When it appears that the COVID-19 disease is more deadly than seasonal influenza, it is obvious that your guests are afraid to travel or consider any other accommodation option safe. 

But, as a hotel, you can adopt a few preventive measures, and assure a safe stay for your guests. 

Well, we have covered the what, why and how of COVID-19 and which preventive measures hotels should take to assure a safe stay to your guests. 

What is Coronavirus?

Coronaviruses are a large family of viruses, some causing illness in people and others circulating among animals, including camels, cats and bats

The 2019 novel coronavirus (COVID-19) is a new virus that causes respiratory illness in people and can spread from person-to-person. This virus was first identified during an investigation into an outbreak in Wuhan, China.

The World Health Organization (WHO) has made a dedicated page that has comprehensive information on COVID-19. You can explore more of this outbreak from here.

How does it spread?

Coronaviruses in human spread just like the flu or a cold (from person to person). Someone who is actively sick with COVID-19 can spread the illness to others.

• Through the air by coughing or sneezing
• Close personal contact, such as touching or shaking hands
• Touching an object or surface with the virus on it
• Occasionally, faecal contamination

What are its symptoms?

The basic symptoms of the COVID-19 can include:

• Fever
• Cough
• Shortness of breath 
• Runny nose

The symptoms may appear in as few as two days or as long as 14 days after exposure. Reported illnesses have ranged from people with little to no symptoms to people being severely ill and dying. 

How to keep your hotel safe from Coronavirus?

As a hotel, you should act immediately and start introducing preventive measures. Following are mandatory actions that you should immediately bring into practice:

1. Keep your staff aware of the disease

Though 99% of your staff must be fairly familiar with the outbreak to some extent. We would still recommend you to arrange a meeting and make them aware of it to all corners.  

Educate them about the preventive measures that they should take on your hotel premises. Also, brief them about the guidelines provided by the local health authorities.

2. Check whether any of your staff or guests have been infected

Have the infrared thermometers at your frontdesk to conduct temperature checks on all guests. Your staff can request all your newly arrived guests to measure their body temperature via a thermal scanner placed near the entrance. 

If you find any guests who are unwell with any symptoms of fever, flu or respiratory problems, ask them to consult a doctor immediately. Ask the sick suspicious guests to get their check-up done at the nearest clinic, checking in to the hotel. Take extra care while catering to international guests.  

3. Ensure cleanliness in every corner of your hotel

The COVID-19 virus spreads through the surface as well. So make sure every corner of your hotel is cleaned. 

Especially the surfaces or areas which are used frequently by your guests and staff members such as, the doors, the reception area, the front desk, lift or elevator buttons and so on. You can also apply plastic insulating films on the lift and elevator buttons, and change it every day to avoid germs spreading. 

Above all, if you have an in-house restaurant, ensure the cleanliness of your kitchen. Ask your chefs to wear surgical masks and wash their hands frequently.

All buffet or semi-buffet food should be served in smaller portions. It should be replaced or replenished every 30 minutes to avoid contamination. The crockery and utensils used at the buffet counters, including tongs, spoons and under liner should be changed and sanitized.

Besides, ensure that tableware including salt & pepper shakers, toothpick holders, sugar container, tent cardholders, menus and bill folders are being cleaned and sanitized on a daily basis.  

In addition to this, the main entrance and carpets at the hotel’s lobby are sprayed with qualified disinfectant every hour.

4. Use sanitizers and masks 

Provide your staff members with surgical masks, alcohol-based hand sanitizer (containing at least 60% alcohol) and gloves to wear. Ask them to always wear masks and use sanitizer frequently.  

If it is feasible, try to install the alcohol-based disinfectant hand rub dispensers at your front desk, reception area, in-house restaurant, cafe, meeting rooms or hotel lobbies. If you can’t, then at least keep big bottles of sanitizers at all these places. 

Keep sanitizers and surgical masks in each hotel room. Encourage your hotel staff as well as your guests to use sanitizers frequently. 

Keep helpful signs of washing hands and using sanitizers in common areas of your hotel.

5. Avoid handshakes. Do ‘Mingalabar’

Well, the handshake is a great way of transferring different microbes like viruses and bacteria from one person to another. So for the time being, ask your staff members to avoid shaking their hands with guests. Also, they should avoid frequent physical contact internally. 

Even the health experts warn that shaking hands is a prime way to spread the coronavirus. You should adopt some different methods of greeting people, like elbow bumps or Mingalabar. 

6. Maintain records

You should maintain accurate guest records. This includes maintaining guest registration records (name, ID Proofs, and other details), data of electronic locks, and security camera tapes. This is especially important if someone in your hotel has been diagnosed with the virus.

These records should be kept for a minimum of 90 days.

7. Check where your supply is coming from

Keep a tab on your suppliers and other outsourcing agencies. 

Ensure megastores from where you are getting inventory for your in-house restaurant is safe from COVID-19. None of your food or beverage should be sourced from Hubei province or Wuhan city, where the Novel Coronavirus originated from.

Besides, check whether the laundry services agencies are taking some preventive measures. 

So, this was all about how you can keep your hotel safe from corona virus.

And most importantly, when you are taking all these measures, keep your guests posted about the same. Highlight these measures being taken at your hotel in real-time on your website and social media pages. So, your guests can know that their stay at your hotel is going to be safe and pleasant. 

You have to take these measures sincerely, to be safe from this outbreak. Along with, as a hotel owner/manager consider these preventive measures for yourself too and be safe.

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Taking this Irrawaddy Dolphin Watching trip in the hottest month in Myanmar turned out to be a great idea. As a group of 4 we opted for the 2 days/ 1 night trip and enjoyed the cooling breeze and beautiful scenery as we slowly made our way up the river.

