In upcountry summer, when yellowish leaves fall and brownish red dried trees and dust overwhelm, the heat of the sun seems to be testing the strength of the pilgrims across the nation who come for the Mann Shwe Set Taw Pagoda festival.

The festival in Magwe Region, upper Myanmar, is a summer festival which can attract both local travellers and international tourists.

It is usually teeming with crowds in the early summer after the matriculation exams. The undulating landscape of the hot and dusty road to the Shwe Set Taw Pagoda is full of pilgrimage cars, many of which do not have air-conditioning.

“This year, most pilgrims come in Canter and light trucks,” said Ko Than Win, a travel guide at Mann Shwe Set Taw. The pilgrims from the villages in Magway Region usually share a hired car, and a light truck can hold 20 people costing K4,000 each.

One or two decades ago, TE trucks or jeeps were used for the pilgrimage to Shwe Set Taw. It takes about one and a half hours to drive from Magwe to Shwe Set Taw, which is 38 miles away. In the old days, the pilgrims had to stop for a night halfway through the journey.

Accommodation charges at the hotels were hiked up during weekdays and public holidays last year, but this year, the rates will remain the same. The guest house opposite the creek will charge K30,000 a room per night, and those far from the creek will charge K20,000 a room.

The accommodation rates are set by the new pagoda trustee board formed this year, and are posted everywhere to ensure guesthouses do not overcharge.

While local and foreign visitors are welcome to Shwe Set Taw, foreigners are not allowed to stay at bamboo huts built on the bank of Mann Creek. For security reasons, foreigners will have to go back to hotels in Magwe for the night.

Some pilgrims will ride on cars to pay homage to the Buddha’s Footprint at upper Set Taw Yar, while some will climb mountains on foot to Thagyar Pone Taung and Arahat’s Footprint. All pilgrims need to deal with the northern summer heat because the day-time temperature is usually between 35 and 43 degrees Celsius.

Pilgrims can also study the Shwe Thamin (golden deer) and star tortoise in Shwe Set Taw wild sanctuary. A wide area designated by the Forestry Department is home to these animals, and can be seen along the road one mile away from the Shwe Set Taw.

The main attraction of the Shwe Set Taw is to play freely in the clear and cool water of the creek. The depth of the water reaches one’s knees and various colourful stones can be seen on the water bed.

About 7 miles from the Shwe Set Taw Pagoda, another recreation place called Sedaw has become popular in recent years.

The road to Sedaw is about 1 mile away from the junction to Shwe Set Taw Pagoda on Pathein-Monywa highway. One needs to take the dirt road and follow directions on the signboards. The road is so dusty that it appears to disappear in a cloud of dust whenever a car passes. Dried fallen leaves are found everywhere and all the trees are only skeletons without leaves.

Restaurants and bungalow-like buildings are constructed over the creek and some fishes can be seen in the clear water below. The most famous food at Sedaw is oil-cooked glutinous rice with fried sparrow.

“Coming to Sedaw is different from going to Shwe Set Taw. There are some restrictions during the pagoda festival, but here, we can take a bath in creek water, we can rest, we can have fun here with our friends,” said Ko Min Min Soe, a visitor from Magwe.

There is one more location for recreation this year. At about 1 mile before the Shwe Set Taw junction, there is a bridge to cross the Mann Creek. Under that bridge on the sandbars, there is a recreation camp opened by Oo-Yin villagers.

The camp has some restaurants and palm-leaves huts and the place is like an oasis where some passers-by stop to rest.
In spite of being hot and dusty, this natural and beautiful heritage in the upcountry is still attractive to travellers.

 

–Translation by Zaw Nyunt