Flowers and Festivals In Myanmar (Burma)

August! King Of Monsoon

Greeting
 "July, August rain and flood" goes a Myanmar saying. In Myanmar calendar falls on Wa Gaung month and the word Wa Gaung is combination of two words "Wa" means Buddhist lent and "Gaung" means " middle or peak. So Wa Gaung (August) implies the middle or the peak of the lent. Which covers three months of rainy season namely July, August, and September. As the religious affairs, "Casting lots festival" was the traditional festival held in month of August in days of yore.
Lots are decided to choose recipient of food or gift or alms in a religious offering. The lots are either wooden sticks or bamboo slats or bamboo strips or palm leaves on which names and addresses of the donors of foods are written. The lots are then put into the basket and the basket is shaken upside down many times so that the lots are thoroughly shuffled up. The monks queue up either according to their serial number if such numbers are given them or according to the seniority of their vasa (ordained age) to draw the lots. Then they go to the house as directed by their lots to partake of the food offered there.
It is the religious festival that held in every August of the years.

Message for the month
Myanmar is very fond of worship in "Nat". So that this month will be held the Great Spirit festival called "Taung Pyone" festival .It is very famous and annually held in the same site. Other time and month are also held their relevant regional "Spirit" festival but this "Spirit" festival is not like that, it is held for all "Spirit" by great festivities and the popular event for "Spirit" believers.
In Myanmar, there are altogether "37" spirits and one of the "Spirit" is Thagyar Minn (King Of Celestial Kingdom) "26" of them are males and "10" women,"11"are executed,"11" met violent death and "8"died for sudden illness and "6" died for grief. Basically "37" of Spirit are King of Spirit and Ghost. However they are part of a Nation’s heritage. So prominent a role distinguishes them from other spirits of neighboring countries.

Taung Pyone Spirit Festival
The Taungpyone Nat festival is held every year in the Myanmar month of (August). The Nat festival reaches the climax on the fourth day when the faithful observe the bathing ritual of the two Nat princes, carried on palanquin followed by the train of procession to the Shwe Ta Chaung stream (the Golden stream) which runs close to the west of the Festival sites.
In conclusion, The Taungpyone Nat festival is a must for those who want to study the spirit-worship in Myanmar.