What is an Irrawaddy Dolphin?

Irrawaddy dolphins (Orcaella brevirostris) are an oceanic dolphin named after the Irrawaddy (Ayeyawaddy) River and are one of the world’s five species of dolphins that live in rivers. They have a grey body, a blunt forehead and nose, unlike the other oceanic dolphins, and can live up to 50 years. They use echolocation (sound) to hunt fish and communicate together. Irrawaddy dolphins are endangered and have an estimated total population of 7,100. They are found in only three rivers today, and there are less than 70 individuals left in the Irrawaddy River in Myanmar, where they are critically endangered.

What’s endangering Irrawaddy Dolphins?

• Shock by electrofishing
• Entanglement in gill nets or drift nets put across the river
• Lack of food as a result of over-fishing
• Pollution from mining and other industry
• Noise disturbance from large boats
• Less habitat from soil erosion

What is cooperative fishing?

Communication via calls and signals is made by both dolphins and fishermen, with the dolphins rearing schools of fish towards the cast net fishing boats and signalling to the fishermen to throw their nets when the fish near close to the boat. Only a handful of fishermen still practice cooperative fishing with dolphins these days. Communicating with dolphins and coordinating the throw with their signals takes years of skill and trust building with dolphins. The tradition is dying, as modern fishing practices and economics take over. Illegal electrofishing is also breaking down the trust between dolphins and fishermen, as dolphins are sometimes shocked and killed.

Ayeyawady Dolphin Protected Area

Myanmar’s Ayeyawady Dolphin Protected Area is the only place where you can see both Irrawaddy dolphins and the cooperative fishing tradition. It was the country’s first aquatic protected area, established in 2005, stretches for 74 km and has approximately 25 dolphins in the area. It is best visited from Mandalay on an overnight boat trip for 2 or 3 days in order to maximise your chances of spotting dolphins and having ample time to witness cooperative fishing in action. There are seven cooperative fishing villages that can be visited along the way that still maintain traditional culture, as well as other attractions such the 126 species of birds of the Upper Ayeyawaddy.

How Your Visit Helps

• Generates income for cooperative fishermen and their families
• Creates incentives for dolphin protection
• Raises awareness to protect dolphins & cooperative fishing
• Proceeds from the project’s revenue (5%) and donations by visitors help with community development

Spending 2 days 1 night on the river with Living Irrawaddy Dolphin Project was the best decision we made in Mandalay. The most amazing thing about this trip was not only seeing dolphins, but also learning about the unique relationship between local fishermen and dolphins. Cooperative fishing with wild dolphins doesn’t exist anywhere on earth but this part of the Irrawaddy River. One of the fishermen even told us a beautiful folktale about their relationship with dolphins.

Another thing we really enjoyed on this trip is we got to interact with the villagers. They showed us how to apply thanaka, how to wear longyi (traditional men’s sarong), how to throw a net, etc. It was a lot of fun! Food (cooked by the villagers) was very good and vegetarian friendly.

The moments on the boat from village to village were very relaxing too. I would love to try it again and would recommend it to anyone looking for a very authentic experience interested in getting to know life in rural Myanmar.

Your visit helps raise awareness for dolphin protection and generates income for local fishermen to continue their practice of cooperative fishing with dolphins. This is a social business. They are neither an NGO nor a strictly for-profit company.They use business to create benefits for communities and conservation. This project is an initiative of Living Irrawaddy Travel, a small local travel company.The Living Irrawaddy Dolphin Project is an initiative of Living Irrawaddy Travel and works with 6 communities to help them develop and market community-based ecotourism.

For your visit, you can get more detail information at info@hotelredcanal.com.

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The exact date of Vesak is based on the Asian lunisolar calendars and is primarily celebrated in Vaisakha month of the Buddhist calendar and the Hindu calendar, and hence the name Vesak. In Nepal, which is considered the birth-country of Buddha, it is celebrated on the full moon day of the Vaisakha month of the Hindu calendar, and is traditionally called Buddha Purnima, Purnima meaning the full moon day in Sanskrit.

In Theravada countries following the Buddhist calendar, it falls on a full moon Uposatha day, typically in the 5th or 6th lunar month. The date varies from year to year in the Western Gregorian calendar, but usually falls in April or May. In leap years it may be celebrated in June.

Mandalay is famous and strange of celebrating “Sand Stupa Pagoda” among the other towns in Myanmar because six sand stupa pagodas are situated in quarters along the bank of “Shwe Ta Chaung Canal” that flows Maddaya to Mandalay city. “Maha Walu Ka”, “Mont Te Su” sand stupa pagoda always renew two days ahead of “Kason” fullmoon day every year. First day, people have to finish sand stupa pagoda within one day .

Second day is preparation time for donation to monks and Buddha. Fullmoon day is pagoda festival day and make donations. Sand Stupa Pagodas have to build within one day and that last for the whole year that should not miss out to visit and see there.

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The Burmese new year falls on the second week of April as begins on 13th april and will end on 16th april. April always will be the welcomed day of our Burmese New Year.

The true spirit of the water festival is to have nice clean fun with dear friends sprinkling water on the one another. Here are the symbols of “Thingyan Festival”.

