Myanmar Chess

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Chess is one of the games that is well-known and played around the world. And in Myanmar. we have our own significant traditional chess game. Since ancient times. the Myanmar people were very keen and fond of playing traditional chess. In fact. Myanma traditional chess in based on four warfare elements. which were show in old Myanmar military text and scriptures.

Four military elements are:
(1) Elephant division
(2) Cavalry division
(3) Chariot division
(4) Infantry division

Myanmar chess which is based on these four warfare elements. so it is represented by elephant figure. horseman figure. chariot figure. and footsoldier figure with the knight commander figure who command all these four warfare element and finally king ( warlord ) figure. In all. there are six types of figures. Because Myanmar Chess in based on the four warfare elements. normally called Sit-Tu-Yin.

Myanmar Chess Board

In Myanmar Chess, there are eight foot-soldiers figurines which represent eight infantry division for each side, so that both side ( two players ) can play vigorously, subsequently there are two chariot figures for two chariot division, two elephant figures for two elephant division. Two horseman figures for two cavalry division. One Commander ( or ) knight commander figure and finally one king ( Warlord ) figure. So, each side has 16 figures, totaling 32 figures for both sides ( for two players ). These figures are made from hardwood which Myanmar is famous for Teak;

Sometimes, these figures are carved out of the horns of the bull bisons and ardorned with white and black colours. Figures carved from ordinary wood are differentiated for two sides by painting them red and black.

Woodcarvings are about 2 to 3 inches in height. In ancient time all these figurines were carved very precisely. Infantry soldier figures are curved clearly and with helmets called “Mout-Toe” in Myanmar. (This helmet is specially meant for other rank soldiers “Mout-Shay” is a helmet for officers and commanders.) Cavalry figure is a horse riding by a worrier and sometimes adorned with rein and other accessories completely. Elephant figure is in a form of elephant which is bigger than horses. Chariot figure has a wheel and a roof carved in sideway. Commander or knight commander figure is carved in a kneeling form with a sword is carrying on his shoulders, and the king figure is carved per feetly in a from of sitting in the crossleg position and a “Than-Lyett” (royal short knife, which only kings are allowed to carry.)

In this era, figures are carved only to know and differentiate the form and type, but not in detail.

There are eight squares in length and eight squares in breath at Myanmar chessboard, same as the cheeker-board, altogether, here are 64 squares.

Each side has 32 squares, 16 squares for the figures an the rest 16 squares are for movement. There’s no colours to differentiate all the squares have the same colour.

Two straight lines are drawn across from all four corners. These two straight lines are coverage at the center of the chess-board and called “ Sit-kei-kyo”

After the commander has annihilated, and one of the infantry soldier has come upon this straight line, this infantry soldier has a right to become a commander. Only infantry soldiers have the right to become a commander, other such as elephant, cavalry or chariot cannot become a commander. The aim and objective of the two sides is to attack and paralyze the opponent king. This king of attack is called “ kwei” which is the same as calling “ chockmate” when the king is paralyzed, and the other side is defeated and the game is won, no matter how many figures are left.

Infantry soldiers can move only one step (or one square) forward straight, it cannot move backwards. Any opponent figure standing on the squares at the left or right sides angles can be eliminated. If it does not want to eliminate the opponent figure, it can ignore it. Cavalry horse man can hop over if their isn’t a path and can move left, right, front and backwards for & squares. Laxly horseman cannot move to the square where there is other figure of his own sides, but can eliminate any opponent figure and stand on that square.

Never the less, it cannot stand together with an opponent figure on the same square without elimination. Elephants move straight forward, or diagonally backwards or forwards, and each move is only square. Elephant cannot move straight backwards, or straight sideways chariot is most powerful in Myanmar Chess. If there’s no buffer figure, they can be move freely, either forward, backward, right or left. So they assumed chariot owns 14 squares. Commanders can move only two squares, either to front angle or backwards angle. The King can move only one square to any direction.

In Myanmar Traditional chess the horseman is a powerful figure. If the horseman falls, the player will be inconsolable as the horseman can eliminate other figures and the only figure, which can checkmate the king. The horseman figure can be moved about, just like the international chess moves. If you haven’t checkmate the king and he cannot move anymore and he’s at a standstill, you have “Kwet” or still mate the king.

