Mount Popa MLCTS: puppa: taung, IPA: [pòpá tàʊɴ]) is avolcano 1518 metres (4981 feet) above sea level, and located in central Burma(Myanmar) about 50 km (31 mi) southeast of Bagan (Pagan) in the Pegu Range. It can be seen from the Ayeyarwady (Irrawaddy) River as far away as 60 km (37 mi) in clear weather.Mount Popa is perhaps best known as a pilgrimage site, with numerous Nattemples and relic sites atop the mountain. Name The name Popa is believed to come from the Pali/Sanskrit word puppa meaning flower. Geology The main edifice of the volcano is composed of basalt and basaltic andesite lava flows, along with pyroclastic deposits and scoriaceousmaterial, originating from strombolian eruptions which are thought to have made up the later stages of the volcano's growth. The volcano also contains a 1.6 km (0.99 mi) wide and 0.85 km (0.53 mi) deep caldera that is breached to the northwest and is thought to have formed due to failure of the volcano's slopes. A 3 km3 (0.72 cu mi) debris avalanche can be found to the north of the caldera's breach. It covers an area of 27 km2 (10 sq mi)

1. https://www.facebook.com/Geological-Survey-158601477840716/
Geological Survey :မႏၲေ္း ငလးတိုငိ္း ေ ေု်ာုင္း လ ို္းမးာငာၿုိ်တ်ယင
်တ်ယ င္း လ ို္ာုငေို္း ္ေဒသ— at Mount Popa.
ဘူမး္း ိ္း ႏ ္း ္ငႏရိုႏိွ လု္ေဒသလာာ္ရ ္း ္း ္ငာငေဖငရ ာိစီးဌာန (DGSE)မရ
မႏၲေ္း ငလးတိုငိ္း ေ ေု်ာုင္း လ ို္းမးာငာၿုိ်တ်ယင္း လ ို္ာုငေို္း ္ေဒသမ ငလို
်မ ဏေိုင ိုင္း ႏ ့ႏာ္ေဒသခုႏမရလုလမုင
ေိုင ိုင္း ႏ ့ႏာ္ေဒသခုႏိ္း ာ္ မ င-
- ်တ်ယ င္း လ ို
-ိ္း လ ိုာဖ္း လ ို
-ိ္း လ ို္း ာ ေု္း လ ို
-ိ္း ေ ေု်ာုင္း လ ိုင္း လ ို
- ္ေုႀေဖငောု္
- ၾေေု္း မ ေု္း လ ို ခု
်တ်ယ င္း လ ို္ာုငေို္း ္ေဒသမ င္ရး
္ေဒသလာာျ ေု္ာုငႏးတိုမိ်မတေမမ ငေးတ
်ဖ္ူငႏးတိုိမ္ရးိHigh sulphidation Gold-Silver Depositိျ ေု္း ္ေဒသ
Yanacocha Gold Mine (Newmont Gold Corp)ႏရိုႏ
မေၠ ဖေးတိႏးတိုိမ္ရးိHigh sulphidation Epithermal Depositိျ ေု္း ္ေဒသ
Mexico Gold Mine လးတ႔၏ိ်မတေမမ ငႏရိုႏ
ႏးိုငၿရ္ု္း ႏ ႏးတို့ႏာ်္ေဒသခုခ့ဲပါသည္။
https://www.facebook.com/pages/Mount-
Popa/132334570136409?hc_ref=PAGES_TIMELINE
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mount_Popa
Mount Popa

2. Mount Popa
ပုပ္ပားတ ပင်
Mount Popa
Highest point
Elevation 1,518 m (4,980 ft)
Prominence 1,150 m (3,770 ft)
Coordinates 20°55′27″N 95°15′02″E
Geography
Location Burma
Geology
Mountain type Stratovolcano[1]
Last eruption 442 BCE[2]
Climbing
Easiestroute Hike

