The culture of Myanmar has been heavily influenced by Buddhism and the Mon people. Its neighbours, particularly India, China, and Thailand, have made major contributions to Burmese culture. In more recent times, British colonial rule and westernisation have influenced aspects of Burmese culture, including language and education. A silhouette of a Buddha statue at Ayutthaya, Thailand. ... The Mon (Burmese: ) are an ethnic group in Southeast Asia. ... Anthem God Save The Queen/King British India, circa 1860 Capital Calcutta (1858-1912), New Delhi (1912-1947) Language(s) Hindi, Urdu, English and many others Government Monarchy Emperor of India  - 1877-1901 Victoria  - 1901-1910 Edward VII  - 1910-1936 George V  - January-December 1936 Edward VIII  - 1936-1947 George...

Arts

A Burmese Buddhist altar shows intricate wooden carvings in the background.

Historically, Burmese art was based on Buddhist or Hindu cosmology and myths. There are several regional styles of Buddha images, each with certain distinctive characteristics. For example, the Mandalay style, which developed in the late 1800s, consists of an oval-shaped Buddha with realistic features, including naturally curved eyebrows, smaller but still prominent ears, and a draping robe.^[1] There are 10 traditional arts, called pan sè myo (ပန္‌းဆယ္‌မ္ယုိး), listed as follows:^[2] Image File history File links Metadata Size of this preview: 432 × 599 pixelsFull resolution (768 × 1065 pixel, file size: 1. ... Image File history File links Metadata Size of this preview: 432 × 599 pixelsFull resolution (768 × 1065 pixel, file size: 1. ... Hinduism (known as in modern Indian languages[1]) is a religious tradition[2] that originated in the Indian subcontinent. ...

1. Blacksmith (ပန္‌းပဲ ba-bè)
2. Woodcarving (ပန္‌းပု ba-bu)
3. Goldsmith (ပန္‌းထိမ္‌ ba-dein)
4. Stucco relief (ပန္‌းတော့ pan-daw)
5. Masonry (ပန္‌းရန္‌ pa-yan)
6. Stone carving (ပန္‌းတမော့ pan-ta-maw)
7. Turnery (ပန္‌းပ္ဝတ္‌ pan but)
8. Painting (ပန္‌းခ္ယီ ba-gyi)
9. Lacquerware (ပန္‌းယ္ဝန္‌း pan-yun)
10. Bronze casting (ပန္‌းတဥ္‌း ba-din)

In addition to the traditional arts are silk weaving, pottery, tapestry making, gemstone engraving, and gold leaf making. Temple architecture is typically of brick and stucco, and pagodas are often covered with layers of gold leaf while monasteries tend to be built of wood (although monasteries in cities are more likely to be built of modern materials). A blacksmith A blacksmith at work A blacksmith at work A blacksmiths fire Hot metal work from a blacksmith A blacksmith is a person who creates objects from iron or steel by forging the metal; i. ... This article needs to be cleaned up to conform to a higher standard of quality. ... A goldsmith creating a new ring A goldsmith is a metalworker who specializes in working with precious metals, usually to make jewelry. ... Stucco is a material made of an aggregate, a binder, and water which is applied wet, and hardens when it dries. ... Masonry in action; a Mason at work. ... Petroglyphs on a Bishop Tuff tableland Petroglyph on Petroglyph Point Petroglyphs on Petroglyph Point Petroglyphs on Petroglyph Point Petroglyphs on Newspaper Rock State Historic Monument Petroglyphs from Scandinavia (Häljesta, Västmanland in Sweden). ... The tone or style of this article or section may not be appropriate for Wikipedia. ... Painter redirects here. ... In a general sense, lacquer is a paint or varnish that produces a hard, durable finish that can be polished to a very high gloss, and gives the illusion of depth. ... Assorted ancient Bronze castings found as part of a cache, probably intended for recycling. ... It has been suggested that this article or section be merged with Metal leaf. ...

Burmese literature has been greatly influenced by Buddhism, notably the Jataka Tales. Since orthodox Buddhism prohibited fiction, many historical works are nonfiction. However, British colonisation introduced many genres of fiction which have become extremely popular today. Poetry is a prominent feature and there are several forms unique to Burmese literature. The literature of Myanmar spans over a thousand years. ... The Jataka stories are a significant body of works about the previous lives of Gautama Buddha. ...

