The Mya Zedi Pagoda Festival, celebrated in Bagan is held every year, around the middle of the month of August. This Pagoda was built by King Yazakommaya, son of Bagan’s famous King Kyansittha. He built this pagoda and enshrined a statute of an elephant in the vault of the pagoda in order to gain merit and make his sick father, Kyansittha to get well.

The Mya Zedi Pagoda Festival is a festival unlike other pagoda festivals in Bagan’s seasonal festivals since Bagan came into existence. People from all around the words of the city of Bagan come to this festival garbed in all sorts of animal costumes made from papies mache`.

The competitors wearing these papies mache` costumes dance to the captivating music and compete with each other for the Prize of the best dancing animal. The venerable monks are the ones who supervise the event and they also are the Judges of the competitions.

The spectators who come to watch this unique festival will surely be treated to an extravagant of music; dance and traditional culture all in are package. The papies mache` animals have one small hole in the front and if the two persons inside do not coordinate their movements they can bump into each other and spill out into the on looking crowd, hit and knock-over some of them. But, due to the festival mood of the spectators you will not find anyone angry or complaining.

As this festival is celebrated only once a year, you will find many foreign tourists, who have come to Bagan, make it a must to attend this festival and see for themselves the ancient cultural heritage of Bagan’s past still celebrated up to this day.

So do come, and cherish for yourself, this unforgettable and the magic of this colourful event.