Initially placing the figures is teemed “ Warfare preparation ” and this plays a vital role in playing. It will also justify who wins and who loses. That is why only a skilled player can survive.

In ancient days, people like to hide their strategic skills so they used to draw a curtain between each other. When placing the figurines. It is just to keep this strategy in low profile.

The curtain is removed, only when the initial move is to be alone. The positions are revealed soon as the curtain is raised. In the good old days, those skilled personnel’s process the talent of justifying or predicting the win and the loss by merely glancing at the position before the play. Some used to concede by just looking at the position without a single move. That is one of the peculiarities of Myanmar Sit-tu-yin.

In playing Sit-Tu-Yin, there is defence and attack, which is called the 8 strategies of warfare preparation.

They are as follows:
(1) Min Pone
(2) Myin Set
(3) Myin Shin
(5) Myin Cheik
(6) MyinHtat
(7) Atwin Sit Ke Pauk
(8) Sin Shin Myin Kwae

Playing Chess, you will be using all your intellectual skills. And besides the benefits of gaining more intelligence, more concentration power and you will also gain
(1) Idealism
(2) Cautiousness
(3) Concentration
(4) Strong will
(5) Skillfulness
(6) Cleverness

On Starting the move, the player with the red figurines has the chance to move first portraying the attack and the second player with the black pieces is said to be on the defensive regardless of the position or strategy the latter had laid down.
Attacking by a “Myin-Pone”, will be defended by “Myin-Set” is retaliated by Myin-Shin, step-by-step defense and attack is monopolized with the individuals intelligence and ideas to clinch the victory. By playing Myanmar chess you can gain all the above-mentioned benefits. So, we hope after seeing our program you will enjoy playing Myanmar chess. That is our anticipation.

The Elegant Lotus Robe

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The Elegant Lotus Robe

In the Union of Myanmar, where Theravada Buddhism flourishes, yellow robes have been offered to the Lord Buddha in different seasons for many hundreds of years. The robes are known as Waso-thingan, Kahtein-thingan, Matho-thingan, Kyar-thingan and Pantthaku-thingan. The Waso-thingan is the robe offered on the occasion of Wazo, the three-month Lenten period from round about July to October.

The Kahtein-thingan is the robe that is offered to the Buddha and his congregation of monks, that is, the Sangha, at the end of lent. this robe must not be offered to a monk of one's acquaintance or choice but to the Sangha in general. The Matho-thingan, literally meaning “the robe that has not decayed”; it is the robe which is woven on the full moon night of Tazaungmon and which must be completed before the sun rises the next day for offering at sacred Images of the Buddha. Some of the latter robes are woven with yarn from the lotus. The very first Pantthagu-thingan, was the robe sewn by the Buddha himself with remnants of discarded clothing. This was in adherence to the vow of poverty – no costly robes, no silks or velvets, just a simple garment patched from torn pieces of cloth - a robe to clothe oneself in decency and modesty. Another significance fact is that the Buddha laid out the scraps of cloth in the pattern of cultivated fields, each enclosed by low dykes. This pattern is still adhered to in making of robes for the Sangha.

Some regard the lotus robe as the noblest and most sacred one because it is meant as an offering to the future Buddha aspiring for Enlightenment or Buddhahood.

According to religious texts, the tradition of the lotus robe emerged a long time ago. Thar Lay Taung Sayadaw U Tay Zeinda from Inlay district states that the lotus robe does not literally mean the robe, which is woven from the lotus thread. When this present world, known as the Badda Kabba (the Badda World) came into existence, five buds appeared on a lotus plant and each contained a complete set of Thingan Pareikaya (prescribed articles for use by Buddhist monks). So it was prophesied that five Buddhas would appear in this world who would show the Path to Liberation. Then the age-old Thuddawartha Brahmas brought all the five buds to the place where “Ariyas” holy persons lived and offered the sweet-scented lotus robes to them. As only four robes have been so far offered, there is still one robe outstanding. That was said to be the origin of the lotus robe.

