History
Long before the dawn of recorded history , there had emerged Five Lotus Flower Omens where Bo Tree grew and the Lord Buddha (the Enlightened One) appeared. Five branches grew out from a single lotus plant. Each of the branches produced a bud. Inside each bud was a set of ordination requisites. Extremely happy with the omens, Brahmas from five celestial abodes brought the five sets of ordination requisites to their respective abodes and predicted that there would appear Five Thuddha in this Bhadda World.
Daw Sa U (a) Daw Kya U, aged 50, a handicraft master living in an eastern village of Kyaingkhan, lnya Village-tract, Southern Shan State, Myanmar, was the first person who wove the Padonma Kyathingan (Lotus Robe) some ninety years ago.At the time when she succeeded in weaving Padonma Kyathingan, the Sayadaw of Golden Peacock Hill north-west of Inle lake was gaining popularity across the country. She offered her robe to the Sayadaw.Later years,she wove robes and offered them to the lnle Phaungdaw U Buddha images when they were conveyed in lnle region for public obeisance. After the death of Daw Kya U , whose livelihood was almost on the verge of extinction. It is U Tun Yee and Daw Ohn Kyi family that saved the dying profession and revivified it.
The family of U Tun Yee and Daw Ohn Kyi living in an eastern village of Kyaingkhan, Inya village-tract, has modified the pattern of the robe. Moreover, they founded a AUNG SAKKYAR Padonma Kyathingan Production Cooperative Ltd to continue to tailor lotus robes in a systematic way. Now, the lotus robe has attracted tourists in addition to a lot of learned monks and educated people.
