Bago’s Shwemawdaw Pagoda to host rice offering, watering banyan tree on Vesak Day

According to U Tin Aung Myint, a member of Shwemawdaw Pagoda’s Board of Trustees, a ceremony to offer rice to members of the Sangha will take place at Shwemawdaw Pagoda in conjunction with watering banyan trees on Vesak Day which falls on 22 May.
On the Vesak Day called Buddha Day, a total of 1,000 members of the Sangha participated in consecration of the Shwemadaw Pagoda. Moreover, well-wishers will offer rice and alms to 1,000 members of the Sangha and 100 nuns. In the afternoon, a ceremony to pour water on banyan trees will take place there.
“The pagoda will be consecrated by 1,000 members of the Sangha from monasteries in Bago at 5 am on full moon of Kason, 22 May. At 5:30 am, meals will be offered to 1,000 members of the Sangha and 100 nuns. Rice-offering ceremony will take place on the platform of the pagoda. Starting from 4 pm, banyan trees in the precinct of the pagoda will be watered. At about 6 pm, a venerable Sayadaw will deliver a sermon at Buddha Beikman,” said U Tin Aung Myint.
At Shwemawdaw Pagoda, the water pouring banyan Tree is held every year on full moon of Kason. This year, consecration, rice-offering and sermon-administration ceremony will take place there. In the evening, guests to the ceremonies will be served with meals.— ASH/TKO