is a simple gesture of good will. We Burmese believe that it is rude to have your lunch/dinner alone while there is a visitor. We always offer our visitors to join our feast, and we really mean it. Some foreigners might think it is rude to ask somebody whether he already has his meal; one of my foreign friends already asked me this question. The fact is, we Burmese people are always generous to our friends, and really want them to join us at our lunch/dinner. This is more obvious in rural towns and villages, where the host will try his best to make your stay as comfortable as possible. I have been traveling a lot in the rural a...

When you meet a friend in an English speaking country, you say “Hi”, or “How are you?”In Thailand, you say “Sawaddee”. In Myanmar, you usually say either “where are you going?” Quite strange, right? In Myanmar, we don’t have an informal phrase or expression to be used as a greeting. The famous phrase “Mingalar Bar” is quite formal and nobody use it in the streets. It is only used in formal announcements on the airplanes! And it is not really Burmese. The expression was invented during the colonial period; a rather indirect translation of “Good morning”, “Good afternoon”, “Good evening”, or “Good day”. The closest literal meaning of “Mingalar Bar” is “have good things unto you”. So next time you meet a Burmese friend in the streets of Yangon, ask “where are you going?” instead. And remember, don’t ask this question to a stranger. This is only for friends. Technorati Tags: Myanmar , Burma , Burmese , Culture , Custom

“ Khaung ” is a kind of alcoholic beverage made locally in some parts of Myanmar, mostly among ethnic people. There are various kinds of “ khaung ” produced locally but most widely known are Kachin and Chin khaungs . I don’t know about Kachin khaung , but I have some knowledge about Chin khaung that I could share with you. In Chin state, the most famous khaung is made in Southern Chin State, especially in Mindat Township. In contrast to khaung from other ethnic people, Chin khaung is made from millet seeds, not rice or sticky rice. Every family in Mindat grows millet seeds in their farms solely for the purpose of making khaung . The process of khaung making is as follows. First, red millet seed is cooked until it becomes thick. Then it is allowed to cool down. Once it is cool down, yeast is added to it and blends properly. Then it is put into a clay pot and sealed air tight. Fermentation takes place inside the sealed pot. This process takes at least a month, but the longer the ...

I was visiting a small remote town (actually a large village) in Yaw region. It was Laungshae, a very ancient town in Myanmar, and situated in Saw township. I saw these local people on a religious procession on a Buddhist holy day.

Here is a group of local people in a small town in Chin State of Myanmar (Burma) pulling a cow to the market. This is a large mountain found abundant in Chin Hills. They are bringing this cow to the butcher.