Burmese New Year and Water Festival

Water Festival! It is known to the all Burmese people as Thingyan Festival that is welcoming event of the Burmese New Year with splashing water to each other wishing to cleanse the mind of everyone according to the Burmese culture.

My memory flies back to more than forty years ago. I was in the balcony of a bungalow house together with my parents watching the Water Festival right in front of our house. Then, I was an only four years old boy and I wanted to join my friends .My parents finally allowed. My first water pump was made of hollow wood, and I have kept it until I was in the University.

Later as a teenager, I have never missed a single Thingyan Festival in a various parts of Burma. That is the period that Saturday Night Fever was high in the West, and we did play some of the songs of  John Travolta and ONJ, together with the traditional Burmese Thigyan songs such as Mya Nan Dar.

During the University years I was mostly in Rangoon.The  noisy, cold and friendly Thingyan days ended in the bank of Inya Lake. We went around and around the old city Rangoon with group of friends in a World War two era Willy Jeep.

Then I was introduced to Mandalay Thingyan by my late father. Mandalay Thingyan was a special and a  unique event for all of us until I left Burma. It has  never gone beyond its tradition during those days. Mandalay Palace, is the center of Madalay, and most of the stages that perform traditional dance by Manadalay Girls were around the Palace.

Mandalay Hill is the resting place for most of the people before going back to town to watch various performances in jammed roads from  sunset until  dawn.

To me Manadalay Thyingyan is something that you should see as a bystander than participate. And you will never be able to forget it from your memory.

Sit Mone does not hit the keyboard for sometimes, as he became moody and less enthusiastic in writing the blog posts.

But, Burmese Thingyan is something that he will never forget  as all the memories are still intact, deep in his heart.

Oh friends!.. those are scattered all over this world. Shall we meet again before we disappear from the planet earth in a country once known as Burma to enjoy Thingyan Festival?

Sit Mone