MON DANCE FOR THE QUEEN’S BIRTHDAY CELEBRATION

(Reported by MUL, Bangkok, Thailand)

  11 am. 11 August 2004 -- In the time schedule, the Thai Mon community is to present traditional dance to honor the Queen on the stage at 9.30 am before the religious ceremony, but it starts raining and the program has delayed until 11.00 am when it the rain ceased and the religious ceremony is over. On the big stage of about 50 meters wide, begins with "Mon dance Siam" that looks like the Thai traditional dance. The second dance is called "Hongsawatoi Dance" by 2 male and 60 female dancers narrating the legend of Kyaiklagon (Shwe Dagon Pagoda) in the time of more than 2500 years ago how the two Mon merchants Tapao and Tapo (Taphussa and Phandika), the first laymen who met the Lord Buddha in India during their trade after enlightenment of Buddha. The Lord Buddha gave them eight hair relics which they brought back to Monland and enshrine in the Kyaiklagon (present Shwe Dagon Pagoda) in Rangoon, the capital city of Burma