Myathabeik Pagoda plans Buddha Pujaniya, township-wide alms-offering events

The annual Buddha Pujaniya festival and township-wide alms-offering ceremony will be held at the Myathabeik Pagoda in Thaton Township of Mon State, according to U Soe Myint, Chairman of the Myathabeik Pagoda’s Board of Trustees.
The annual Myathabeik Pagoda Buddha Pujaniya festival is held on the full moon day of Tabodwe and includes Myanmar traditional Htamane-making competition, township-wide alms and oil lights offering ceremonies as well as launching the market festival with many stalls in the Pagoda’s compound.
“From the full moon day of Tabodwe to the 3rd waning day, the Buddha Pujaniya festival will include a Maha Pathana treaties recitation with rice-offering event to invited Sayadaws, just like the previous years,” U Soe Myint explained.
During the Buddha Pujaniya festival, the Buddha’s sermons are recited at the Pagoda’s platform. Additionally, at 5 am on the full moon day, the Pagoda on the summit of the mountain will be consecrated by Sayadaws with an offering of flowers, candlelights, joss sticks, and 1,000 bowls of alms. After that, the donors will offer the Htamane alms, rice and foodstuffs to more than 680 monks from 174 monasteries and over 70 nuns from 36 nunneries in Thaton Township at the foot of the mountain starting at 7 am.
The food donations for people from four corners and 9,000 oil lights offering event along the way to climb the Pagoda will be hosted starting at 4 pm. — ASH /MKKS