“Ah-Tar-Oh”, “Thingyan Pot”

The Pot with its set of flowers and leaves, is called “Ah-Tar-Oh”, ‘Thingyan Pot’.
“Ah-Tar-Oh”, “Thingyan Pot” meaning is that ” pot of flowers put out during Thingyan to welcome the New Year”.In this pot , the seven flowers or leaves are chosen and represent the seven days of the week.
It welcomes our Burmese New Year, especially to the King of the Celestials- Tha-Gyar-Min. Whether he forgets to come or not, we never forget to welcome him with ‘Thingyan Pot’.
We place Thingyan Pot at the suitable place in front of our house and hope that he will see it and let our names be engraved on his Gold plate.

“Shinbyu”, “Novitiation Ceremony”

Novitiation is the symbol of thingyan festival in a Buddhist family. It is one of the New Year activities. On these occasions, boys are sent to the monastery where they become ‘koyins’,or novices .They stay for a week or more at the monastery. Their heads are shaved. They wear yellow robes. They go on alms rounds carrying black alms bowls. They keep sabbath.

Novitiation ceremony; the boy sat obediently middle of his parents, the head was going to be shaved by the monk and his parents with happiness proudly held a snow-white sheet to receive his hair.
The Shinbyu, or Novitiation ceremony, is a coming of age ceremony as in other religions, for boys under 20 years old. The Novitiate ceremony is when boys do their service to Buddhism and are entered into the order of the monks for a week or longer.

“Padauk Pan” ,Symbol of Burmese Thingyan Festival Flowers

Padauk Pan(Yellow Flowers called Padauk) only blossom on April if fortunately given water from celestial(Rain showering). Padauk never blossom on any other Burmese months. In April, Burmese women wear Padauk on their head and also offer before our household shrines. If no thingyan shower for the month of april, we rarely see the beautiful Padauk on Thingyan month.
Famous poet named ZawGyi portrayed about this flower as ‘blossom only on the day of the month of a year, how faithful art thou!’

“Mandat”,Pandals made with Coconut leaves or Palm Leaves

During the Thingyan days, the Mandat, water throwing and playing places are everywhere, not only in cities but also in villages too. In the main city of Yangon and Mandalay, people use water guns, buckets and water hoses to make others wet. Young people would dye their hair to make themselves look cool. They would go around the town in cars to get wet. Some making their own Mandat made with coconut leaves and celebration together the water festival with friends.

On the New Year’s Day people make food donations at various places.All these April days, there is music in the air.While Thinngyan is a time for fun, it is also a time for religious reflection.People keep fast, give alms and do good deeds.

Happy Myanmar New Year for you all !. May this auspicious New Year brings all the best for you.

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The centre of this year’s celebration will be around the Mandalay moat and city walls.
Those who want to erect water-spraying pavilions around the moat, where they can sell tickets to revellers, can participate in the bidding supervised by the city.

Mandalay have introduced walking water splash, rural Thingyan night market, and Pyidaungsu Thingyan for this year
“Walking Thingyan” on 26th street has attracted revelers this year, making the festival more attractive than previous years.The he Mandalay City Development Committee is going to try to ramp up travel and tourism in Mandalay by celebrating this year’s water festival with Mandalay Walking Thingyan and Countryside Thingyan Night Market.

The aim is to elevate tourism in Mandalay ,would like all tourists to come here during Thingyan festival and like to arrange trips for them to visit our three ancient cities Bagan, Innwa and Amarapura before they participate in the festival.

To attract tourists and visitors, the MCDC has arranged the Countryside Thingyan Night Market to take place between 19th street and 23th street, at the eastern palace moat. The MCDC initially planned to allow building pandals from 12nd street to 20th street and opening stalls both day and night on 66th street for up to 450 feet at the 26th street at the eastern moat.

Just like last year, the walk way will be located at the southern moat along 26th street between 66th street and 78th street. The Union of Myanmar Travel Association will be given an area for the festival between 66th street and 69th street on the 26th street.

What is the meaning behind throwing water ?

A festival celebrated since 9th century, or the first Burmese Empire before the spread of Theravada Buddhism in the empire. It is one of the ancient (either Brahmanic or early Verdic Hindi) beliefs or practices to dive in the water or river to cleanse the soul spiritually. The main reason of pouring water on each other during Thingyan derives from such practices, to clean the soul from all bad deeds of the previous year and to start a new year with fresh soul and body. April being one of the hottest months in Myanmar, people have fun pouring water on each other for 4 straight days under the sun with sweet smile surprisingly without getting sick.
If you plan to take part in the water festival in Myanmar, here are a few useful tips that you should be aware or prepared of:

1. Expect to get wet : At the Thingyan Festival, water is thrown at you from all kind of sources and all possible ways i.e. tin cans, bowls, watering pipes to fire hoses. Regardless of who/what you are, what you are doing or wearing, you will be poured and get wet from head to toe. So be prepared to have fun while getting drowned under big fire hose as you will not be able to escape from it.

2. Embrace the madness : This is the time of the year where the whole country celebrates. A party that last for three days and a party at a size of a town. The main areas of the festival will be an absolute riot. These ‘pandals’, temporary raised stages erected on main roads are usually furnished with high powered water jets with which the occupants proceed to hose anyone and anything that passes by. The Burmese pile themselves into jeeps, pick up trucks and cars, some even with the doors missing, packing as many people into and onto a vehicle as possible. They then tour the city ‘visiting’ each pandal with the apparent intention of just getting absolutely soaked.

3. Who are spared from throwing water : A few people gets special permission not to get wet during Thingyan and these are monks, nuns, pregnant ladies and those taking Sabbath (who are wearing white blouse/shirt and brown longyis). So please make sure to avoid throwing water to these people in whatever condition you may be in even though it is very unlikely for these people to come out and play water.

4. Water proof Accessories : You can buy waterproof folders for your phone and other belongings just about everywhere. Make sure you test them before you trust them though.