Pwe (performances) often feature an ancient form of dance called yodaya aka which is an imitation of formal Thai dancing, in which a woman uses only her hands and feet to express emotions. The name yodaya is a Burmese corruption of Ayutthaya. Ayutthaya (also spelled Ayudhya or Ayuthia) refers to The old capital of Thailand, see Ayutthaya (city) The province around the city, Ayutthaya province The ruins of the old palace, see Ayutthaya historical park Ayutthaya kingdom as the period of Thai history (1365-1768) in which Ayutthaya was capital This is...

Various types of Burmese music use an array of traditional musical instruments, assembled in an orchestra known as saing waing^[3] which the Burmese saing saya Kyaw Kyaw Naing has made more widely known in the West. An instrument unique to Myanmar is the saung-gauk,^[3] an arched harp that can be traced to pre-Hittite times. Singing in classical times stemmed from various legends in Pali and subsequently in Burmese intermingled with Pali, related to religion or the power and glory of monarchs, and then the natural beauty of the land, forests and the seasons, eventually feminine beauty, love, passion and longing, in addition to folk music sung in the paddy fields. Pop music, however, dominates the music of Myanmar today, both adopted and homegrown.pakado sila The music of Myanmar is a mixture of many regional varieties, including Chinese music, Indian music and Thai music. ... Kyaw Kyaw Naing (born 1964) is a modern Burmese traditional musician who is trying to bring this music to the world stage. ... The saung (also known as the saung-guak, or Myanmar harp, the countrys previous name was Burma) is a Burmese traditional musical instrument made of sixteen silk strings attached to a neck by red cotton tuning cords terminating in large tassels. ... Pāli is a Middle Indo-Aryan dialect or prakrit. ...

Religion

Nga Htat Gyi Buddha, located in the suburbs of Yangon.

Myanmar is a predominantly Theravada Buddhist country. Buddhism reached Myanmar around the beginning of the Christian era, mingling with Hinduism (also imported from India) and indigenous animism. The Pyu and Mon kingdoms of the first millennium were Buddhist, but the early Bamar peoples were animists. According to traditional history, King Anawrahta of Bagan adopted Buddhism in 1056 and went to war with the Mon kingdom of Thaton in the south of the country in order to obtain the Buddhist Canon and learned monks. The religious tradition created at this time, and which continues to the present day, is a syncretalist mix of what might be termed 'pure' Buddhism (of the Sri Lankan or Theravada school) with deep-rooted elements of the original animism or nat-worship^[3][4] and even strands of Hinduism and the Mahayana tradition of northern India. Image File history File links Download high resolution version (480x640, 167 KB) Licensing Permission is granted to copy, distribute and/or modify this document under the terms of the GNU Free Documentation License, Version 1. ... Image File history File links Download high resolution version (480x640, 167 KB) Licensing Permission is granted to copy, distribute and/or modify this document under the terms of the GNU Free Documentation License, Version 1. ... ... Hinduism (known as in modern Indian languages[1]) is a religious tradition[2] that originated in the Indian subcontinent. ... The term Animism is derived from the Latin anima, meaning soul.[1][2] In its most general sense, animism is simply the belief in souls. ... Pyu (also written Pyuu, or Pyus) refers to an ancient kingdom (and its language) found in the central and northern regions of what is now Burma. ... The Mon (Burmese: ) are an ethnic group in Southeast Asia. ... The Bamar (Burmese: ; MLCTS: ; IPA: , also called Burman), are the dominant ethnic group of Myanmar, constituting approximately 68% (30,000,000) of the population. ... Anawrahta (Burmese: ; IPA: ; reigned 1044-1077), also spelled Aniruddha or Anoarahtâ or Anoa-ra-htá-soa, was a ruler of the kingdom of Bagan and the first ruler of a unified Burma. ... Bagan (Burmese: ; MLCTS: ), formerly Pagan, formally titled Arimaddanapura (the City of the Enemy Crusher) and also known as Tambadipa (the Land of Copper) or Tassadessa (the Parched Land), was the ancient capital of several ancient kingdoms in Myanmar. ... The Mon (Burmese: ) are an ethnic group in Southeast Asia. ... Thaton is a town in Mon State, in southern Myanmar on the Tenasserim plains. ... The Tripitaka (Sanskrit त्रिपिटक, lit. ... The term Animism is derived from the Latin anima, meaning soul.[1][2] In its most general sense, animism is simply the belief in souls. ... A nat is one of thirty-seven spirits that are worshipped by Bamar in conjunction to Buddhism. ... Relief image of the bodhisattva Kuan Yin from Mt. ...

