Shinpyu is a term used to describe a celebrating the ordination of their young Myanmar male (under the age of 20) into Buddhist order of the Sangha.  For the preparation, during the mornings of Shinbyu, festival begins with the young boy cleansing oneself with a long bath then puts ritual make-up (thanakha) on the boy’s face.  Thanakha is a yellowish-white cosmetic paste made from ground bark. The boy is then dressed in costumes as beautiful as those of the kings of old Myanmar.  Once he is dressed, he is not allowed to walk so he is carried by their parents to a beautifully decorated horse, which only the young boy rides on.    With traditional Myanmar music playing loudly, their ride to the temple begins. Followed by the young boy and their parents are parades of people carrying offerings for the monks.

At the temple, a monk shaves the head of the boy and they are then dressed in red or yellowish coloured monk’s robes.  Now they repeat after the monk sayings in Pali.  Pali is the Indian language of the accident Buddhist texts.  The boy is to live at the temple for a week or more to learn the ways of Buddhism.