The Spirit of Thingyan (သင်္ကြန်ပွဲတော်) | Silk Scarf

Thingyan (Myanmar Traditional Water Festival)

Thingyan (Burmese: သင်္ကြန်), the word derived from Sanskrit saṁkrānti, which means "transit [of the Sun from Pisces to Aries], is the Burmese New Year Festival that usually occurs in the middle of April.

Thingyan is the first-ever water festival celebrated in the world of the earliest water festival in water festivals. Thingyan has been celebrated since the Tagaung period (1-10 AD) of Myanmar and became famous during the Bagan period (12 AD).

It is a Buddhist festival (based on a Hindu myth) celebrated over a period of four to five days, culminating in the New Year. The dates of the Thingyan Festival are calculated according to the Burmese calendar. The dates of the festival are observed as public holidays throughout Myanmar and are part of the summer holidays at the end of the school year.

Water-throwing or dousing one another from any shape or form of vessel or device that delivers water is the distinguishing feature of this festival and may be done on the first four days of the festival.

The New Year takes place at virtually the same time as the new year celebrations of many countries in South Asia like China (Dai People of Yunnan Province), Laos, Thailand, Cambodia, Nepal, Bangladesh, India, and Sri Lanka.

Thingyan originated from the Buddhist version of a Hindu myth. The King of Brahmas called Arsi lost a wager to the King of Devas, Śakra (Thagya Min), who decapitated Arsi as agreed but the head of an elephant was put onto the Brahma's body who then became Ganesha.

The Brahma was so powerful that if the head were thrown into the sea it would dry up immediately. If it were thrown onto land it would be scorched. If it were thrown up into the air the sky would burst into flames.

Sakra, therefore, ordained that the Brahma's head be carried by one princess Devi after another taking turns for a year each. The new year henceforth has come to signify the changing of hands of the Brahma's head.

Thingyan is comparable to other festivities in the region such as the Songkran in Laos, the Songkran in Thailand, the Cambodian New Year, the Sinhalese New Year, and the festivals like Vaisakhi (Punjab), Puthandu (Tamil Nadu), Vishu (Kerala) and Bihu (Assam) in India.

For more information about Thingyan please continue reading here.

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