Description
Book SynopsisBobogyi: A Burmese Spiritual Figure is the first book dedicated to this Burmese nat, or guardian spirit, who features prominently in contemporary Burma (Myanmar). From an ethereal tree spirit to an established guardian at pagodas, the book examines the various trajectories of this ubiquitous figure. In the former capital of Yangon, bobogyi has been one of the main actors in the city's Buddhist landscape, beginning with the founding legend of the iconic Shwedagon Pagoda through his growing prominence since the 1990s following the city's recent urban expansion. With essays from two prominent scholars and a selection of detailed photographs that document the daily activities of worship and maintenance at bobogyi shrines, this charming book chronicles the history and modern-day relevance of bobogyi and also charts the ever-evolving nature of sacred narratives.
Table of ContentsPreface 8 Part I | From Tree Spirits to Pagoda Guardians: 10 Bobogyi as a Burmese Spiritual Figure The growing presence of bobogyi in the urban context 16 Bobogyi as pagoda guardians 17 Bobogyi in the legend of the Shwedagon pagoda 18 Sule Bobogyi 23 Botataung Bobogyi 26 Thamaing Bobogyi 28 Kyaikkasan and Thingangyon Bobogyis 33 Golden Valley’s Bobogyi 36 Part II | A Year in the Life of Golden Valley’s Bobogyi 38 At the crossroads 43 The altar of the guardian of the banyan 46 The cult 52 The devotees 59 Early morning brioches 62 The flower seller 64 The mad woman 65 Re-emergence of the cult 72 Endnotes 76 Location of the Bobogyis shrines 78 Index 79 Acknowledgements 80