Islam reached Myanmar at approximately the same time, but never gained a foothold outside the geographically isolated seaboard running from modern-day Bangladesh southward to the delta of the Ayeyarwady (modern Rakhine State, known previously to the British as Arakan, and an independent kingdom until the eighteenth century). The colonial period saw a huge influx of Muslim (and Hindu) Indians into Yangon and other cities, and the majority of Yangon's many mosques and temples owe their origins to these immigrants. For people named Islam, see Islam (name). ... The Irrawaddy (newer spelling Ayeyarwaddy) is a river that flows through the centre of Myanmar (formerly Burma). It is Myanmars most important commercial waterway. ... Rakhine State (formerly Arakan) is a state of Myanmar. ... Arakan is a state in the North Western part of Myanmar, formerly Burma. ... Yangon (Burmese: , population 5,000,000 (nearly) (2007 census), formerly Rangoon, is the largest city and former capital of Myanmar (previously known as Burma, prior to 1989). ...

Christianity was brought to Myanmar by European missionaries in the 1800s. It made little if any headway among Buddhists, but has been widely adopted by non-Buddhists such as the Chin, Karen, and Kachin. The Roman Catholic Church, Myanmar Baptist Convention and the Assemblies of God of Myanmar are the largest Christian denominations in Myanmar. Myanmar is home to the second largest population of Baptists in the world, after the United States. Christianity percentage by country, purple is highest, orange is lowest Topics in Christianity Movements · Denominations Ecumenism · Preaching · Prayer Music · Liturgy · Calendar Symbols · Art · Criticism Important figures Apostle Paul · Church Fathers Constantine · Athanasius · Augustine Anselm · Aquinas · Palamas · Wycliffe Tyndale · Luther · Calvin · Wesley Arius · Marcion of Sinope Pope · Archbishop of Canterbury Patriarch... Chin (Burmese: ; MLCTS: ) is one of the ethnic groups in Myanmar (formerly Burma). ... The Karen (Burmese: ; MLCTS: ) called by Burman , also known in Thailand as the Kariang (Thai: ) or Yang. ... Kachin may refer to: An ethnic group, in Myanmar known as Kachin (or Jingpaw), in China (Yunnan) known as Jingpo. ... Topics in Christianity Movements · Denominations Ecumenism · Preaching · Prayer Music · Liturgy · Calendar Symbols · Art · Criticism Important figures Apostle Paul · Church Fathers Constantine · Athanasius · Augustine Anselm · Aquinas · Palamas · Luther Calvin · Wesley Arius · Marcion of Sinope Pope · Archbishop of Canterbury Patriarch of Constantinople Christianity Portal This box:      The Roman Catholic Church or Catholic... The Myanmar Baptist Convention is an association of Baptist churches in the nation of Myanmar (known until 1989 as Burma). ...

The Chinese contribution to Myanmar's religious mix has been slight, but several traditional Chinese temples were established in Yangon and other large cities in the nineteenth century when large-scale Chinese migration was encouraged by the British. Since approximately 1990 this migration has resumed in huge numbers, but the modern Chinese immigrants seem to have little interest in religion.

Some more isolated indigenous peoples in the more inaccessible parts of the country still follow traditional animism. The term Animism is derived from the Latin anima, meaning soul.[1][2] In its most general sense, animism is simply the belief in souls. ...

