Rakhine State is rich in natural resources. It is a western gateway of Myanmar towards the sea and it is situated in the strategic point of border area.

The main livelihood of local people is agriculture and livestock breeding.

As most of the Rakhine nationals are Buddhist, they are very pious. They preserve Buddha Sasana, generation to generation, for promotion, propagation and perpetuation of Sasana.

They offer alms to Buddha, the founder of Buddha Sasana as if Lord Buddha is still alive. Rakhine nationals cook the rice from their first harvest and they offer it to the Lord Buddha. The devotees used to offer alms collectively and unitedly and in the later period they held as alms offering ceremony.

Now, we’ll present Rakhine Traditional first crop alms offering ceremony held in Shitthaung Pagoda in Mrauk U, Rakhine State.

The ceremony is held in Taboung, the last month of Myanmar Calendar.

Holding the ceremony is a tradition preserved by Rakhine nationals and a sign of thriving agriculture and progress of economy.

In the evening art the festival day, alms donation ceremony continues and the entire Township participates in the ceremony. Apart from dry provision, other offertories are donated.

As the ceremony is being held dedicating to all monasteries in Mrauk-U, the whole Township was crowded with devotees.

By watching the ceremony where devotees generously donate their money and properties which they saved all the year round, you can observe generosity of Rakhine nationals.