State Counsellor visits boat race at Inle Lake

AT a ceremony held in Shan State (South) Nyaungshwe Town yesterday morning, State Counsellor Daw Aung San Suu Kyi paid homage to four Inle Phaungdaw Oo Buddha images that were on an annual ceremonial tour, attended an Intha traditional boat race and presented prizes at the prize awarding ceremony.

The State Counsellor and party arrived at the Nyaungshwe Town Intha traditional boat race prize awarding pandal at 8 am and observed the ceremonial paying homage of Phaungdaw Oo Buddha image with poems and songs by Buddha image greeting boat, traditional ‘soon’ offering boat paddling demonstration and ethnic national cultural dances.

Next the State Counsellor and party arrived at the Barge Arrival Pandal and paid homage to four Inle Phaungdaw Oo Buddha images that were temporarily residing in Nyaungshwe Town after being carried by a Karaweik barge on a ceremonial tour according to Inle tradition and donated gold robes.

Afterwards, the State Counsellor and party returned to the traditional boat race prize awarding pandal and observed the traditional boat races. After the competition, State Counsellor Daw Aung San Suu Kyi presented prizes and shields to first prize winner Kay La Sate Ta village team and second prize winner Myaung Wa Gyi village team.

Shan State Chief Minister Dr Lin Htut, Union Minister LtGen Kyaw Swe, Lt-Gen Ye Aung, Thura U Aung Ko, Dr Aung Thu, U Soe Win , Dr Myint Htwe and U Ohn Maung also presented prizes to winners, runner up and consolation prizes for men traditional 46-oars boat competition, women traditional 26-oars boat competition, single rower competition, cultural boat competition and “soon” offering boat competition.

Later the State Counsellor and party went back to paid homage to the four Inle Phaungdaw Oo Buddha images, offered flower, water, oil lamp, fruit and soon and donate money to the trustee group.

The State Counsellor and party then paid homage to Sayadaws led by Township Sangha Nayaka (Shwekyin) Chair Kangyi Pariyati monastery Sayadaw, offered offertories and shared merits for the donations made.

The four Inle Phaungdaw Oo Buddha images will be residing in Nyaungshwe Town Ahta Ditha Dhamma Vihara monastery until 8 October.

The annual ceremonial tour of Inle Phaungdaw Oo Buddha images was conducted for 18 days from 29 September to 18 October touring 18 areas of Inle region. This is one of the significant ceremonies of Inle region that is being attended by local pilgrims as well as foreign visitors.

Later in the day, the State Counsellor and party left Shan State (South) Heho town by special flight and arrived back in Nay Pyi Taw in the afternoon.

The prize awarding ceremony was attended by Union Ministers Lt-Gen Kyaw Swe, Lt-Gen Ye Aung, Thura U Aung Ko, Dr Aung Thu, U Ohn Win, Dr Myint Htwe, U Soe Win and U Ohn Maung, Shan State Chief Minister Dr Lin Htut, State Hluttaw Speaker U Sai Lone Khan, Chief Justice of Shan State High Court U Kywal Kywal, Deputy Ministers U Kyi Min and U Hla Maw Oo, state government ministers, Hluttaw representatives, departmental officials, town elders and local people.

MNA

(Translated by Zaw Min)

Photo - MNA

Ref; The Global New Light of Myanmar