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Golden Hour. Photo by Alex Gurung

Top 10 Remarquable Facts about Mount Popa

Mount Popa (Burmese: 醼曖��醼曖�贯�曖��醼羔�愥�贬��醼勧��; MLCTS: puppa: taung, IPA: [p貌p谩 t脿蕣砂虄]) is a dormant volcano 1518 metres (4981 feet) above sea level, and located in central Myanmar in the region of Mandalay about 50 km (31 mi) southeast of Bagan (Pagan) in the Pegu Range.

It can be seen from the Ayeyarwady (Irrawaddy) River as far away as 60 km (37 mi) in clear weather. Mount Popa is a pilgrimage site, with numerous Nat temples and relic sites atop the mountain.

This national park is a 50-square-mile swath of forest located on the slopes of Mount Popa, an extinct volcano. Popa is derived from the Sanskrit word puppa, which means “flower.”

Mount Popa is well-known for the beautiful Popa Taungkalat Shrine, which is located at the mountain’s summit. To reach the top of this shrine, one must climb 777 steps without shoes or socks.

Gold stupas adorn the roof of this shrine. This location is well-known for its religious and mystical attractions. There are numerous activities and sights to see for your entertainment.

1.The development of the incredible Mount Popa

Mount Popa is now a conservation area and a national park. The nearby Kyetmauk Taung Reservoir supplies enough water for gardens and orchards growing jackfruit, banana, mango, and papaya, as well as flowering trees like saga (Champac) and gant gaw (Mesua ferrea Linn).

A pozzolan mill is in operation to supply material for the construction of the Yeywa Dam on the Myitnge River near Mandalay.

There are several Burmese legends about the mountain, one of which states that any man who gathers his army on the mountain’s slopes is guaranteed victory.

People travel long distances to Mount Popa in the hope of obtaining good fortune, and the mountain hosts an annual festival in the temple on its summit. A transgender medium is possessed by a nat spirit during the festival, allowing him to communicate between the nats and the people.

2.The serious tourism industry happening now because of Mount Popa’s beauty

Wunna at Mt Popa with her sons Min Gyi and Min Lay. Every year, a large number of Burmese pilgrims visit Mount Popa, particularly during the festival seasons on the full moons of Nayon (May/June) and Nadaw (November/December).

Locals from Mount Popa’s base, Kyaukpadaung (10 miles), go on mass hikes to the peak in December and also in April, when the Myanmar new year, Thingyan festival, is celebrated. Thousands of animals were sacrificed to the nats during festivals prior to King Anawrahta’s reign.

3.One of the famous urban legends told by the locals is….

According to Burmese folklore, it is forbidden to wear red, black, or green on Mount Popa, or to bring meat, particularly pork, for fear of offending the local nats.

A new species of monkey has been discovered in the forests of Mount Popa. The Popa langur, named after its habitat on Mount Popa, is nearly extinct, with only about 200 individuals remaining.

Langurs are a species of leaf-eating monkey found throughout Southeast Asia. The newly described animal is distinguished by its spectacle-like eye patches and greyish fur.

4. A brief history of the gorgeous Mt Popa

Numerous legends surround this mountain, such as its questionable creation from a massive earthquake in 442 BC, when the mountain emerged from the ground. It is possible that the Nat legends are a legacy of earlier animist religions in the Burmese countryside that were syncretized with Buddhist religion in the 11th century.

Mount Popa is the abode of Burma’s most powerful Nats and thus the most important nat worship center. As a result, it has been dubbed “Burma’s Mount Olympus.”

5.Other famous urban legends told by the locals are…

Golden Hour. Photo by Alex Gurung

One legend tells of brother and sister MinMahagiri (Great Mountain) nats from the Tagaung kingdom in the upper reaches of the Irrawaddy seeking shelter from Bagan’s King Thaylekyaung (344-387). They got their wish and were enshrined on Mt Popa.

One more legend tells of Popa Medaw (Royal Mother of Popa), who was a flower-eating ogress named Me Wunna who lived in Popa. She fell in love with Byatta, whose royal duty it was to collect flowers from Popa for Bagan’s King Anawrahta (1044鈥�1077).