3. Mount Popa (Burmese: ပုပ္ပားတ ပင်; MLCTS: puppa: taung, IPA: [pòpá tàʊɴ]) is avolcano 1518
metres (4981 feet) above sea level, and located in central Burma(Myanmar) about 50 km (31 mi)
southeast of Bagan (Pagan) in the Pegu Range. It can be seen from the Ayeyarwady (Irrawaddy)
River as far away as 60 km (37 mi) in clear weather.[3]
Mount Popa is perhaps best known as a
pilgrimage site, with numerous Nattemples and relic sites atop the mountain.
Name
The name Popa is believed to come from the Pali/Sanskrit word puppa meaning flower.[4]
Geology
The main edifice of the volcano is composed of basalt and basaltic andesite lava flows, along
with pyroclastic deposits and scoriaceousmaterial, originating fromstrombolian eruptions which are
thought to have made up the later stages of the volcano's growth. The volcano also contains a
1.6 km (0.99 mi) wide and 0.85 km (0.53 mi) deep caldera that is breached to the northwest and is
thought to have formed due to failure of the volcano's slopes. A 3 km3
(0.72 cu mi) debris
avalanche can be found to the north of the caldera's breach. It covers an area of 27 km2
(10 sq mi).[1]
Features[edit]
Taung Kalat
Southwest of Mount Popa is Taung Kalat (pedestal hill), sheer-sided volcanic plug, which rises 657
metres (2,156 ft) above the sea level. A Buddhist monastery is located at the summit of Taung Kalat.
At one time, the Buddhist hermit U Khandi maintained the stairway of 777 steps to the summit of
Taung Kalat.[3]
The Taung Kalat pedestal hill is sometimes itself called Mount Popa and given that
Mount Popa is the name of the actual volcano that caused the creation of the volcanic plug, to avoid
confusion, the volcano (with its crater blown open on one side) is generally called Taung Ma-gyi
(mother hill). The volcanic crater itself is a mile in diameter.[5]
From the top of Taung Kalat one can enjoy a panoramic view. One can see the ancient city
of Bagan; behind it to the north, the massive solitary conical peak of Taung Ma-gyi rises like Mount
Fuji in Japan. There is a big caldera, 610 metres (2,000 ft) wide and 914 metres (3,000 ft) in depth
so that from different directions the mountain takes different forms with more than one peak. The
surrounding areas are arid, but the Mt Popa area has over 200 springs and streams. It is therefore
likened to an oasis in the desert-like dry central zone of Burma. This means the surrounding
landscape is characterized by prickly bushes and stunted trees as opposed to the lush forests and
rivers Burma is famous for.[5]
Plenty of trees, flowering plants and herbs grow due to the fertile soil
from the volcanic ash. Prominent among the fauna are macaque monkeys that have become a
tourist attraction on Taung Kalat.[3]

4. Mount Popa from Kyaukpadaung road, Taung Kalat to left of picture
History and legendMain article: Nat (spirit)
Many legends are associated with this mountain including its dubious creation from a great
earthquake and the mountain erupted out of the ground in 442 BC.[4]
It is possible that the legends
about Nats represent a heritage of earlieranimist religions in Burmese countryside, which
were syncreticised with Buddhistreligion in the 11th century. There are legends that before the reign
of Bagan king Anawrahta (1044 - 1077) hundreds of animals were sacrificed here as a part of nat
worship rituals.[6]
Mount Popa is considered the abode of Burma's most powerful Nats and as such is the most
important nat worship center. It has therefore been called Burma's Mount Olympus.
One legend tells about brother and sister Mahagiri (Great Mountain) nats, from the kingdom of
Tagaung at the upper reaches of the Irrawaddy, who sought refuge from King Thinligyaung of Bagan
(344-387). Their wish was granted and they were enshrined on Mt Popa.
Another legend tells about Popa Medaw (Royal Mother of Popa), who according to legend was a
flower-eating ogress called Me Wunna, she lived at Popa. She fell in love with Byatta, whose royal
duty was to gather flowers from Popa for King Anawrahta of Bagan (1044–1077). Byatta was
executed for disobeying the king who disapproved of the liaison, and their sons were later taken
away to the palace. Me Wunna died of a broken heart and, like Byatta, became a nat. Their sons
also became heroes in the king's service but were later executed for neglecting their duty during the
construction of a pagoda at Taungbyone near Mandalay. They too became powerful nats but they
remained in Taungbyone where a major festival is held annually in the month of Wagaung (August).
Although all 37 Nats of the official pantheon are represented at the shrine on Mt Popa, in fact only
four of them - the Mahagiri nats, Byatta and Me Wunna - have their abode here.[3][7]
Popular destination

