I timed my trip to Bagan so that I could attend the annual Ananda Pagoda Festival, one of the biggest such temple fairs in the country. Ananda is one of Bagan’s most revered pagodas, and the famous festival draws people from all over the country. The date for this festival, as is the case for other similar events in Myanmar, falls on – or in the case of this multi-day festival, around – the night of that month’s full moon.
Trucks and buses packed full of party-hearty folks from the countryside can be seen riding around Bagan during festival week; the passengers clapping, laughing and singing songs. Festive is certainly the appropriate term for the atmosphere. Bullock carts pulled by white water buffaloes camp out for several days on the festival grounds. Visually, it’s a nice sight, but you have to be careful where step; it becomes a minefield of cow patties.
The surrounding grounds of the temple are occupied by a sea of vendors, selling merchandise and food of every imaginable type. Frankly, it gets a bit junky, resembling a gaudy Asian flea market, but the locals seem to love it. In addition, there are song and dance performances (and always frightening spectre of shrill karaoke), puppet shows, and on the outskirts of this shopping eyesore are traditional amusement rides such as merry-go-rounds and a Ferris wheel. The latter is quite a sight: it’s propelled by human hands (and feet) as opposed to electric means. All of which makes a spin on this Ferris wheel more than a bit of an adventure. When they want it to stop, a group of four or five young men will jump up and grab onto one of the carriages and pull it back to earth. It sometimes takes them several tries before they are successful.
The morning of the actual full moon day is dedicated to a colorful ritual where the pagoda’s monks are given offerings. The donations become a deluge; thousands of people bringing a variety of items (food, money, toiletries, etc.) for the monks. These are normally placed in bowls or small baskets and then displayed on a long stage outside the pagoda.
After the early morning ceremonies (sadly, I didn’t get up early enough on the big day to see the start of it) have finished, the monks, nuns, local villagers, and foreign tourists all mingle around the pagoda compound, snapping photos, chatting, and receiving blessings. Some of the young novice monks could be seen playing games or enthralled by the sight of vendor blowing up helium balloons.
I made two daytime excursions and one nighttime visit to the festival, making the multi-kilometer journey from New Bagan on bicycle with Tun Tun and Min Min each time. My legs survived the semi-hilly ride in pretty good shape, but the hard, wobbly bike seat absolutely tore up my posterior. Each time we were in the area we paid a visit to the nearby Misan Restaurant in Old Bagan for some good eating. Run by the personable U Soe Tin, Misan offers a variety of inexpensive Burmese dishes, most of them accompanied by a spread of vegetable dishes. I’m always stuffed when I leave the place. For a restaurant in a very touristy area, the quality of the food and service at Misan is surprisingly high.