But there are lotus robes, which are woven from strands of yarn obtained from the lotus plant and are offered to the Images of the Buddha and in special cases to eminent monks who have been awarded titles for outstanding religious services.

Sayadaw Shin Ohn Nyo , one of the four ‘shins’ or venerable clerics, in Myanmar literature composed in his ‘Pyo’, or ode of 60 Ghahtas that a set of Thingan Pareikaya offered to Prince Sidhattha, the future Buddha, by Yatikaya Lord of the abode of Brahmas, was the fourth one obtained from the lotus flower that had been in the safekeeping of the ancient Brahmas.

In accordance with this legend in which Thudawatha Brahmas offered robes obtained from the primitive lotus to the potential Buddhas, Myanmar Buddhists celebrate a symbolic offering of the lotus robe.

The lotus robes are often decorated with patterns of flowers in gold and silver foil to make it as magnificent as possible, for offering to Buddha Images in shrines and pagodas.

Weaving a lotus robe by extracting the yarn from Padonma lotus stalks demands great creativity, imagination and artistic skill.

The place where such wonderful robes are woven is Kyaing Khan village in Inlay district. Inlay Lake, which is 2900 feet above sea level, is situated in Nyaung Shwe Township in the southern part of Shan State. Many varieties of lotus flourish in the Inlay Lake but the yarn for the robe is taken from the the Padonma Kyar ( the Red Lotus). As the level of the water surface rises, Padonma lotus plants begin to grow in profusion to supply the necessary thread for this special robe. Kyaing Khan village, located in the south of Inlay district is the only place where lotus robes are woven.

It is not easy to produce lotus thread from which the lotus robe is woven. Lotus stems are plucked in the months of Kason and Nayon (May and June) when lotus plants are abundant in the Lake.

We know from the local people that, according to traditional belief in the region, they consider the lotus to have supernatural powers and that the lotus must be in full bloom to produce lotus fibres from its stems. So they conduct a ritual at the lotus pond with offerings of nine dishes of food a week before they cut off the stems. At the time of plucking the stems also, nine dishes of food are offered to the guardian spirit of the house where the lotus robe will be woven. This is their traditional custom. After plucking the lotus stems, only the soft stems are taken. The next day having cut the stems, they prepare to separate the lotus fibres from the lotus stems. First they rub out the thorns on the stem and cut it into two parts. Then these are marked at 5 or 6 places with a knife at intervals of 9 inches or so after which the cut stems are twisted. They then pull out the fibres with wet hands on a special table about 3 feet long made for the purpose.

If these lotus stems are left too long, they will decompose and the threads obtained will be of no use. So, they pull out these fibres the day after they have cut the stems. These fibres are spun on the small pulley in order to prevent them from getting tangled.

Next, they are spun again into the spindle from the pulley. Naturally, the lotus likes water and they hold the fibre from the pulley with wet hands while spinning.

After that, handfuls of the fibres are put on different shelves of the same size and spun again on to the large pulley to make them stronger and thicker.

These strong and thick fibres are spun again almost continuously into a yarn to produce threads. Then these threads are washed and coated with glue to make them ready for special weaving.

These ready-made threads are fixed on the loom both for the warp and woof by twisting them into the spinning rod. Now the weaving of the lotus robe can begin.

“In weaving the lotus robe, unlike the ordinary yellow robe, it is necessary to adhere to the Buddha’s teachings and to abide by the five precepts.” said one of the old and skilled woman weavers of the lotus robe. She added, “Even if the weaver is not a virgin, she must be a woman of virtue who keeps the five basic precepts of Buddhism”. The loom is also considered to have supernatural powers, so it is surrounded with split bamboo fences of diamond-shaped designs used for royal occasions. Banana and sugar cane plants are tied to the fence at suitable intervals.

For a perfect robe, the outer robe (Aygathi ) must be two and a half yards long and under-wear ( Thinbine ), six yards long. The weaver must weave ten yards to get a perfect lotus robe. So two hundred and twenty thousand lotus plants are required for one set of robes. Besides, it takes sixty weavers ten days to complete one set. The process from the cutting of the stems to the finished robe takes one month.

