Sacred Buddha Images Sail Across Inle Lake as Myanmar’s Phaung Daw Oo Festival Returns

INLE LAKE, Myanmar — Just days after the monsoon rains recede, Inle Lake, cradled by scenic mountains, becomes the setting for one of Myanmar’s most important Buddhist festivals as sacred golden images glide across the water.

The 18-day Phaung Daw Oo Pagoda Festival is an annual celebration on the country’s second-largest freshwater lake in southern Shan State, about 420 kilometers (260 miles) northeast of Yangon. During the festival, four revered Buddha images are carried aboard an ornate golden barge to 21 villages around the lake for people to pay homage.

Adorned with a golden figure of the mythical Karaweik bird at its bow, the barge is pulled by scores of wooden boats crewed by members of the Intha ethnic minority, who practice a unique style of rowing while standing with one leg wrapped around a single oar.

Since the festival began on October 12, hundreds of worshippers have gathered along the procession route to venerate the sacred images and enjoy traditional dance performances and boat races.

The festival has faced repeated disruptions in recent years. The coronavirus pandemic curtailed the celebration in 2020, and political instability following the 2021 military takeover led to another interruption. The festival resumed in 2023, while flooding and the effects of a devastating earthquake complicated life around the lake last year.

Myanmar’s religious festival season typically begins after the monsoon ends, around October and November.

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