5. What to wear : Wear something that will weather the wetness. Do not wear jeans as it would get really heavy on you. Do not wear flip flops nor heels but sandals with adjustable straps or light shoes. Flip flops will be washed down into the drains and it is very difficult to walk in shoes going up the pandals, cars or evening walking the congested long roads.

Here are the lists of accessories and clothes you might need :
– Sunglasses (however, you are likely to get yours lost or broken within 4 days.)
– A Hat (optional)
– Sun block and Aloe Gel to sooth the sunburn at night. (Under a hot sun, it is very easy for foreigners to get sunburn.) All make up accessories should be water proof, otherwise you will look like a panda.
6. Do not bring or wear anything valuable : It is very likely that you will have fun, dancing and drinking and throwing water the whole day that it is very easy to lose valuable items such as sunglasses, earrings, rings, necklaces and etc.

7. Book Accommodation : Things can book out a fair way in advance, especially because many Burmese people return to the big cities for the celebration. Book ahead! Lot of travelers are visiting their home towns or travelling elsewhere to celebrate Thingyan. Place like Yangon, Mandalay, Bagan, Inle and beaches tend to be fully booked with people coming in for the celebrations. It is very normal for beach hotels to double the room price as well.

8. Pre-Organise Transport : One thing we discovered is that transport rarely runs a few days before, during the festival and a couple of days after. Flights will be full and ticket price are expected to double. Reserve your tickets early. Trains rarely book out as you can only buy tickets up to one day beforehand. This could be a good option if buses and flights are full.

9. Not a time for business : Thingyan is not a time to do business nor entertain your business partners. All the offices and enterprises close down for five to ten days of Thingyan and nobody has a thought for business. It is also very likely for almost all shops to be closed on the 13th – 17th of April. Thingyan is time to wash away not only sins but also problems and worries of everyday life.

10. Yangon and Mandalay : The biggest celebrations are at Yangon and Mandalay. The celebrations at Yangon, befitting a port and capital city have a modern flavour. Those at Mandalay, the country’s cultural centre, are more traditional. Since the celebrations are held over three or four days depending on the calendar of that particular year, you can cover both cities.

11. After Thingyan effects : Hangovers, sore throat from screaming and shouting are very common. Also it is advisable to buy insurance for injuries and accidents as a great amount of alcohol consumption often leads to accidents and fights even though it may not be serious.

As well as the water fun, there is also traditional singing and dancing in the evenings featuring the traditional Thingyan dance at night. After 3 days straight celebrating water festival, on 1st day of Buddhist calendar year, locals perform meritorious deeds at monasteries, pagodas, elderly homes and orphanages e.g. washing the elderly’s hair and letting loose fish and cattle.

Of course there are people who celebrate the new year by doing good deeds. Many people enter Thingyan meditation camps, some as a normal Sabbath keepers some as nuns and monks fasting and keeping the Eight Precepts or Ten Precepts and go to the monasteries and pagodas to offer alms-food.

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The festival includes selling booths and exhibition booths of Thanakha planters, producers and exporters as well as entertainment programs, Thanakha games and Thanakha contest.
The association has planned to hold workshops on the challenges of the local Thanakha market.

It is the first challenge The local Thanakha market in Myanmar is facing a downturn due to the entrance of Thanakha based cosmetics from abroad, according to the Myanmar Thanakha Planters and Producers Association.

For local producers in 30 years, local Thanakha planters and producers said.
“We are facing a harrowing experience with the drastic decline of local Thanakha in the market. Myanmar people love Thanakha, so they opt for cosmetics that are labeled as a Thanakha based product whether it really includes Thanakha or not,” said one of the Myanmar Thanakha Planters and Producers Association.

Myanma Thanakha is loved by the whole nation and admired by other countries. Myanmar nationals wear Thanakha since childhood and it is always in our hearts. I would like to invite the public to come and explore various Thanakha products.

Thanakha is a yellowish-white cosmetic paste worn by the people of Myanmar regardless of age and gender for its cooling sensation and protection from sunburn.

The festival is packed with the crowd especially young women.

It is the second time festival in Mandalay, and 30 stalls were opened by Thanakha producers from Shwebo, Ayardaw, Pakokku, Myaing and Yesagyo towns where Thanakha plants are mostly grown.

“Thanakha”

Myanmar women and girls are commonly applied “Thanaka” to their faces sometimes the arms and legs.”Thanaka” (sa,nap hka:;pronounced) is a yellowish -white cosmetic paste made from ground bark.
When Thanaka liquid dries on the skin, helps to control oiliness.Harvesting workers wear thick Thanaka to prevent sunburn.It may be applied from head to toe (thanaka chi zoun gaung zoun).It has fragrant scent somewhat similar to sandalwood.

The earliest literary refrence to thanaka is in a 14th century poem written by King Razadarit’s Mon-speaking consort.Mentions of thanaka also exist in the 15th century literary works of Burmese mon-poet Shin Maharatthasara (1486-1529).

The two most popular are Shwebo thanaka from Sagaing Region and Shinmadaung thanaka from Magway Region.Thanaka cream is made by grinding the bark, wood, or roots of a thanaka tree with a small amount of water on a circular slab called kyauk pyin.

Apart from cosmetic beauty, thanaka also gives a cooling sansation and provides protection from sunburn.It believed to help remove acne and promote smooth skin. It is also anti-fungal. Myanmar women and girls are often photographed for the “Thanaka” by international travellers.

This festival is interested to see the organic products from “Thanakha”. Well organized and planned to present how “Thanakha” is good for skin and the best natural skin care products.