5. Me Wunna with her sons Min Gyi and Min Lay at Mt Popa
Many Burmese pilgrims visit Mt Popa every year, especially at festival season on the full moon
of Nayon(May/June) and the full moon of Nadaw (November/December). Local people from the foot
of Mt Popa, at Kyaukpadaung(10-miles), go mass-hiking to the peak during December and also in
April when the Myanmar new year called Thingyan festival is celebrated. Before King Anawrahta's
time, hundreds of animals were sacrificed to the nats during festivals.
Burmese superstition says that on Mt Popa, one should not wear red or black or green or bring
meat, especially pork, as it could offend the resident nats, although Byatta and his brother Byatwi
were the only Muslims who had shipwrecked and landed in Burma.[7][8]
It is now a designated nature reserve and national park. Nearby lies Kyetmauk Taung Reservoir that
provides sufficient water for gardens and orchards producing jackfruit, banana, mango and papaya
as well as flowering trees such assaga (Champac) and gant gaw (Mesua
ferrea Linn).[3]
A pozzolan mill to supply material for the construction of Yeywa Dam on Myitnge
River near Mandalay is in operation.[9]
There are many Burmese myths about the mountain, especially the one that said victory for any man
who collected their army on the slopes of the mountain was guaranteed.[4]
The belief that victory can
be guaranteed by visiting Mount Popa is interesting because it shows the cultural identification of life
and prosperity with the mountain. The still current popularity of Mount Popa exemplifies the fact that
Burmese people still rely heavily on ancient traditions in daily life. It is these ancient traditions that
characterize the culture of the surrounding area and beyond. People travel great distances to assure
their good luck into the coming years to Mount Popa, host to an immense annual festival which
actually takes place in the temple atop the mountain.[4]
The festival involves a transgender medium being possessed by a nat spirit which give him the
ability to communicate between the nats and the people.[10]
It is these types of festivals, the type that
are unique to the region but also incredibly important to the participants, that attracts tourists to
Burma.

6. Gallery

Buddhist monastery on Taung Kalat

View from Mount Popa to Taung Kalat

Mount Popa

mosaic tile pillars with bells at the top of Mount Popa

Macaque mother and child on Taung Kalat

7. 
Monkeys are abundant near the temple
References
 Burmese Encyclopedia, Vol. 7, p. 61. Printed in 1963.
 "Popa". Global VolcanismProgram. Smithsonian Institution.
Notes[edit]
1. ^ Jump up to:a b
"Popa: Summary". Global Volcanism Program. Smithsonian
Institution. Cite error: Invalid <ref> tag; name "gvp" defined multiple
times with differentcontent (see the help page).
2. Jump up^ "Popa: Eruptive History". Global Volcanism Program. Smithsonian
Institution.
3. ^ Jump up to:a b c d e
"Sacred Mount Popa". MRTV3. Retrieved 2008-09-14.
4. ^ Jump up to:a b c d
Htin Aung, Maung "Folk Elements in Burmese
Buddhism", Oxford University Press: London, 1962.
5. ^ Jump up to:a b
Fay, Peter Ward "The Forgotten Army: India's Armed Struggle
for Independence 1942-1945", University of Michigan Press: 1995.
6. Jump up^ "Popa Taung Kalat". Wondermondo.
7. ^ Jump up to:a b
Spiro, Melford E (1996). Burmese Spiritualism. Transaction
Publishers. ISBN 978-1-56000-882-8. Retrieved 2008-09-14.
8. Jump up^ Marshall, Andrew (4 July 2005). "Mount Popa Burma". TIMEasia.
Retrieved 2008-09-14.
9. Jump up^ U Win Kyaw; et al. "Yeywa Hydropwer Project, an Overview" (PDF).
Vietnam National Commission on Large Dams. Retrieved 2008-09-14.
10.Jump up^ "Mount Popa". Time Asia Inc. 2006. Retrieved 2009-02-09.
 The petrology and mineralogy of Mt. Popa Volcano and the nature of the late-Cenozoic Burma
Volcanic Arc D Stephenson and T R Marshall, Journal of the Geological Society, July 1984
 Britannica Article on Mount Popa
 Myanmar's Ministry of Ecotourism page
 Mt Popa Flickr photo pool
 Legend of the Mount Popa Evelina Rioukhina, Magazine UN Special, March 2003
 Ancient Burmese Fable from Mount Popa: Tiger in the Jungle
 Spiritual Land of Prayers and Pagodas Andrew Sinclair, New York Times, June 8, 1986
 http://voices.nationalgeographic.com/2014/01/25/macaque-on-a-hot-tin-roof-mount-popa-
myanmar/

