Atar Pot: Makers earn money from Traditional Pottery Business

Myanmar Thingyan New Year festival falls in mid-April annually. Normally, it lasts three days but in certain years four days.

Now, the time to hold Thingyan water festival is drawing near,  the orders for Thingyan pots are good demand before Myanmar Thingyan water festival. Atar Pot makers from Kyun Kone village of Pyinmana Township said that with the increase number of pottery orders, pottery makers earn more than the previous years.

Tin Sein, Pottery maker said "Now, we are convenient for making Thingyan or Atar pots during this period. But, the capital is high for the site to make pottery business. A pot is priced at 250 kyats. We receive orders a lot from the customers and they take the pots at our house. We also send Atar pots to the shops."

Myanmar people place Atar pot in front of their houses as a gesturing of welcoming Thakyar min during Thingyan period. Atar pot is filled with water and sprigs of seven kinds of flora representing seven days of the week such as coconut palm leave, Gantgaw, Khayey, plum, Ywet Hla, Myey Zar and Dan are arranged in the order in the Atar pot. Sprigs of Eugenia are also added because it is the symbol of victory for Myanmar people.

Atar pot is raised up above the head to welcome him and then water is poured out to symbolically cleanse and purify the world and its peoples.