We shouldn’t miss out to explore the “Thanakha Festival”

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The monastery was originally part of the Royal Palace in Amarapura, before it was moved to Mandalay, where it formed the northern section of the Hmannan (Glass Palace) and part of the king’s royal apartments. The building was heavily gilt with gold and adorned with glass mosaic work.

When the capital city was moved to Mandalay, the building was dismantled, transported to Mandalay and rebuild there as part of the new all teak Royal Palace in 1857.

Mandalay, Burma (Myanmar)

Shwenandaw Monastery was built in 1878 by King Thibaw Min, who dismantled and relocated the apartment formerly occupied by his father, King Mindon Min, just before Mindon Min’s death, at a cost of 120,000 rupees.

Thibaw removed the building in 10 October 1878, believing it to be haunted by his father’s spirit. The building reconstruction was finished in 31 Oct 1878, dedicated in memory of his father, on a plot adjoining Atumashi Monastery. It is said that King Thibaw used it for meditation, and the meditation couch he sat on can still be seen.

The monastery is also called the Golden Palace Monastery, because it used to be part of the Mandalay Royal Palace and was completely gilded. Both exterior and interior of the monastery are decorated with intricate wood carvings. Some of the carved wooden panels ravaged by time and weather have been replaced with new panels, especially on the outside.

Mandalay, Burma (Myanmar)

Well known for it’s teak carvings of Buddhist myths, which adorn its walls and roofs. The monastery is built in the traditional Burmese architectural style. The roof lines are decorated with very detailed intricate wood carvings. The roofs bargeboards contain carved depictions of mythical creatures, animals, dancers and flowers.

Mandalay, Burma (Myanmar)

Some of the best preserved panels are inside the building, sheltered from weather and sunlight. Among them is a number of carved panels depicting scenes from the Jataka tales, the tales about the previous lives of the Buddha.
Inside the main room in the center of the building is the main Buddha image, with Nat spirits worshipping it. Only men can go inside to worship the Buddha image.

Mandalay, Burma (Myanmar)

The Shwenandaw Monastery is located a few hundred meters from the North East section of the Royal Palace grounds, next to the Atumashi pagoda. From downtown Mandalay you can get there by rickshaw which should cost around US$2 or by private taxi at around US$ 4.

Tourist can buy a Mandalay archeological zone ticket at US$ 10, that is valid for a week. This ticket is also valid for the Atumashi Pagoda located right next to it and for a number of sites around Mandalay in the towns of Sagaing, Innwa and Amarapura.

Mandalay, Burma (Myanmar)

This is a great place to get an impression of what the Royal Palace once must have looked like. As the Palace was destroyed by fire during the second World War, the Shwenandaw Monastery is the only major original teak wooden building left of the original Mandalay Royal Palace.

Mandalay, Burma (Myanmar)

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“Kon” or Kumbha [Aquarius] is the astrological name of Tabodwe with a zodiacal symbol of a water bearer. Pauk [Butea] and Lei or Let pan [Silk cotton tree] [Bombex Malabaricum] are the traditionally designated flowers of Tabodwe. Pauk flowers are orange coloured profused on bunches. Lei or Let pan trees are big and tall. The entire tree after shedding all old leaves, produces buds and blooms of scarlet colour from all branches. Against the blue sky on the golden sun lights these pauk and let pan flowers create fantastic natural paintings. Let pan flowers produce silken cotton wool they are also a good vegetable which Myanmar herbalists recommend for folk dishes because of their curative properties. At night when the sky is clear, Maga asterism of 4 stars and the Mon appear astride.

Philologists give two different meanings of Tabodwe. Tabo and Twe 2 words combined. Tabo means “yoke” and “Twe” means “hung up”. In this month, all agricultural activities are over. Farmers and peasants give rest to their agricultural implements including yokes. Yokes are hung up on the walls. So it is the month of “yokes” [Tabo] being hung up. The month of “yokes being hung up”. The second meaning is Tabo is htanbu or spadix of a toddy palm tree from which the sap is tapped. “Twe” means to hung down. It is the month in which toddy palm climbers press spadixes to hung down to tap the sap. After they have consume fresh toddy juice in the morning or fermented juice in the evening, they boil them to get balls of toddy sugar called gagary or toddy chocaret- traditional preserved food used in many ways, medicine, dishes and even in moon shining country liquor.

Of many festivals held in this month, the one common, wide spread and traditionally designated festival is the bon-fire festival. Bon fire is made by burning sandal or similar fragrant wood in a terra cotta brazier and taken to the Buddhist temple to offer to the Buddha Images. This religious custom of bon fire offering originated in the lifetime of Lord Buddha. While Lord Buddha was residing at the Pubayon monastery in the Kingdom of Savatthi, one Tabodwe evening he happened to be standing on a hill side. It was so cold that Lord Buddha kept his back in the warmth of the sun rays. But as the sun set down, and as it was out in the open, the chill of the night was too much for the Buddha who was wearing one robe. As the night advanced, cold intensified. So Lord Buddha put on the second robe to resist the cold. By midnight he had to wear the third robe. By dawn three robes were not enough to keep the body heat. So the fourth robe was worn over the third. By the rule of Vinaya [Priestly Discipline] only three robes are permitted for each monk. So to silence the criticism of some laymen, the last two robes were stitched to gather to become the third robe called “Dukut”. In the extreme cold of Tabodwe night Lord Buddha made his hands and feet warm by keeping them on a furnance.