8.  Macaque on a Hot Tin Roof: Mount Popa,Myanmar
 Postedby Amy Klegarth on January 25, 2014

Popa Taungkalat monastery at sunset. This mountain temple boasts 777 steps full of Rhesus
macaques, on the way to the golden stupas at the top. Photo – Amy Klegarth
 Mount Popa, sanskrit for flower, is an extinct volcano in the Bagan region of
Myanamar. Mount Popa’s Popa Taungkalat monastery is situated atop the nearby volcano
plug, jutting 737 m out of the ground. The impressive monastery is home to the nats spirits,
a belief dating back to the 9th century and predating Burmese Buddhism, which has since
melded with the religion. In addition to the monastery being home to resident spirits, nearly
2000 Rhesus macaques have also taken up residency there. In Burmese culture there is a
recognized pantheon of 37 nats and when travelers and pilgrims visit the monastery it is
considered bad luck to wear red, black, or green, colors which offend the nats (though the
monkeys likely won’t mind). The nats are spirits of those who died tragically and remain
unsettled, roaming the earth. Pilgrims scale 777 steps on their way up the mountain to the
monastery to pay tribute to these spirits with offerings of incense and flowers. Seeing as the
monkeys need to be placated as well, offerings of food are made to them. Since Myanamar,
formerly Burma, opened its borders to tourists, visits to the monastery by tourists have

9. certainly increased the amount of offerings to the monkeys specifically and have served as
the economic backing for the town at the base of Popa Taungkalat. With the local currency,
the kyat, translating 1000:1 to the USD, daily sales averaging between $5-10 USD per
vendor represent a substantial amount of money within the community surrounding the
monastery.

At the base of Mount Popa’s Popa Taungkalat one of the several hundred Rhesus macaques
digs in to some raided snacks. Photo – Amy Klegarth
 Upon arriving at the base of Popa Taungkalat a handful of monkeys were already making
their rounds through town, nicking goodies where they were accessible and enjoying their
spoils on the tops of parked cars. As is often the case, I had been warned of the monkeys
mischief ahead of time, and the monkeys did not disappoint. Does this monkey mischief
lead to the usual human-wildlife conflict? Of course! But as is often the case, conflict is all
about perception. In the case of Popa Taungkalat, the conflict seems largely to be perceived
as greater by pilgrims focused on their religious pilgrimage and tourists who perhaps
expected the monkeys to be tamer, than by residents. This is quite the opposite of my
research site in Singapore, where the primary conflict arises between residents and
monkeys. The residents of Popa Taungkalat make a living from tourists eager to feed

10. monkeys, thereby making them more tolerant of what is otherwise very heavy interface with
the monkeys, involving the monkeys frequently snatching food from vendors (in addition to
from the tourists and pilgrims ascending the 777 steps).