There are no totally reliable demographic statistics form Myanmar, but the following is an estimate of the religious composition of the country:

• Buddhists: 89%
• Animists: 1%
• Christians: 4%
• Muslims: 4%
• Hindus: 2%

Myanmar has nominal guarantees of freedom of religious expression, although religious minorities (Christians and Muslims), particularly those in the countryside are subject to discrimination. Sporadic riots between Burmese Buddhists and Burmese Muslims are not uncommon, and tensions between the two religious groups are high, particularly in major cities. In 2001, after the Taliban's destruction of the Buddhas of Bamiyan, religiously motivated riots broke out between Buddhists and Muslims across major cities in Burma, including Sittwe, Pyay, Taungoo and Bago.^[5] The current regime's nationalistic policy of Bama san-gyin, which considers Buddhism a key element of Burmese-ness, does provide a systemic bias in favour of Buddhists in terms of preferment in the armed forces and other State structures.^[6] The Declaration of the Rights of Man and of the Citizen guarantees freedom of religion, as long as religious activities do not infringe on public order in ways detrimental to society. ... The Taliban (Pashto: , also anglicized as Taleban) are an extremist fundamentalist Sunni Muslim and ethnic Pashtun movement that ruled most of Afghanistan from 1995 until 2001, when their leaders were removed from power by a cooperative military effort between the United States and the Northern Alliance. ... One of the Buddhas of Bamiyan as it stood in 1963 The Buddhas of Bamiyan (Persian: تندیس‌های بودا در باميان tandis-ha-ye buda dar bamiyaan) were two monumental statues of standing Buddhas carved into the side of a cliff in the Bamiyan valley of central Afghanistan, situated 230 km (143 miles) northwest of... Sittwe (1983 population estimate: 107,607), formerly known as Akyab, is a city and district in the RakhineState, Myanmar. ... Pyay (Burmese: ), formerly Prome, is a town (1983 population 83,000) and district of the Bago Division in Lower Myanmar, located some 161 km, or 7 hours north of Yangon by road, or an overnight boat trip south of Bagan. ... Taungoo (Burmese: ; MLCTS: , also known as Toungoo) is a city in the Bago Division of Myanmar, located 220 km from Yangon, towards the northern end of the division, with mountain ranges to both east and west. ... Bago is a division of Burma. ...

Shwedagon Pagoda is among the most important Buddhist religious sites in Myanmar.

Image File history File links Metadata Size of this preview: 800 × 600 pixelsFull resolution (2592 × 1944 pixel, file size: 2. ... Image File history File links Metadata Size of this preview: 800 × 600 pixelsFull resolution (2592 × 1944 pixel, file size: 2. ...

Pagodas and monasteries

Aspects of Burmese culture is most apparent in religious sites. The country has been called the Land of Pagodas as the landscape is dominated by pagodas or stupas. The four most important Burmese Buddhist pilgrimage sites are Shwedagon Pagoda in Yangon, Mahamuni Buddha in Mandalay, Kyaiktiyo Pagoda in Mon State, and Bagan, an ancient capital by the River Ayeyarwaddy where thousands of stupas and temples have stood for nearly a millennium in various states of repair . Shwedagon in Yangon Pagoda in Burma/Myanmar - Pagoda is called Paya in Burma/Myanmar. ... A stupa A stupa (from the Sanskrit) is a type of Buddhist structure found across the Indian subcontinent and Asia. ... Shwedagon Paya The Shwedagon Paya is a 98 meter gilded stupa located in Yangon, Myanmar. ... Yangon (Burmese: , population 5,000,000 (nearly) (2007 census), formerly Rangoon, is the largest city and former capital of Myanmar (previously known as Burma, prior to 1989). ... The Mahamuni Buddha, also known as the Maha Myat Muni Buddha, is a major Buddhist pilgrimage site in Mandalay, Myanmar (formerly Burma). ... Mandalay (Burmese: ) is the second largest city in Myanmar (formerly Burma) with a population of 927,000 (2005 census), agglomeration 2,5 million. ... Kyaiktiyo Pagoda at sunset. ... The Mon (Burmese: ) are an ethnic group in Southeast Asia. ... Bagan (Burmese: ; MLCTS: ), formerly Pagan, formally titled Arimaddanapura (the City of the Enemy Crusher) and also known as Tambadipa (the Land of Copper) or Tassadessa (the Parched Land), was the ancient capital of several ancient kingdoms in Myanmar. ... The Ayeyarwady River or Irrawaddy River (Burmese: ; MLCTS: ) is a river that flows through Burma (Myanmar). ...