As the lotus is a hydrophyte, lotus threads are woven by continuous spraying with water and are then pressed between rollers to yield thicker density. The natural colour of the woven robe is ivory-coloured, but it is dyed in what is locally called a deep jack-fruit colour somewhat like old gold. this is how a lotus-robe is made from padonmar kyayoe (lotus stems) and kya-kmyin (lotus fibres).

Although the length, size and colour are the same as the ordinary robe, it is not so heavy but light, strong and much more beautiful. You can smell the fragrance of lotus from a freshly woven lotus robe. This lotus robe can give coolness in the hot season and warmth in the cold season.

Kyi Kyi Hla

Myanmar Shampoo

Home-Made Myanmar Shampoo

There was a time, not long ago when long, black glossy hair was considered the crowning glory of a Myanmar woman and the longer and thicker the growth, the better. In fact, men also wore their hair long and knotted in the days of the monarchy and even after. Short hair was considered unbecoming and indecorous especially in women. Even small girls used to wear their hair long in a small topknot encircled by a fringe.

This style was called a "‘Hsayit-waing". When a girl entered adolescence the hair has grown longer and the topknot thicker, but she still has a fringe with the side ends tucked in a curve behind the ears. This is called a "Hsadauk" and both styles are sweet and charming. When an adolescent girl reaches womanhood the fringe now grown longer is gathered up together with the hair of the topknot, and these long tresses are twined into a chignon. These differing hairstyles mark the progress of the years through childhood and adolescence to womanhood. But the hair was always worn long. Long hair has come back into fashion but now it is worn hanging down like a veil at the back. This style, by the way, was taboo in the olden days.

Formerly women wore their hair long but it was always fashioned as a "Sadone", a cylindrical topknot with or without tresses flowing down the side. Or else it was twisted and wrapped around a comb, usually made of bamboo, ivory or tortoise shell, or tied into a bun at the nape of the neck.

Long hair however called for neatness and cleanliness. A Myanmar woman never used to allow herself to be seen with hair tousled or tangled. Her hair was always oiled with pure fragrant coconut oil and knotted in place. Cleanliness required at least a weekly shampoo and twice weekly in the summer. And there was a very effective fresh, natural shampoo that was always home made.

The main ingredients of this shampoo consist of the bark of a shrub known as"Tayaw". (Family Name: Sterarliaceae; Botanical Name: Buettneria Adamnensis,Kz) Then there is the soapy fruit of the "Kin-mun". (Family Name: Mimosaceae; Botanical Name: Acacia Concinna, Dc.) The distribution of both plants is countrywide and they grow in the wild and thrive without tending. The shampoo is prepared in a quantity sufficient for all the females of the household, young and old. Both the bark of the Tayaw and the fruit of the Kin-mun is easily available at any bazaar year round.

The Kin-mun fruit is first washed thoroughly and boiled with water until soft and pulpy. While the Kin-mun is being boiled the Tayaw is shredded, washed and soaked in a bowl of cold water. Very soon the water becomes a thick viscous liquid. The amount of water used must be of equal parts for both. When the boiled Kin-mun water has cooled, it is passed through a sieve and the pulp removed. The same is done for the Tayaw though it is difficult to get rid of all the fibres. Both liquids are then mixed together and we have a shampoo with a faint elusive scent. Sometimes one or two limes are halved and soaked together with the Tayaw but this is optional.

To use this shampoo, one sluices the hair with water first. Then with a small cup or bowl the liquid shampoo is poured generously on the head and the scalp is scrubbed and massaged. Scrubbing produces some suds from the Kin-mun, but not much. This is done at least twice, after which the long hair is shampooed and scrubbed in manageable proportions until one reaches the tip. After this, many bowls of water are poured to wash away the Tayaw and Kin-mun and the hair is now squeaky clean. The soapy Kin-mun cleanses the hair, the lime prevents or cures dandruff and the Tayaw is the best natural hair conditioner making the hair soft and pliant and therefore easy to comb.

