The 1,000 Alms Offering Festival will be held on 29 September at Kyaikpaung Pagoda in Paung Ward, Paung Township, Mon State, according to U Tin Pe, a member of the Kyaikpaung Pagoda board of trustees.

It is said that the offering of 1,000 alms food donation, which is one of the Mon traditional Buddha Pujaniya Festival, is celebrated annually on the Tawthalin full moon day. The offerings such as alms food, banner, flowers, incense, fruits, betel and lights are added into a small ship which is built of wood and bamboo following the tradition of the Mon ethnic people.

“Whenever the Tawthalin full moon day, locals not only make the ship and nearly 1,000 various offertories such as alms food, banner, flowers, incense, fruits, betel and lights were added to the ship but also donate to the monasteries, pagodas and temples. Locals hold the festival intending to keep calm without danger,” said U Tin Pe.

At the pagodas in every village, they built a boat with all their labour and money, and then nearly a thousand people put offerings on the boat, such as food, sticks, flowers, incense, fruit, and candles.

As a good traditional festival of the Mon ethnic people, the alms festival known as the “1,000 alms food offering festival” and the offering of Catumadu is held in Mon State annually.

ASH/ MKKS

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