Pagodas are known by their Pali term zedi or pahto, but are also commonly called hpaya which is synonymous with "Buddha". Monasteries are known as hpongyi kyaung, hpongyi meaning monk, and since they have traditionally been places of learning where village children are taught how to read and write including and more importantly Pali, the language of the Buddhist Scriptures, school also came to be called kyaung in the Burmese language. Pali (IAST: ) is a Middle Indo-Aryan dialect or prakrit. ... // Most religions have religious texts they view as sacred. ... The Burmese language is the official language of Myanmar. ...

Traditional festivals

There are twelve months in traditional calendar of Myanmar and twelve corresponding festivals.^[7] Most of the festivals are related to Burmese Buddhism and in any town or village the local paya pwè (the pagoda festival) is the most important one.^[3] This article or section uses Burmese characters which may be rendered incorrectly. ... Buddhism in Myanmar belongs to the Theravada tradition or the southern school. ...

The most well-known festival is Thingyan, a four-day celebration of the coming lunar new year. This festival is held prior to the Burmese New Year (first day of Tagu, around 17 April). Similar to other Southeast Asian new year festivals (eg. Songkran), people splash water on one another. However, Thingyan has religious significance, marking the days in which Buddhists are expected to observe the Eight Precepts of Buddhism.^[8] Thingyan (Burmese: ) is the Burmese New Year Festival and usually falls around mid-April. ... The Thai New Year (สงกรานต์ = Songkran in Thai language) is celebrated every year on April 13 to April 15. ... The Eight Precepts are the precepts for Buddhist lay men and women who wish to practice a bit more strictly than the usual five precepts for Buddhists. ...

Cuisine

Main article: Cuisine of Myanmar

Mohinga, rice noodles in fish soup, is widely considered to be Myanmar's national dish.

Burmese cuisine has been influenced by Indian, Chinese and Thai cuisines as well as domestic ethnic cuisines. It is not widely known throughout the world and can be characterized as having a mildly spicy taste, with a limited use of spices. The most famous Burmese dish is mohinga, rice noodles in a rich fish soup. Salads (thoke) are also popular dishes. The Burmese traditionally eat with their fingers, although the usage of Western utensils and chopsticks have become more widespread, especially in towns and cities. White rice is the staple food of a Burmese diet, but Indian breads like paratha and naan as well as noodles are also commonly eaten with dishes. The cuisine of Myanmar (formerly Burma) has been influenced by the respective cuisines of China, India and Thailand. ... Image File history File linksMetadata Size of this preview: 800 × 600 pixel Image in higher resolution (1600 × 1200 pixel, file size: 495 KB, MIME type: image/jpeg) Mohinga with fritters, baya gyaw (urad dal) - top of picture, and pè gyan gyaw (split chickpea) - left and bottom of picture, both cut... Image File history File linksMetadata Size of this preview: 800 × 600 pixel Image in higher resolution (1600 × 1200 pixel, file size: 495 KB, MIME type: image/jpeg) Mohinga with fritters, baya gyaw (urad dal) - top of picture, and pè gyan gyaw (split chickpea) - left and bottom of picture, both cut... Mohinga (Burmese: ) is considered by many to be the national dish of Myanmar, formerly Burma. ... Mohinga (Burmese: ) is considered by many to be the national dish of Myanmar, formerly Burma. ... White rice is the common term for milled rice which has had its husk, bran, and germ removed. ... Aloo (potato) paratha Parathas being made and served hot, Parathe Wali Gali in Delhi, Dec 2006. ... A bakery near Kabul, Afghanistan Naan (Hindi: नान, Urdu: نان, IPA: [næn] or [nan]) is a round flatbread made of wheat flour. ...

