Mandalay: Thirty-thousand monks assembled in the early morning chill in Myanmar for a spectacular alms-giving event, partly organised by a controversial mega-temple under scrutiny across the border in Thailand. With many barefoot, Buddhist monks from Myanmar and Thailand and senior religious officials from a dozen countries collected alms next to an airport in the central city of Mandalay, that is also a heartland of the faith. As the sun rose over the ancient town, a sea of saffron and maroon-robed monks assembled in an area the size of a football field. But the controversy was not a topic of discussion at the event in Mandalay, where many came to show support as co-religionists. “Donating things to many monks in one place makes me feel the delight of being Buddhist, ” said Khant Zaw Aung, a Burmese businessman.

Source: The Star December 09, 2019 00:22 UTC