Face - Washing Ceremony

Myanmar Buddhist people have strong and staunch belief that the GREAT IMAGE personified the living Buddha. They must do something in honor of Buddha and they initiate a ritual of washing the face with fragrant scented water and cleaning the teeth of the GREAT IMAGE.

In February 17, 1988, the Ven. Sayadaw Buddhanta Pannya Vamsa of South Htilin monastery, Pitaka Kyaung, commenced his daily routine of washing and cleaning the face of the GREAT IMAGE at dawn.

The washing and cleaning ceremony starts at early 4.30 a.m. every day. The towels are offered by lay devotees and after the ceremony, the towels are given to the worshippers to be honored at their home shrines. Only the male devotees are permitted to apply gold leaf on the IMAGE. For female worshippers, the said kind of donation is carried out by pagoda officials on their behalf.