Sports

The most popular sport in Burma is football (soccer).^[4] Chinlone, an indigenous sport utilises a rattan ball, and is played using mainly the feet and the knees but the head and also the arms may be used except the hands.^[9][3] Burmese kickboxing called Let-hwei is popular and tournaments may be seen at pagoda festivals. A form of Burmese martial arts derived from the Shan called Thaing, divided into Bando (unarmed combat) and Banshay (armed combat) rather similar to Chinese Kung fu, is also practised. Of the twelve seasonal festivals, regattas are held in the month of Tawthalin (August/September), and equestrian events were held by the royal army in the time of the Burmese kings in the month of Pyatho (December/January).^[7] Chinlone (Burmese: ; MLCTS: ; IPA: ) is the traditional sport of Myanmar (Burma). ... Kicking to left side Kickboxing refers to sport-fighting using kicks and punches and sometimes throws and bows representing a certain martial art or can be practiced for general fitness, or as a full-contact sport. ... BAMA LETHWEI Lethwei or Lethawae (Read as Let-whae, but quickly) ; also known as Burmese Boxing and Myanmar Traditional Boxing, is a form of kickboxing which originated in Myanmar (Burma). ... The Shan (Burmese: ; IPA: ; Chinese: ; Hanyu Pinyin: ) are an ethnic group of Southeast Asia. ... Template:Voir homonymes Thaing is a Burmese term used to classify the indigenous martial systems of ancient Burma (now Myanmar). ... the Tiger Defense Bando or animal system is the ancient art of self-defense from Burma. ... Banshay is a term for martial arts of Myanmar, focusing on weapon use. ... Alternative meaning: Kung Fu (TV series) Kung fu or gongfu (功夫, Pinyin: gōngfu) is a well-known Chinese term used in the West to designate Chinese martial arts. ... A regatta is a boat race or series of boat races. ... A young rider at a horse show in Australia. ...

Hlei pyaingbwè - a Burmese regatta Image File history File links Metadata Size of this preview: 800 × 600 pixelsFull resolution (1600 × 1200 pixel, file size: 1. ...

Myinhkin thabin - equestrian sport Image File history File links Metadata Size of this preview: 800 × 600 pixelsFull resolution (1600 × 1200 pixel, file size: 1. ...

National holidays

Year 2007 (MMVII) is the current year, a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar and the AD/CE era. ... For other uses, see Independence Day (disambiguation). ... The Panglong Conference (Burmese: ), held in February 1947, was an historic meeting that took place at Panglong in the Shan States in Burma between the Shan, Kachin and Chin ethnic minority leaders and Aung San, head of the interim Burmese government. ... This article does not cite any references or sources. ... A high-ranking generals villa overlooking the golf course in Kalaw. ... Thingyan (Burmese: ) is the Burmese New Year Festival and usually falls around mid-April. ... Thingyan (Burmese: ) is the Burmese New Year Festival and usually falls around mid-April. ... Labour Day Parade in Toronto in the early 1900s A Labour Day is an annual holiday celebrated all over the world that resulted from efforts of the labour union movement, to celebrate the economic and social achievements of workers. ... Media:Example. ... Vassa (Thai พรรษา, pansa or phansaa), also called Rains Retreat, is the traditional retreat during the rainy season lasting for three lunar months from July to October. ... Burmese Martyrs Day (Burmese: Azani) is held on 19 July. ... Diwali, also called Deepavali, is a major Indian festival that is very significant in Hinduism, Sikhism and Jainism. ... It has been suggested that National holiday be merged into this article or section. ... The Karen (Burmese: ; MLCTS: ) called by Burman , also known in Thailand as the Kariang (Thai: ) or Yang. ... Christmas is an annual holiday that celebrates the birth of Jesus. ... The word Eid can mean several things: There are two Islamic festivals of Eid: One is called Eid ul-Fitr (Arabic: عيد الفطر) that marks the end of the holy month of Ramadan, The other is Eid ul-Adha (Arabic: عيد الأضحى) or Eid-e Qurban (Persian: عید قربان) which is celebrated to commemorate Prophet Ibrahim...

Customs

An ear-piercing ceremony at Mahamuni Buddha in Mandalay.

