Lunch at Zabu Mingalar Monastery

The venerable Zabu Mingalar Sayadaw of 99 years of age

Lunch is served at Zabu Mingalar Monastery to the senior Sayadaw, who is 99 years old and has been in robes in the Sagaing Hills for more than seven decades! Still agile and quick of mind, he leads the younger monks and novices in the typical Buddhist recitations prior to the meal. The table setting is also unique, in that it is set in a circular fashion with a Lazy Susan in the middle. As the Sagaing Hills are perhaps the most fascinating and important place in Burmese Buddhist history, one can only wonder what knowledge and experience are stored inside the venerable Sayadaw's head. The Zabu Mingalar Monastery are on the hills above the Ayeyarwaddy River, offering a breathtaking view of Mandalay to one side, and the pagodas and stupas of Sagaing to the other.

Lunch before it is served

Fruit is served to visitors as monks eat their lunch