Thanakha Festival is a cultural festival held with the aims to preserve and promote the values of Myanma Thanakha.
Thanakha festival was held for the first time in Mandalay in 2018 and this is the second edition. Thanakha festival is being organized at Kyauk Taw Gyi Pagoda,Mandalay from 9am to 10pm until the 31st March.
The festival includes selling booths and exhibition booths of Thanakha planters, producers and exporters as well as entertainment programs, Thanakha games and Thanakha contest.
The association has planned to hold workshops on the challenges of the local Thanakha market.
It is the first challenge The local Thanakha market in Myanmar is facing a downturn due to the entrance of Thanakha based cosmetics from abroad, according to the Myanmar Thanakha Planters and Producers Association.
For local producers in 30 years, local Thanakha planters and producers said.
“We are facing a harrowing experience with the drastic decline of local Thanakha in the market. Myanmar people love Thanakha, so they opt for cosmetics that are labeled as a Thanakha based product whether it really includes Thanakha or not,” said one of the Myanmar Thanakha Planters and Producers Association.
Myanma Thanakha is loved by the whole nation and admired by other countries. Myanmar nationals wear Thanakha since childhood and it is always in our hearts. I would like to invite the public to come and explore various Thanakha products.
Thanakha is a yellowish-white cosmetic paste worn by the people of Myanmar regardless of age and gender for its cooling sensation and protection from sunburn.
The festival is packed with the crowd especially young women.
It is the second time festival in Mandalay, and 30 stalls were opened by Thanakha producers from Shwebo, Ayardaw, Pakokku, Myaing and Yesagyo towns where Thanakha plants are mostly grown.
“Thanakha”
Myanmar women and girls are commonly applied “Thanaka” to their faces sometimes the arms and legs.”Thanaka” (sa,nap hka:;pronounced) is a yellowish -white cosmetic paste made from ground bark.
When Thanaka liquid dries on the skin, helps to control oiliness.Harvesting workers wear thick Thanaka to prevent sunburn.It may be applied from head to toe (thanaka chi zoun gaung zoun).It has fragrant scent somewhat similar to sandalwood.
The earliest literary refrence to thanaka is in a 14th century poem written by King Razadarit’s Mon-speaking consort.Mentions of thanaka also exist in the 15th century literary works of Burmese mon-poet Shin Maharatthasara (1486-1529).
The two most popular are Shwebo thanaka from Sagaing Region and Shinmadaung thanaka from Magway Region.Thanaka cream is made by grinding the bark, wood, or roots of a thanaka tree with a small amount of water on a circular slab called kyauk pyin.
Apart from cosmetic beauty, thanaka also gives a cooling sansation and provides protection from sunburn.It believed to help remove acne and promote smooth skin. It is also anti-fungal. Myanmar women and girls are often photographed for the “Thanaka” by international travellers.
This festival is interested to see the organic products from “Thanakha”. Well organized and planned to present how “Thanakha” is good for skin and the best natural skin care products.
We shouldn’t miss out to explore the “Thanakha Festival”
