Taungpyone Pagoda's Buddhist Puja Festival and Taungpyone Twin Monks Festival to be held in 2026

It has been learned from a press release by the festival organizing committee that the historic Taungpyone Pagoda's Buddhist Puja Festival and the Taungpyone Twin Monks Festival, dedicated to the Buddha and the two Taungpyone monks, will be held in 2026. The historic Taungpyone Pagoda's Buddhist Puja Festival and the Taungpyone Twin Monks Festival, which were established and worshipped by King Anawrahta, will be held in grandeur from the 8th to the 15th of the waxing moon of Wagaung, corresponding to August 21 to August 28, 2026. It has been announced that pilgrims and traditional devotees, as well as vendors, can visit with peace of mind, and the regional situation is peaceful and stable, according to further information from the festival organizing committee. Historical records indicate that the Taungpyone Pagoda Festival is typically held from the 10th of the waxing moon of Wagaung until the full moon day, with rituals such as receiving blessings on the 8th, receiving blessings on the 9th, a night assembly on the 10th, using bathing water on the 11th, a coronation ceremony on the 12th, a rabbit-stamping ceremony on the 13th, wood-cutting on the 14th, Pakhan Min Pone on the 15th, and descending to the golden palace on the first day after the full moon. A ceremony of offering rice to the Sangha is held on the morning of the full moon day. News and Photos: Thet Htun Aung