Monthly Photos　April 2018

Photos taken by ILCAA staff and associates are posted here once a month; most of them are taken during their field research in Asia and Africa.

(The copyright belongs to the photographers.)

Tibetan Temple in Myitkyina

Myitkyina, the capital of Kachin State, is full of architectures of various religions: churches, pagodas and monasteries, mosques, Hindu temples, a Sikh temple, and even a Tibetan temple! I did not know that there is a Tibetan temple in Myitkyina until my last visit there. I found it while I cycled around in my spare time just like a miniature of Shwedagon Pagoda I showed before. The temple was built by a high priest from Darjeeling about 50 years ago, according to a young monk who came in there for devotional exercises.

It seems to be out of interest of Kachins who are Christians. Even a Kachin friend of mine working in a local travel company said "I have never heard of it!" amazingly. On the other hand, a university lecturer who is a Burmese, hence a Buddhist, said "Yes, it has been there since long ago" immediately. So I grumbled "Why didn't you tell me so far?".

24 DEC 2017
Khemathiri Ward, Myitkyina, Kachin State, Myanmar
Photograph by Hideo SAWADA

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