Shinbyu

Parents will chide them if they are caught climbing trees or swimming in the river for fear of accidents or catching a bad cold in the run-up to this great event.

In the middle of a street, a pandal or mandat (မဏ္ဍပ်) constructed from bamboo and papier-mâché with ornately painted gold and silver columns, pediments and finials has sprung up overnight.

In towns and cities, assorted cakes, ice cream and coffee have superseded the traditional sweets but lahpet still holds centre stage.

The big day starts early with a procession called the shinlaung hlè pwe (ရှင်လောင်းလှည့်ပွဲ) to the monastery, the young boy dressed in resplendent silks embroidered with gold as a royal prince or king, shielded from the sun by a gold umbrella and led on horseback by an orchestral band headed by a clown with a moustache called U Shwe Yoe holding a parasol and dancing merrily.

This ritual symbolises Prince Siddhartha's departure from the royal palace with its sensuous pleasures and luxuries at the age of twenty nine, leaving his wife and newborn son in search of the Four Noble Truths.

A brahmin may be specially hired to act as master of ceremonies especially for a na htwin, but monks will supervise and perform the shaving of the head, called hsan cha (ဆံချ).

The boy, now having exchanged his princely garb with white robes, kneels before the Sayadaw and recites the Ten Precepts, followed by the thingan daung (သင်္ကန်းတောင်း).

Next, he is given his alms bowl (သပိတ် thabeik) and palm-leaf fan (ယပ် yat) from his parents with smiles of joy and tears of sorrow, his mother at the thought of parting with her dear son for the first time.