Tayaw/Kin-mun shampoo is still used by Myanmar women today, but in the cities where the pace of daily life has quickened, this shampoo is sold ready made in two plastic bags, one containing Tayaw and the other Kin-mun. The lime is added at home if so desired. But imported foreign shampoo and conditioners are fast replacing the traditional natural home- made shampoo.

Some enterprising Myanmar businessmen with the help of chemists, seeing the economic potential of Tayaw and Kin-mun which are cheap and plentiful, have begun manufacturing local shampoos with a Tayaw/Kin-mun base. It is made in both liquid and powder form, but I doubt if the purity of the home-made shampoo has been retained.

Manusiha

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What is a Man Lion?
A Man Lion is a symbol that represents the guardian of a precious place. Such as the Sphinx of the Egypt. in Myanmar theses guardians are called as Manussiha (or) the Man Lion.

To describe a Man Lion in detail. we can say that it is a creature with a blend of two Pali words. The first one is "Manussa" meaning a human being and the second word is "Siha" meaning a lion. The lion represents the Strength of it and the human part represents the wisdom. converting it into a better creature. And the Manussiha is usually considered as a male.

It can be found at each of the four corners of some pagodas in Myanmar. The human head and torso on top of the forked haunches of a lion into which the corner of a block like the plinth of a pagoda. Since time has changed. the head of the modern Manussiha can be seen wearing a crown finished with a motif of tier upon tier of upright.

Myanmar Fans

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In Myanmar, the fan is used frequently. Myanmar Traditional Fan is one of Myanmar’s traditional articles of use. We use it to cool ourselves in the hot weather and you can be rest-assured that the weather really gets hot in the summer, in Myanmar.

Whenever there’s a religious ceremony, funerals, social occasion, traditional Myanmar novitiation ceremony, or any other charitable ceremony, even a wedding ceremony, the fan is given as a gift to the attendees of the ceremonies to express that their presence is very much appreciated by the holders of the ceremony.

Here are some of the fans that are made in Myanmar.

Shin Pyu (ရှင်ပြု), the Novitiation Ceremony

The word "Shin Pyu" in Myanmar means "initiating into Buddhist Order as a Novice". To go in detail, the word ‘Shin’ means a novice and ‘Pyu’ means to make one. The Shin Pyu ceremony is a common event, as a family earns great merit when a son forsakes his childhood life and dons the robe of the monk. Henceforth, he will have no possessions, save the bowl with which he begs his meals. Few novices remain in the order long enough to take their ordained vows, but clearly the initiation of the novice is cause for a huge celebration.

Myanmar Toys

When we talk about Myanmar Made Products, lets start with the attractive Myanmar Toys.

The Traditional Toys of Myanmar are mostly made of papier-mâché, but colourful and attractive. Theses toys are usually sold on the stairways of the Pagodas all over Myanmar. They differ in size, style, idea, meaning and color giving each of them a unique definition and expression. Although these toys are no longer played by the urban children, they are still kept as souvenirs at home. But for the rural children, those lovely toys are something more than they can imagine.

Myanmar Mythology and Mythical CreaturesMythical Creatures

It's not just in the Greeks mythology where animals were combined into a single form. Myanmars also have quite a few number of combined form of mythical creatures.

Lion (Chinthe)

This is a Myanmar grotesque form of a mythical lion. Doe is still look like a lion to you? According to the legendary tales. lions are the best guards for religious shrines. You'll see statues of lions surrounds many pagodas in Myanmar.

Astrology

Photo Credit - www.whats-your-sign.com 

Here are some of the interesting tips for the Myanmar. These information are referred from the Calendar published by the Myanmar Traditional Calendar Advisory Committee of the Myat Mingalar Traditional Calendar. The following tips are only entitled for the year 2007. and the Myanmar year 1368-1369.

Pagoda

Shwe Dagon Pagoda

What is a Pagoda?

A pagoda. in Southeast Asia. is cone-shaped monumental structure built in memory of Buddha. But in the Far East. a pagoda is a tower-like. multi-storeyed structure of stone. brick. or wood. usually associated with a Buddhist temple complex. The pagoda derives from the stupa of ancient India. which was a dome-shaped commemorative monument. usually erected over the remains or relics of a holy man or king.