The "traditional" Burmese greeting is mingalaba (from Pali mangala and roughly translated as 'auspiciousness to you'), which is relatively recent as the custom started in schools in the 1960s effectively replacing the English "Good morning/afternoon, teacher" in the newly nationalised missionary schools; it is also considered formal and only used in certain instances. Greetings such as, "Have you eaten?" (Htamin sa pi bi la) and "How are you?" (Nei kaung la) are still more commonly used as they have always been. "Hello" is also becoming a popular greeting nowadays whereas it used to be confined to answering the phone. Image File history File links Download high resolution version (480x640, 263 KB) Summary Ear piercing ceremony Mahamuni Buddha Mandalay, Mandalay Division, Myanmar Licensing Permission is granted to copy, distribute and/or modify this document under the terms of the GNU Free Documentation License, Version 1. ... Image File history File links Download high resolution version (480x640, 263 KB) Summary Ear piercing ceremony Mahamuni Buddha Mandalay, Mandalay Division, Myanmar Licensing Permission is granted to copy, distribute and/or modify this document under the terms of the GNU Free Documentation License, Version 1. ... The Mahamuni Buddha, also known as the Maha Myat Muni Buddha, is a major Buddhist pilgrimage site in Mandalay, Myanmar (formerly Burma). ... Mandalay (Burmese: ) is the second largest city in Myanmar (formerly Burma) with a population of 927,000 (2005 census), agglomeration 2,5 million. ...

Dress

The traditional garment of the Burmese is called longyi, a sarong still worn by both men and women. Traditionally, Bamar men wear a short collarless jacket over a white mandarin collared shirt, while Bamar women wear a blouse and a shawl. However, these are mostly worn on more formal occasions in modern times. In urban areas, skirts and pants are becoming more common particularly among the young. Longyi is a sheet of cloth. ... The Bamar (Burmese: ; MLCTS: ; IPA: , also called Burman), are the dominant ethnic group of Myanmar, constituting approximately 68% (30,000,000) of the population. ... A mandarin collar is a short unfolded stand-up collar style on a shirt or jacket. ...

Speech

In language, the Bamar are very age-oriented. The use of honorifics before personal names is the norm, and it is considered rude to call a person just by their name without the honorific unless they are known from childhood or youth or in the case of a younger underling. Young males are addressed as Maung or Ko (lit. brother), and older or senior men as U (lit. uncle). Likewise, young females are addressed as Ma (lit. sister), and older or senior women as Daw (lit. aunt) regardless of their marital status. 'Aunty' is commonly used as well. The pronouns 'you' and 'I' vary depending on whom one is speaking to and are age-dependent. Elders are spoken to in a different and more respectable manner and a special vocabulary exists for speaking to monks.^[3] An honorific is a term used to convey esteem or respect. ...

Manners

Age is still considered synonymous with experience and wisdom, hence venerated. Parents and teachers are second only to the Three Jewels (yadana thounba), together making up the Five Boundless Beneficence (ananda ngaba), and are paid obeisance at special times of the year such as Thingyan, beginning and end of lent, and usually parents before one leaves on a journey. Elders are served first at meals, and in their absence a spoonful of rice is put aside first in the pot as a token of respect (oocha) before serving the meal. Young people would avoid sitting on a higher level than the elders or passing in front of them unless unavoidable when they would tread softly and with a slight bow. Things would be passed to the elders using both hands together. Men may cross their legs sitting on a chair or a mat but women generally would not. Symbol of the triratna, as seen in the Sanchi stupa, 1st century BCE. The Three Jewels, also rendered as Three Treasures, Three Refuges or Triple Gem are the three things that Buddhists give themselves to, and in return look toward for guidance, in the process known as taking refuge. ... Thingyan (Burmese: ) is the Burmese New Year Festival and usually falls around mid-April. ... Vassa (Thai พรรษา, pansa or phansaa), also called Rains Retreat, is the traditional retreat during the rainy season lasting for three lunar months from July to October. ...

Children are taught from young 'to venerate one's elders, to respect one's peers, and to be kind to the young and weak' (kyeethu go yothei, ywedu go layza, ngethu go thana). Parents are believed to be solely responsible for their children's behaviour as reflected by the expressions mi ma hsoumma, hpa ma hsoumma (undisciplined either by mother or by father) and ami youk tau hnoukkyan, ahpa youk tau ko amu-aya kyan (bad language from bad mother, bad body-language from bad father). Saying "thank you" however is not Burmese custom between friends and within the family.