Byatta was executed for defying the king, who was against the liaison, and their sons were later taken to the palace. Me Wunna, like Byatta, died of a broken heart and became a nat.

Their sons became heroes in the king’s service as well, but they were later executed for failing to perform their duties during the construction of a pagoda at Taungbyone, near Mandalay. They, too, became strong nats, and yet they stayed in Taungbyone, where an annual festival is held in the month of Wagaung (August).

Even though the shrine on Mt Popa represents all 37 Nats of the official pantheon, only four of them – the Mahagiri nats, Byatta, and Me Wunna – have their abode here.

6.Key features of the breath-taking Mt Popa

Taung Kalat (pedestal hill), a sheer-sided volcanic plug southwest of Mount Popa, rises 657 metres (2,156 ft) above sea level. Taung Kalat’s summit is home to a Buddhist monastery. The 777-step stairway to the summit of Taung Kalat was once maintained by the Buddhist hermit U Khandi.

The Taung Kalat pedestal hill is sometimes referred to as Mount Popa, and because Mount Popa is the name of the actual volcano that caused the volcanic plug to form, to avoid confusion, the volcano (with its crater blown open on one side) is commonly referred to as Taung Ma-gyi (mother hill). The volcanic crater itself is a mile across.

A panoramic view can be had from the top of Taung Kalat. The ancient city of Bagan can be seen, and behind it, to the north, the massive solitary conical peak of Taung Ma-gyi rises like Mount Fuji in Japan.

There is a large caldera, 610 metres (2,000 feet) wide and 914 metres (3,000 feet) deep, which causes the mountain to take different shapes from different directions, with more than one peak. Although the surrounding area is arid, the Mt Popa area contains over 200 springs and streams.

As a result, it is compared to an oasis in Burma’s desert-like dry central zone.

This means that the nearby scenery is characterized by bristly shrubs and underdeveloped trees, as compared to Burma’s dense vegetation and rivers. Because of the fertile soil created by the volcanic ash, many trees, flowering plants, and herbs flourish.

Macaque monkeys, which have become a tourist attraction on Taung Kalat, are dominant among the fauna.

7.Take a hike all the way up the beautiful mountain

Golden Hour. Photo by Alex Gurung

To get a magnificent scenery from the high point of this mountain, take a 45-minute hike that rewards you with a beautiful landscape and a relaxing setting. If the weather is clear enough, you can also see Bagan’s temples. Botanists and bird watchers will love the greenery on the volcano’s flanks. Along the way, one can see the golden stupas that represent Mt Popa’s spiritual significance.

8.Where can you stay in Popa Mountain?

Popa Mountain Resort is a famous dining destination, however some drivers may even recommend the Yangon restraint. After touring the shrine, take a cab to this resort for a relaxing break.

It has a lovely, soothing atmosphere, and they serve lunch and drinks with a beautiful scenery of the shrine you just toured. The only disadvantage of this establishment is that it is very costly for a local restaurant in a non-popular area.

If you want to save money on food, you can eat at some local food stalls in the village at the base of the mountain or the pilgrim village nestled at the foot of the shrine.

9.Visit the Popa Taungkalat Shrine: Experience a spiritual journey

This 20-minute hike leads to a remarkable rocky crag with a scenic complex of monasteries, shrines, and stupas. This shrine has a great religious importance for the local people and is one of the main attractions on this peak, blessing one with an amazing view.

Beware of monkeys who steal many items from visitors, particularly their glasses. If you’re lucky, you might spot the slow-walking hermit monks known as yeti, who wear tall hats and come here on occasion.

Taungkalat temple is another name for this shrine. The monastery provides an excellent view of Mt Popa.

10.What wildlife should you expect to see around the beautiful mountain 

Golden Hour. Photo by Alex Gurung

Mount Popa is home to a variety of butterflies and birds. Lygosoma popae, a species of lizard, is endemic to and named after Mount Popa. Visitors can see birds like the red-billed blue magpie, the chestnut-flanked white-eye, and the blue-throated barbet.

The leopard lacewing and magpie crow are two butterflies. Popa Mountain is home to the largest population of the newly described and threatened species Popa Langur monkey, which is the most well-known species on the mountain.

Macaque monkeys also roam free on the mountain, wreaking havoc.