Description
Myanmar (formerly Burma) is a Southeast Asian nation of more than 100 ethnic groups, bordering India, Bangladesh, China, Laos and Thailand. Yangon (formerly Rangoon), the country's largest city, is home to bustling markets, numerous parks and lakes, and the towering, gilded Shwedagon Pagoda, which contains Buddhist relics and dates to the 6th century.Early civilisations in Myanmar included the Tibeto-Burman-speaking Pyu city-states in Upper Burma and the Mon kingdoms in Lower Burma. In the 9th century, the Bamar people entered the upper Irrawaddy valley and, following the establishment of the Pagan Kingdom in the 1050s, the Burmese language, culture and Theravada Buddhism slowly became dominant in the country. The Pagan Kingdom fell due to the Mongol invasions and several warring states emerged. In the 16th century, reunified by the Taungoo dynasty, the country was for a brief period the largest empire in the history of Mainland Southeast Asia.
The British took over the administration of Myanmar after three Anglo-Burmese Wars in the 19th century and the country became a British colony. Myanmar was granted independence in 1948, as a democratic nation. Following a coup d'état in 1962, it became a military dictatorship under the Burma Socialist Programme Party.
For most of its independent years, the country has been engrossed in rampant ethnic strife and its myriad ethnic groups have been involved in one of the world's longest-running ongoing civil wars. In 2011, the military junta was officially dissolved following a 2010 general election, and a nominally civilian government was installed. This, along with the release of Aung San Suu Kyi and political prisoners, has improved the country's human rights record and foreign relations, and has led to the easing of trade and other economic sanctions. However, the Burmese military remains a powerful force in politics.
60th anniversary of the Announcement if the Five Principles of peaceful coexistence by Myanmar, China and India
Date of issue : 28 - 06 - 2014
The Five Principles of Peaceful Coexistence, known as the Panchsheel Treaty (from Sanskrit, panch: five, sheel: virtues), are a set of principles to govern relations between states. Their first formal codification in treaty form was in an agreement between China and India in 1954. They were enunciated in the preamble to the "Agreement (with exchange of notes) on trade and intercourse between Tibet Region of China and India", which was signed at Peking on 28 April 1954. This agreement stated the five principles as:
- Mutual respect for each other's territorial integrity and sovereignty.
- Mutual non-aggression.
- Mutual non-interference in each other's internal affairs.
- Equality and cooperation for mutual benefit.
- Peaceful co-existence.
Myanmar traditional music is based from the sounds made from instruments grouped in the following five categories:
1) Kyee (kyay), bronze instruments such as gongs;
2) Kyoo (kyo), string instruments such as harps;
3) Tha Yey Tha Yey, hide instruments like drums;
4) Lei (Lay), wind instruments such as flutes; and
5) Let Khok (lekkoke), clappers, particularly bamboo clappers.
Myanmar musical instruments can further be placed in two categories: concert (anyeint) and orchestra (saing-waing). In today's modern musical troupe: piano, accordion, trumpet, guitars, organs and other Western instruments are also included to compose songs.
Many musical instruments were invented and fell into disuse throughout the ages. The anyeint (concert of chamber) musical instruments of the past that are no longer used include are the saniara (an extinct stringed instrument), aung galay (an extinct stringed instrument), don-min (an extinct dulcimer-like instrument) and hnyin (extinct reed pipes). Among those are still played are the boat-shaped harp, crocodile zither, xylophone, flute, oboe and than-lwin (small cymbals). However, only six instruments were prescribed for anyeint, intended as intimate musical entertainment of the royal chambers.
Shan Osi (Shan Long Drum, or Stone Drum) is actually is not a musical instrument. We just present it as a peculiarity. A drum made of stone?. It consists of a somewhat a flat piece of rock. usual hung at a pagoda or monastery. You can ring it by hitting with a stick. The purpose of using these is just like using bells.
Myanmar calendar - Month of Tagu
Date of issue : 15-04-2019
The Burmese calendar is a lunisolar calendar in which the months are based on lunar months and years are based on sidereal years. The calendar is largely based on an older version of the Hindu calendar, though unlike the Indian systems, it employs a version of the Metonic cycle.
The calendar has been used continuously in various Burmese states since its purported launch in 640 CE in the Sri Ksetra Kingdom, also called the Pyu era. It was also used as the official calendar in other mainland Southeast Asian kingdoms of Arakan, Lan Na, Xishuangbanna, Lan Xang, Siam, and Cambodia down to the late 19th century.
Today the calendar is used only in Myanmar as the traditional civil calendar, alongside the Buddhist calendar. It is still used to mark traditional holidays such as the Burmese New Year, and other traditional festivals, many of which are Burmese Buddhist in nature.
No comments:
Post a Comment