In commemoration of that event the Buddhist devotees made offering of bonfire to Buddha images in Tabodwe especially on the full moon night, to gain religious merit. In Loka Byu Har Inyone Sardon [Treatise on Court ceremonies and festivals compiled by Thiri Uzana, minister of Inyone] the festival of bonfire in the time of Myanmar Kings was described as follows:-
“On the 8th waxing day of Tabodwe, a ceremonial procession of gathering fire woods took place. In the front of the procession were the Samyaung [the Officers to announce the impending presence of the King] accompanied by the music of drums, followed by 250 fire wood cutters recruited from Shey Win [East Guard at the Palace]. 250 fire wood cutters from Letya Win [Guard on the right side of the Palace] 250 fire wood cutters from Letwei Win [Guard on the left side of the Palace] and 250 fire wood cutters from Anauk Win [West Guard at the Palace]. Behind them 1000 body guards followed. Behind them 100 equestrian soldiers with helmets followed. Behind them two knights on horseback, wearing helmets and ceremonial gowns of their rank followed. When the procession reached Maha Myat Muni Temple, music was kept playing. The body guards “and fire wood cutters went into nearby jungles and woods to cut and gather fire wood. The procession returned following the same procedure. When it reached Shey Yone [East Office] the body guards put fire woods on the stands, and bound them into bundle. On the 14th waxing moon day the clerks carried the bundles of fire wood into Shey Yone. The Minister of Royal Treasury brought 1000 braziers”.

“At 4 O’clock in the evening, princes, princesses royal grandchildren, ministers and courtiers wearing ceremonial dress and ornaments of their rank came out to attend the ceremony at Shey Yone from 4 O’clock in the evening till 1 O’clock at night. Then they depearted”. “The minister of Royal Granary took 1000 pots of Yagu [rice porridge], 1000 stands of fire wood, and 1000 braziers borne by Thwethauksu Shwe Pan-pan equestrian soldiers to the pagodas and temples for offering to Buddha images”. On pages 544-545 of Konbaung Set Maha Wun Tawkyi [Great Chronicle of the Konbaung Dynasty] volume 3, a graphic account of the bon fire festival held in Konbaung Period is given thus:

“On the full moon day of Tabodwe, even the tips of the tusks of Saddan White Elephant shiver in the cold, on such day, Lord Buddha the Exalted sage in his lifetime took the warmth of fire to keep off the cold. To commemorate that event, an annual puja of bon fire was held. On the 14th waxing moon night of Tabodwe, the bonfire festival was held in the courtyard of Shey Yone Taw. Officials of the Hluttaw [King’s council] and Shey Yone Taw supervised the making of yagu from the first crop of paddy and sweet milk. Then at dawn of the full moon day, 15 braziers with burning sandal woods, 15 plates of yagu. Thazin orchid flowers and oil lamps were carried by officials to 15 pagodas and temples including Maha Muni which were in Royal List. There to the Buddha Images and Sacred Relics these were offered”.

Now-a-days the festival of bonfire in Tabodwe is held only in upper Myanmar. Big towns and cities like Monywa, Shwebo, Sagaing, Meithtila, Magwe, Pakokku, Myingyan, Kyaukse and Mandalay. Buddhist devotees still celebrate bonfire puja at prominent pagodas and temples. Similarly in the other states like Shan, Mon, Rakhine, Kachin, Chin and Kayah, states such pujas are held at pagodas and temples. On the eve of the full moon day of Tabodwe fragrant fire woods are arranged in the shape of a stupa in the foreground of the pagoda or temple and burn them on the full moon night to offer warmth to the Buddha Images. Such bonfire is also offered to aged monks and people as a sign of respect as well as an act of religious merit.
The bonfire puja and festival annually held at Maha Muni Temple in Mandalay is a grand show worth noting and recording. The day before the full moon day of Tabodwe all kinds of fragrant woods are arranged like a ceti in the spacious precinct. Among other offertories Yagu rice porridge or htamane [a Myanmar traditional delicacy concocted from glutinous rice and ingredients} are dominant. At dawn, religious music band of the Temple begins a religious music “Nayi” accompanied by the, singing of Te Diem song Htoo Ma Chana. This religious band was dedicated by successive Rakhine and Myanmar Kings to Maha Muni Image only. The band performs three times daily- at dawn when the face of the Image is washed, at noon when lunch is over, and at eventide. On the full moon night bonfire is burnt, fireworks are displayed. Religious music and songs carry on.

Mandalay is noted for severe climate. Its cold season is as severe as its summer is burning hot. Mandalay people harbor a belief that only after Maha Muni Image has received bonfire puja on the full moon night of Tabodwe, cold begins to reduce.
Associated with the bon fire festival of Tabodwe is the communal celebration of the making of a Myanmar traditional delicacy called htamane. In Myanmar literature it is said that yagu and htamane are two different names of the same Myanmar delicacy. But in fact they are two different kinds. While yagu is just a rice porridge with or without milk and sugar, htamane is a delicacy prepared with glutinous rice from the first harvest Seasoned with ingredients and condiments. According to Treatise on Myanmar traditional medicine, the cold in Tabodwe dries up body skin. There is no perspiration to moisten the body skin. So it is necessary to take a little more of vegetable oil to protect the unbearable cold of Tabodwe. Oily htamane is eaten as a sort of preventive medicine by Myanmar old folks.

