When a person say about Sagaing, recognizes Sagaing Hill which is holy land and also known as modern Bagan. Egg – beating game at Zina man aung Lawka Chantha pagoda festival at Sagaing is one of the lovely old traditions. As other annual pagoda festival, Zina man aung Lawka Chantha annual pagoda festival holds on full moon day of Tapodwe (use to fall in February).
Pagoda festival lasts for 2 days (pre full moon and full moon day) but the folk game of egg – beating lasts for 3 days. Pre full moon day it the best day for pagoda festival. There are several local entertainments such as cane ball playing, traditional game of currying terracotta pots (Sagaing is famous place for clay pot production especially to keep drinking water), local food stalls, and many shops of local products.
Tradition of egg- beating game can be seen only at the Zina man aung Lawka Chantha pagoda festival. There is small stupa with narrow platform in which egg- beating game played from 5 pm until midnight for 3 days. It is really funny tradition and became very popular for everyone. There are more visitors year by year and the annual pagoda festival is well-known today due to the game.
The festival aims to preserve the country’s culture that date back to the time of King Mindon. King’s servants played the egg – beating game in the evening that became popular game of nowadays.
Visitors to annual pagoda festival enjoyed the game. There are several boiled duck eggs sellers with the bamboo basket cover with the bamboo sieve and traditional oil lamp and sing TAYAUK LO- TAYAUK LO means someone is waiting for partner for egg fighting- someone is waiting for partner for egg – beating . Even there is no customer, boiled duck egg sellers have to sing it. Most game players are friends, try the game for fun.
Two players set their boiled eggs against each other on the bamboo sieve and the top one beats the one at the bottom. The player who can crack the egg considered as the winner. The owner of broken egg is loser and has to pay for boiled eggs. Winner gets all boiled eggs that they have used for the fight. If both eggs crack in the fight, the player whose egg is placed at the bottom is considered the winner.
Before beating boiled eggs, players should check the strongest part of the egg under the oil lump
In the year 2019, boiled duck eggs were sold with the price of 200kyats per unit. Some person gambled for 10-15 eggs.
egg beating game – Sagaing egg beating game – Sagaing
Festival date on Gregorian calendar cannot be same every year as Myanmar celebrate annual pagoda festival according to lunar calendar.