A rhesus macaque at Popa Taungkalatis unphased by the barbed wire meant to keep him
from the staircase. Photo – Amy Klegarth
 In my first photo, you can see the winding marble staircase and it’s tin roof covering that is
laced with barbed razor wire (presumably) in an effort to keep the stairs monkey free. As you
can see above, the monkeys pay no mind to this razor wire and effortlessly weave in and out
of it, easily navigating it as part of their landscape. This means that as one ascends the steps
to the monastery, you do so with the company of several hundred Rhesus macaques at any
given time. On my way up, the interactions I witnessed were mostly tame, and in fact, the
monkeys seemed quite shy – though I’m sure this differs according to time of day and how
hungry they are at any given moment.

11. 
Residents of Popa Taungkalat. Photo – Amy Klegarth

12.  Staircases are often a prime space highlighted as conflict zones in regions with human-
monkey conflict. The fact is, confined spaces (temple stairways or bridges and canopy walks
at nature reserves) + humans + monkeys is a recipe for high tension interactions when not
every human is comfortable around the animals and where the animals feel their territory is
being encroached on. When you add a mutually desired resource (how about that can of
soda or the bag of sweets) into the mix, the monkeys often are very effective at coming out
on top, much to the chagrin of humans. It also helps add to the byproduct of monkey poop
prevalent on the steps of the monastery. Granted, a litany of cleaners make their living
diligently cleaning up after the monkeys, the fact remains that pilgrims and visitors alike climb
the stairs barefoot. This makes numerous blogs posts and mixed feedback from visitors to
Popa Taungkalat completely understandable.

14. Enjoying a local delicacy, the monkey joint – filled with corn, legumes, or peanuts. Photo –
Amy Klegarth
 Still, it is important to emphasize that even with thousands of resident monkeys and
hundreds-thousandsof visitors a day, the vast majority of interactions between the two are
neutral or positive. The monkey above is enjoying the ‘monkey joints’ given to him. It
illustrates a positive, though problematic interaction common with temple monkeys across
the globe. A vendor has profited monetarily, a tourist has presumably had a positive
experience feeding the monkey, and the monkey is enjoying a snack (though perhaps the
monkey snatched the joints, thus making the interaction negative for all but the monkey).
This is problematic because hand feeding wild monkeys increases their boldness and
aggressive interactions with humans as they come to expect to be fed by all those who pass
by them. By marking humans as a reliable food source, it often leads to the monkeys trying
to intimidate any passerby holding food. In this sense, it is important that where monkey
tourism exists, it move away from hand feeding to promote safer, more sustainable
interactions.

A Burmese child poses with one of the resident macaques at Popa Taungkalat. Photo – Amy
Klegarth

15.  Just minutes before snapping this shot, this particular monkey had given me a clear warning
to stay away from his space. The monkey is raising his eyebrows as a warning to the child
whose parents have posed him next to the monkey. It is interactions such as these that can
escalate quickly and become very problematic. While I’m glad to say that nothing happened
to this boy and the monkey went back to enjoying his ‘joints’, it still highlights the need to
enact proactive measures to reduce conflict, especially a location like Popa Taungkalat
where tourism is a relatively new emerging industry.

16. 
Perched on a railing overlooking the Bagan region of Myanmar at Mount Popa. Photo – Amy
Klegarth

17.  I’ll leave you all with this lovely snap of a juvenile Rhesus macaque overlooking the
expansive Irrawaddy river valley below Mount Popa. It is a truly inspiring scene, with the
impressive golden stupas of the monastery above you, macaques on every side, and the
lush river valley below. As I made my descent down the same 777 steps, the monkeys
descended with me. It seems sunset brings the macaques down from the monastery,
creating a cacophony of tin noise as they bound over the stairway roof and down into town.
While very peaceful during the ascent, I saw tensions heighten as I went down, with
monkeys making some last ditch efforts to land some goodies at the end of the day (I can’t
blame them for trying). By the time I reached the bottom, it was a full blown monkey party in
town. I very much hope I will find my way back to Myanmar in the coming years and will be
keen to see how the region has developed, in particular Popa Taungkalat.
 Remember, Keep Calm And Love Macaques,
 Amy

At the end of the day the macaques make their way down into town at the base of Mount
Popa. Photo – Amy Klegarth