9,000 Candle Lights
This candle lights festival takes place only once a year in Burma. We call it 9,000 candles festival (in Burmese – See Mie Koe Htaung Pwel). We, Burmese people, light up these 9,000 candles around the pagoda on the full moon day of auspicious Burmese lunar month, THA – DIN – GYUT, which normally falls in the mid of October. The purpose of these candles are to welcome Lord Buddha on his way back from heaven after preaching there for 3 months. On the full moon day, religious Buddhists go to pagodas and stupas to offer flowers, variety of fruits, rice (soon) and candle lights. For those Yangon residences, Shwedagon pagoda is the happening place. Hundreds of professional photographers enthusiastically wait for this once-a-year opportune moment to create so-called legendary shots. Unfortunately, mine is not a legendary one. But it’s just a reportage on a custom of religious Burmese people. I created this shot 5:15 in the morning. By the time I created this shot, I have not even seen the Sun yet.
Photo Information
Camera – Nikon D40
Exposure Time – 1/500s
ISO Speed – 400
Focal Length – 100mm
Nice picture. I still remember for this THA DIN GYUT’s candle lighting festival in Mandalay.