It is considered rude to touch a person's head, because it is the "highest" point of the body. It is also considered taboo to touch another's feet, but worse still to point with the foot or sit with feet pointing at someone older, because the feet are considered the lowest. Also, pointing a finger at Buddha images is considered blasphemous, although this custom has slowly eroded. Shoes are always taken off upon entering homes and temples. A custom of the Burmese is to perambulate clockwise (let ya yit) around a pagoda, rather than counter-clockwise (let wè yit). “Human Head” redirects here. ... This article is about a foot as a unit of length. ...

Physical demonstrations of affection in public are common between friends of the same gender or between members of the family, but seldom seen between lovers. It is thus common to see friends walking together holding hands or with arms round each other, but couples rarely do so except in major cities.

Marriage

Traditional Burmese folklore considers love to be destiny, as the Hindu god Brahma writes one's destiny in love on a child's brow when he or she is six days old, called na hpu za. A Burmese wedding can be religious or secular and extravagant or simple. Traditionally, a marriage is recognized with or without a ceremony when the man's paso (sarong) is seen hanging from a rail of the house or if the couple eats from the same plate. Dowries are typically unheard of, and arranged marriage is not a custom of the Burmese. This article does not cite any references or sources. ... Longyi is a sheet of cloth. ... Marriage à-la-mode by William Hogarth: a satire on arranged marriages and prediction of ensuing disaster An arranged marriage is a marriage that is established before involving oneself in a lengthy courtship, and often involves the arrangement of someone other than the persons getting married. ...

However, many Burmese couples opt for more extravagant affairs. Generally speaking, Buddhist monks need not be present to solemnize the ceremony. A more extravagant wedding requires months of preparation, including consultation with an astrologer in choosing the most auspicious time and setting of the event. Also, a master of ceremonies, typically a Brahmin, is hired to preside over the ceremony. The bride and groom sit on cushions next to each other. At the beginning of the wedding, the Brahmin blows a conch shell to commence the ceremony and joins the palms of the couple, wraps them in white cloth, and dips the joined palms in a silver bowl. The Burmese word let htat i.e. to marry literally means to join palms together. After chanting a few Sanskrit mantras, the Brahmin takes the couple's joined palms out of the bowl and blows the conch shell to end the ceremony.^[10] Afterward, entertainers perform, and the wedding is ended with a speech by a guest of higher social standing. Wedding receptions at a hotel, serving tea and ice cream, are common in urban areas. A Brahmin (anglicised from the Sanskrit adjective belonging to Brahma) also known as Brahman belonging to ; Vipra, Dvija twice-born, is considered to be the Priest class (varna) in the ancient universal Varna System and a caste found all over the world, especially India and Nepal in Indian caste system... The Sanskrit language ( , for short ) is a classical language of India, a liturgical language of Hinduism, Buddhism, Sikhism, and Jainism, and one of the 23 official languages of India. ...

References

Year 2007 (MMVII) is the current year, a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar and the AD/CE era. ... is the 211th day of the year (212th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2007 (MMVII) is the current year, a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar and the AD/CE era. ... is the 211th day of the year (212th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2007 (MMVII) is the current year, a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar and the AD/CE era. ... is the 218th day of the year (219th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2006 (MMVI) was a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 318th day of the year (319th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2007 (MMVII) is the current year, a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar and the AD/CE era. ... is the 211th day of the year (212th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ...

External links

• Hsaba: please eat, Myanmar recipes
• Art Only - Burmese art and craft collection
• Burmese Literature inc. audio
• An Introduction to Burmese Sculpture
• The Exquisite Art of Wood Carving by Pyi Phone Myint
• Burmese Festivals
• Mystic Ball - the Movie (Chinlon)
• Let hwei (Burmese Kickboxing) YouTube
• National holidays of Myanmar and other ASEAN countries
• Social and Arts Trend Changes in Burma BBC Burmese Highlights: Year-end Specials 2006
• Living and Learning English in Mandalay