MORE than 140 of the 1,400 lodgings and food stalls being built to accommodate travellers attending the Mann Shwesettaw Buddha Pujaniya Festival in Minbu (Sagu) Township, Magway Region, have been completed, according to U Aye Ko, Chairman of the Mann Shwesettaw Pagoda Board of Trustees.

The festival, traditionally held annually, will take place for 75 days, from 2 February to 17 April.

“We have scheduled the Mann Shwesettaw Buddha Pujaniya Festival from 2 February to 17 April. A total of over 140 lodgings have been completed, and we are in the process of constructing more than 600 additional lodgings and 800 food stalls to accommodate the expected influx of visitors from across the country,” U Aye Ko said.

Furthermore, a bridge measuring 12 feet and eight inches wide and 100 feet (approximately 30 metres) long has been constructed to facilitate the easy passage of pilgrims to the Lower Sacred Footprint of the Lord Buddha during the festival. The Mann Shwesettaw Buddha Pujaniya Festival typically sees the highest number of visitors on Saturdays, Sundays, the full moon day of Tabaung, and during Thingyan (the Myanmar New Year celebrations).

During the festival, pilgrims from across the country also visit other popular attractions, including the Mann Chaung Elephant Resort, which features an elephant museum, Myathalun Pagoda in Magway, Sekkaintae Pagoda, Nagabwat Hill, and other notable sites, in addition to the Shwesettaw Buddha Pujaniya Festival.

ASH/MKKS

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