There is a recipe for concocting htamane. For easy memorization, the recipe is composed as a tay-htat song. The following is a loose translation of it:-
”Take a pyi of a basket rice glutinous rice and wash it clean by fresh water. Put one viss of pure sesamum oil in a big iron pan which is placed stable on wood fire. Fry 3 tickals’ weight of ginger slices in the oil to produce flavor put the washed glutinous rice in the ginger flavored oil and stir it thoroughly. Add some water to it and knead the stuff with wooden ladles. When the glutinous rice gets grilled, with oil oozing out of it, reduce the fire and spray on the stuff in the iron pan 80 tickals’ weight of fried ground nuts, 32 tickals weight of roasted sesamum seeds, 20 tickals weight of shedded coconut kernel and 7 tickals weight of salt. Then knead and crush the stuff again and again. Taste it to test if it has attained the required quality standard. If so, the htamane is put on the banana leaves for serving with hot plain tea”.

Htamane making and eating is a festival common to all Myanmar ethnic nationalities. It is a new harvest festival known as Kauk Thit Sar Pwe. Different species of grain are cultivated across the country. On plains and deltas paddy of different varieties are the main crop. On hill regions, in addition to paddy, millet, maize, corn, beans etc. are grown. New Harvest festival is one of the festivals all ethnic nationalities celebrate their agricultural activities- ploughing, sowing, planting, trans planting, weeding reaping, winnowing, storing, eating communally the new crops etc. Hence htamane festival is also a social occasion for a communal activity in which all are involved- the aged, the adult, young both male and female and even children. Htamane making and feast take place in the precinct of a temple, pagoda or monastery. Either individually or collectively a htamane party is formed. Needed Kitchen utensils such as giant iron pan [moe bye de oh] two pairs of great wooden ladles, knives, daggers, baskets, mortar and pestle trays, low tables, tea pots even napkins are hired from the store house of the monastery. Young men carry them to the site of htamane making. Adult males make fire place dug out in the ground, bring fire woods, fetch water from nearby aquatic bodies well, tank, river, fall or spring or stream and all other heavy works. Women and girls do lighter works, winnowing glutinous rice, washing rice, shedding ground nuts and ginger, washing pots pans and tea pots and cups. Strong young men climb up coconut trees to cut bring them down and cut them open. Children sweep the ground and keep the party alive by their playful activities. Women and girls do the initial part of the process men’s hard labour comes in when glutinous rice in the pan becomes grilled soft and pliant, muscular hands are needed to knead and crush the sticky stuff thoroughly with long wooden ladles. A good htamane is the result of correct proportion of glutinous rice, oil, water, ingredients and thorough kneading and crushing by wooden ladles.

It is so amazing to watch men doing this arduous work, are sweating in the cold of Tabodwe. When the htamane pan is moved from the fire place feminine hands spray ingredients on the grilled glutinous rice at regular interval with correct handful amount. Now is the turn of the experienced aged to judge if htamane is well made. They form a group of connoisseurs to taste to test the good or bad of the htamane in the pan. If everything is judged 0.K by these connoisseurs, then, the first pick is to be offered to Buddha Images, next picks go to the monks, the aged, the seniors, superiors, parents, and teachers. The rest are portioned and placed on banana leaves spread out on low tables for all to eat and enjoy to fill. Earthen pots of boiling hot green tea are ready on the low tables. Hot green plain tea is the best to go with this oily delicacy in the cold of Tabodwe.

If a contest is held, there is more excitement and a more festive atmosphere is created. Contesting parties are cheered up by music bands like Ozi or Dobhat waings. Folk songs and folk dances are performed in full swing, teasing, joking and mimicking one another. Village elders supervise the contest, so that the proceeding is in accordance with game rule. Winner parties are awarded with cash and kind like clothings. Winner party make a procession around the village with performance of music and dances.

Htamane making contests are held in schools and colleges to train young students in communal cultural activities and to breed community spirit among them. Htamane fests are open to all. No invitation is needed to join them. Any stranger or passerby regardless of race, religion or creed is welcome and is served with htamane to his fill, with cups of hot plain green tea. He may take some home because there are packets of htamane wrapped up with banana leaves for the taking.

Have a great day!

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The centre of this craft was and still is Mandalay,the long-standing hub of Myanmar culture and art. The ancient ceremonial royal raiment known as the “Maha Latta”,worn from time immemorial by kings and queens is a very heavy gold-embroidered and gem encrusted robe. The Maha Latta was worn by King Thibaw and Queen Suhpayalatt. the last reigning monarchs of Myanmar. Their robes were the creation of skilled seamstresses. goldsmiths and other artisans of Mandalay. These raiment are on display at the National Museum in Yangon.

The embroidery of gold thread and gems is so fine and intricate that it defies the imagination of an unskilled layman. The most outstanding artisans became court craftsmen by royal appointment. They sewed and embroidered all kinds of royal raiment for the monarch and the royal family. ministers and generals. from headgear down to footwear as well as other furnishings for the royal palace such as wall tapestry. fans. cushions. pillows and so forth.

The national ethnic groups also favor gold embroidered garments and headgear. The ceremonial dress and headgear of the Mon. Rakhine. Shan. Palaung. Kachin. Kayah. Padaung. Akhar and many others are heavily embroidered in gold and silver thread and encrusted with silver ornaments and beads. They are really gorgeous.

It takes a lot of time. practice and perseverance to become skilled in this decorative art of embroidery. To create an artistic piece of traditional Myanmar gold thread embroidery one needs a piece of white cloth of suitable proportions that has to be stretched and tightened on a square wooden frame. Then on the rigid and smooth surface the figures or patterns desired are sketched in outline with charcoal or pencil. In ancient times the basic design were floral patterns. vines and curlicues.

The sketched outlines are then stitched over with gold. silver or colored thread. This is the edging or border of the central picture of the embroidery. Then comes the ornaments that are sewed on such as silver stars. sequins. cut glass. beads and seed pearls to bring the picture to life. This part of the embroidery is called “ayoke cha gyin”. which literally means “laying down the figure”. Then the stitches are brushed over with glue on the underside to strengthen and prevent the threads from breaking. It also makes it easier to cut out the figures separately.

