Bo Bo Gyi

Botahtaung Pagoda's Rohani Bo Bo Gyi shrine and image.

Bo Bo Gyi (Burmese: ဘိုးဘိုးကြီး, pronounced: [bó bó dʑí]; lit. "great grandfather") traditionally refers to the name of a guardian spirit (called nat) unique to each Burmese Buddhist temple or pagoda. Bo Bo Gyi is typically depicted as a nearly life-sized elderly man, dressed in a curved cap and sometimes carrying a cane, to signify old age.[1] Offerings of scarves and paso are common by worshipers.[1] There are many Bo Bo Gyi shrines throughout the country, and some are more widely respected than others. The Shwenyaungbin (Golden Banyan Tree) Bo Bo Gyi shrine between Yangon and Bago is often visited by new car owners hoping have their cars blessed by the Bo Bo Gyi spirit at that site.[2][3]

Images

References

  1. 1 2 Sadan, Mandy (2005). Monique Skidmore, ed. Burma at the turn of the twenty-first century. Hawaii: University of Hawaii Press. pp. 90–111. ISBN 978-0-8248-2897-4.
  2. "Myanmar's Belief in the Dead". The Wall Street Journal. 29 June 2008.(subscription required)
  3. Verlag, Nelles (1998). Myanmar (Burma). Hunter Publishing. p. 100. ISBN 978-3-88618-415-6.
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