Robe Weaving Contest
Every year, Burmese silk weavers enthusiastically participate in this religious contest. This year, I saw 12 teams fighting tooth and nails to grasp the trophy in this Robe Weaving Contest.
While weaving the robe, weavers will be scored according to 3 criteria; Time, Quality (Grade) and Area (Size). This lady represents AUNG THAMADI Buddhist Association of Shwedagon Pagoda.
The weavers start weaving around 9:00PM and supposed to finish before Midnight. The completed robes will be offered to the Buddha images by 4:00AM the next day.
Yes, we see tens of thousands of pilgrimages around the pagoda on On the 14th waxing day of Tazaungmone (a Burmese lunar month), one day before the full moon day.
In order to score each team, the judges need to inspect the quality (grade) of the finished products in details.
The completed robes were offered to Buddha images around the pagoda by 4:00AM of the full moon day.
Where
Shwedagon Pagoda, Yangon (Rangoon), Myanmar (Burma)
When
14th waxing day of Tazaungmone (Nov 11 2008)
Duration
1 day
TRADITION
On the 14th waxing day of Tazaungmone (also known as Tazaungdaing), groups of young women take part in robe weaving competitions held on the platforms of the pagodas. The robe is to be finished flawlessly overnight and offered to the images around the pagodas at dawn. Since the robe is finished overnight, we call it UNROTTEN ROBE (MA THOE THINGANN, in Burmese).
SHOOTING
I went there to have this documentary up on my webpage by today (full moon day). Firstly, I want my Burmese friends, who are abroad, to be able to see the happening of annual religious event here at our homeland. Secondly, I want to divulge the very tradition of our country to those foreign friends. I decided to craft this set more as a documentary with resourceful descriptions. Some images are not up to my expectation since I merely used built-in flash. Anyway, I believe this set will make you smile on this auspicious occasion of full moon day.
thz for sharing it!
good to know our mother land culture as well=)