The cut figures or pictures are then appliquéd on the piece of velvet or satin or silk which will form the background of the embroidery. However an opening is left through which cotton is later stuffed to make an embossed figure. Then other adornments such as sequins. beads. seed pearls and semi-precious and even precious gems are added around the figure which is the central theme of the embroidery to form a backdrop.

Depending on the main figure or theme this backdrop could be a palace or a pond. a forest glade or a galaxy of stars or just patterns pleasing to the eye. Some of the more elaborate tapestries bring to life tales from the Jatakas. tales of velour and historic events. Sometimes a color painting or a patchwork of colored velvet is worked into the picture. Whatever it may be. it certainly requires great skill and artistry. The gem studded embroidery has to also call upon the work of gold and silver smiths. So a picturesque Myanmar tapestry is hardly the work of a single craftsman but a cooperative effort.

The patterns and names given to the small colored cut glass are equally fascinating. Some of them are called Diamond Dome. Rhomboid. Emerald Square and Banyan leaf. The sequins used in the embroidery for royal wear was made of genuine gold or silver and the artisans who made them lived in their own colony known as “Kyaikhat Win” as their descendants still do today. The ward where the gold embroidery is famous for is still known as “Shwechi Hto” ward to this day.In creating gold embroidery. the size. color. designs and patterns as well as the materials to be used depend on the object it is intended for. and in the days of the monarchy the place or person intended for.

A whole range of objects was adorned with gold and silver tapestries including monasteries and palaces. Some tapestries were used to adorn the ceiling of a shrine hall or used as room dividers and wall hangings in monasteries in palaces. Sometimes an entire wall would be hung with heavy tapestry. Other smaller objects such as fans were edged with gold embroidery. Then there were cushions and pillows and even palm leaf manuscripts that were ornamented with delicate gold embroidery. Royal crowns and coronets. headdresses and turbans. cuffs and sashes were embroidered with suitable insignia of rank and royalty. Other apparel for royalty were embroidered with pure gold thread and gems right down to the footwear. The harnesses and saddles of elephants and horses were also decorated with such embroidery for auspicious and ceremonial occasions.

The traditional designs and patterns were usually based on the Jataka tales and historic events or were depictions of celestial bodies and nature at different seasons of the year. There were also animals from elephants and lions to birds. Nowadays. Myanmar tapestry has become an attraction for tourists from abroad and there is a wide range of objects in gold embroidery. The traditional tapestries are still available but there are many eye-catching novelties like clutch purses. handbags. cushion covers and even baseball caps. But the basic figures and illustrations and the techniques remain about the same. Because of the huge popularity of Myanmar gold embroidered articles the previously small cottage industry has now spread to Yangon and other places. This has opened up employment opportunities for women with a skill and talent for needlework.

Thank you for reading!

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This game is usually played barefoot or using chinlone shoes that will let the players feel the ball and the ground. The players can make contact with the ball through the top of their toes, the inner and outer sides of the foot, the heel, the sole, and the knee. The sport requires extreme flexibility, agility and fitness as well as exceptional coordination.

Chinlone has played a prominent role in Myanmar for about 1,500 years. It’s style is so performance based because it was first created as a means of entertaining Burmese royalty. Chinlone is heavily influenced by traditional Burmese martial art and dance, another reason as to why so much importance is placed upon technique. As it is such an old game, many variations have been made to it, including hundreds of different ways or moves to use when maneuvering the ball.

In addition to the original form of chinlone, there is a single performance style as well. This form of chinlone is called “tapandaing.” While chinlone had been widely considered by Europeans to more of a game than a sport, international interest in chinlone grew rapidly. By 1911, chinlone teams were performing in parts of Europe and Asia. As spectators of chinlone, Europeans deemed it to be merely a game of indigenous people, too effeminate to be considered a sport.

After Myanmar’s independence from British colonial rule in 1948, many British influences and cultural practices lingered, including British sports such as polo. Past British colonialism still weighed heavily upon Burmese life. From the 1960’s and onward, there was a big governmental push for traditional and historical preservation. The premise was for cultural pride to be renewed.

Myanmar needed traditions that were unique to Burmese culture, free from any colonial influence. Chinlone fit this role perfectly, playing a key part in establishing Myanmar nationalism. Myanmar began implementing physical education in schools, teaching children from a young age about traditional sports like chinlone, as a way to educate and pride them on their culture. This was a small yet effective way in reestablishing Burmese life after colonial rule. With this new found nationalism, chinlone was finally considered a real sport.

Nowadays, chinlone is played by men and women, young and old alike. It is a very common scene in both urban and rural areas to witness a circle of men barefoot with their longyis hiked up and wrapped around their legs and waists spending the final hours of daylight in intense concentration passing the ball around, honing their skills and getting some exercise with friends.

This casual form of the sport hops right up to a formal and more competitive form at the annual Waso Chinlone Festival held in a small stadium in the grounds of the famous Mahamuni Pagoda in Mandalay. The festival takes place for a month around the full moon of Waso. Teams from all over the country travel to Mandalay to perform to live, loud and rhythmic traditional Burmese music at this festival.

A commentator provides lively narration on what the players are doing while panel of judges rates them on their style and form. They perform as a team but not against any other team. For the first time, chinlone was an official sport at the SEA Games hosted by Myanmar in 2013 when Myanmar won gold medals in six out of eight categories.

Thank you for Reading!

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