Legend of Mount Popa | Myanmar’s Mount Olympus

Mount Popa (Burmese: ပုပ္ပားတောင်) is an extinct volcano 1,518 metres (4,981 feet) above sea level, and located in central Myanmar in the region of Mandalay about 50 km (31 mi) southeast of Bagan (Pagan) in the Pegu Range. It can be seen from the Ayeyarwady (Irrawaddy) River as far away as 60 km (37 mi) in clear weather.

Mount Popa is a pilgrimage site, with numerous Nat (Spirits) temples and relic sites atop the mountain. The name Popa is believed to come from the Pali/Sanskrit word puppha meaning flower.

Southwest of Mount Popa is Taung Kalat (pedestal hill), a sheer-sided volcanic plug, which rises 657 metres (2,156 ft) above the sea level. A Buddhist monastery is located at the summit of Taung Kalat. At one time, the Buddhist hermit U Khandi maintained the stairway of 777 steps to the summit of Taung Kalat.

The Taung Kalat pedestal hill is sometimes itself called Mount Popa and given that Mount Popa is the name of the actual volcano that caused the creation of the volcanic plug, to avoid confusion, the volcano (with its crater blown open on one side) is generally called Taung Ma-gyi (mother hill). The volcanic crater itself is a mile in diameter.

From the top of Taung Kalat one can enjoy a panoramic view. One can see the ancient city of Bagan; behind it to the north, the massive solitary conical peak of Taung Ma-gyi rises like Mount Fuji in Japan. There is a big caldera, 610 metres (2,000 ft) wide and 914 metres (3,000 ft) in depth so that from different directions the mountain takes different forms with more than one peak.

Many legends are associated with this mountain including its dubious creation from a great earthquake and the mountain erupted out of the ground in 442 BC.

Mount Popa is considered the abode of Burma's most powerful Nats and as such is the most important Nat worship center. It has therefore been called Burma's Mount Olympus.

One legend tells about brother and sister MinMahagiri (Great Mountain) nats, from the kingdom of Tagaung at the upper reaches of the Irrawaddy, who sought refuge from King Thaylekyaung of Bagan (344-387). Their wish was granted and they were enshrined on Mt Popa.

Another legend tells about Popa Medaw (Royal Mother of Popa), who according to legend was a flower-eating ogress called Me Wunna; she lived at Mount Popa.

She fell in love with Byatta, whose royal duty was to gather flowers from Popa for King Anawrahta of Bagan (1044–1077). Byatta was executed for disobeying the king who disapproved of the liaison, and their sons were later taken away to the palace. Me Wunna died of a broken heart and, like Byatta, became a nat.

Their sons also became heroes in the king's service but were later executed for neglecting their duty during the construction of a pagoda at Taungbyone near Mandalay. They too became powerful nats but they remained in Taungbyone.


About Banyan Canopy

Banyan Canopy was founded with the goal of celebrating artists, designers & creative minds, supporting Myanmar brands and small & medium businesses (SMEs), promoting diversity & inclusion, believing in freedom of expression, empowering local talent from Myanmar (Burma), and spreading optimism through extremely challenging social and economic situations they are currently facing.

We strive to become a global platform for personalized clothing, accessories, merch, personal, household products, and more. Simply put, we are the go-to place for everything Myanmar on quality products where people from around the world discover the work of talented Myanmar artists, designers, creative minds, brands, and businesses. Our community reflects the kind, respectful, diverse, and welcoming nature of Myanmar people.

Our everyday lives are defined by our unique personalities and our homes by an authentic, personal, and creative imagination. As such Banyan Canopy’s values are based on preserving, promoting, and sharing the cultural identity of Myanmar with the world. As such, the artwork and design of our products are derived from this unique cultural identity.

We also believe in giving back to the community and our partners and as such we have created a system of sharing our profit with artists, designers, and creative minds we collaborate with. We also support those who are gravely affected by the Military Coup and COVID-19 pandemic in Myanmar by donating part of our profits through trustworthy local partners.

We welcome and encourage everyone from across the world to visit our platform to discover and enjoy authentic creativity and inspiration based on Myanmar’s rich culture and heritage.

Previous
Previous

Thadingyut (Myanmar’s Lighting Festival)

Next
Next

Shopping & Ordering | Available Payment Methods