New Year, go to Yangon "Wat Thep Than Jai"

When Thai people go to Yangon, they don't miss going to pay homage and ask for blessings from Thep Than Jai at Botatoung Temple, which is located on the riverside. There is a small pier for transporting goods and people across the river. The pagoda at this temple enshrines the hair relics of the Lord Buddha. According to history, two merchant brothers who met the Lord Buddha and were devoted to him pledged to be laymen. The Lord Buddha gave them a strand of his hair as a souvenir. The two merchants brought them to the shore here and built a pagoda on the riverside. Burmese people believe that the two merchant brothers were actually Burmese. In front of the temple, there are offerings for sale, coconuts, bananas, flowers, incense, and candles. Both Burmese people and Buddhist tourists come to use the service to ask for blessings from Thep Than Jai continuously. Thep Than Jai or Nat is a deity who protects the temple. He is in a pavilion on the riverside, facing and pointing towards the pagoda. It is popular to ask for blessings by rolling up two banknotes and putting them on Thep Than Jai's fingers. One is for making merit and the other is taken home as a lucky bag. After paying homage to the pagoda, we went out to find something to eat in front of the temple. There is a delicious Burmese curry rice. Let's try it. This time, I had shrimp curry in Yangon. Before leaving, I walked along the river and stopped to take pictures at the floating hotel called Vintage Luxury, where I stayed many years ago.