The entire country of Myanmar joyously celebrated Thadingyed lights festival, one of Myanmar Traditional festivals, at the end of the Buddhist lent.
In conjunction with the Thadingyut lights festival, since time immemorial, another famous festival namely, the Shwekyin oil-lamp floating festival is held annually with much significance.
The venue of this festival is Shwekyin, a small town located on the east bank of Sittaung River, 112 miles away from Yangon.
Every year, Shwekyin creek is the host to this extraordinary floating lights festival.
At the same time, while celebrating the oil-lamp floating festival, you can also enjoy cultural dances of the locals.
It is a day after full moon day of Thadingyut when boat races, dances and significant Tatkhoat and Tatpyan dances are traditionally performed. Both banks of the creek are crowded with people who come to view and encourage the 16 dance groups who complete with each other.
Shwekyin oil-lamp floating festival is in fact an auspicious occasion in honour of shin Upa Gutta Mahte local people offer colourful oil-lamps in the water of the creek praying for prosperity and to be free from danger and any bad luck.
Besides praying for prosperity, health and good luck to the Shin Upagutta Mahte honorable disciple of the Buddha who Buddhists pray for the prevention of an outpour of rain whenever special occasions or festivals are held, or when people go on sea-faring trips or travel on the waterway.
You will find it spectacular to watch all the floating lights circling the shin Upagutta Mahte and the reflections of the hundreds of coloured lights on the surface of the water, under the silvery moon, on the day after the full moon day of Thadingyut.
So, please make it a must, to visit the Shwekyin oil-lamp floating festival where you can enjoy this unique festival and at the same time relish the traditional customs of the local populace.