The Prayer Wheel

Some Buddhist sects use the Prayer Wheel. It's often described as a physical means of sending a supplicant's prayers to Heaven, but I understand that's an over-simplification of the beliefs.

The picture above shows a hand-held Tibetan Prayer Wheel (which I actually purchased in Toronto during my visit in 2004 described here). The metal drum houses prayers inscribed on a coil of paper.

A weight attached to a chain assists the supplicant in rotating the drum continuously, always in a clockwise direction, by repeated movement of the wrist.

In Tibet, I've seen larger versions of the hand held prayer wheel, where the supplicant wears a leather shoulder strap with a pouch at the bottom to locate the end of the wooden handle, rather like a Standard Bearer might use.

Perambulating clockwise around the outside of the Jokhang Temple in Lhasa, the Tibetan gentleman in the foreground has a larger prayer wheel.

Sometimes, the rotating drum of the Prayer Wheel is mounted in a fixed supporting frame, and examples may be found singly or in groups.

A group of six Prayer Wheels on the way to the Tiger's Nest Monastery, Bhutan.

A large group of Prayer Wheels, Cheri Goemba, Bhutan.

Prayer Wheels on temple steps, Miyajima, Japan.

Roadside Prayer Wheels on Lhasa - Shigatse Road, Tibet.

Roadside Prayer Wheels, Nangartse, Tibet.

Once the rotating drum of the Prayer Wheel is mounted in a fixed supporting frame, the drum can become much larger, turned by handles or ropes attached to the drum.

A LARGE Prayer Wheel in the town of Whangdue Phodrang, Bhutan.

The Water Powered Prayer Wheel

In Tibet and Bhutan there are water-powered Prayer Wheels, where a stream is arranged to turn a wooden paddle wheel. The rotating drum often carries an arm which strikes a small bell on each revolution, producing a tinkling sound.


A Water-Powered Prayer Wheel, Bhutan.

The Solar Powered Prayer Wheel

I think I first saw the solar powered prayer wheel in Mongolia (described in the post Leaving Ulaan Baatar - The Reality). Deposited on a cairn of stones (called an 'Ovoo') was a miniature prayer wheel happily spinning on its own, electrically-driven from a small photo-voltaic panel in the base. Later, I saw the same thing mounted on the dashboard of cars. I was intrigued by the conjunction of ancient belief and modern technology. My visit to Tibet in 2013 described here finally gave me the opportunity to purchase an example. The shop in Lhasa had dozens of different sizes, colours and decorative styles on offer. The very inexpensive models were not solar powered but required a battery to spin the miniature prayer wheel.

A solar-powered Prayer Wheel.

Other types of Prayer Wheel

I've only spotted one butter lamp powered Prayer Wheel. This was at the Drepung Monastery in Lhasa. A small butter lamp is placed under a glass case and the rising warm air turns a fan attached to a lightweight prayer wheel suspended above.


Butter lamp powered Prayer Wheel, Drepung Monastery, Lhasa, Tibet.

I believe there are wind powered Prayer Wheels but I've not spotted one, I'm afraid.

My pictures

The Prayer Wheel

Stationery Distribution in Pauk Myaing Village

Inwa (also called Ava) is an ancient city, situated on the east bank of the Ayeyarwaddy River, around 11 miles south of Mandalay. Pauk Myaing Village is about four miles from Ava. Most of the villagers in Pauk Myaing keep cattle to produce cow's milk. Maize grows well and supports both the villagers and their cattle.

The Primary school in Pauk Myaing has 187 students and, on 15th October 2013, Dr. Hla Tun visited the school with a party of Guests from the 'Road to Mandalay' to donate stationery.

Students demonstrating physical exercises in the school compound.

Each student received 3 exercise books, 6 pencils and a ruler. In addition, 30 dozen ball pens, one and half dozen note books, 2 dozen pencil sharpeners and 25 dozen crayons were donated to the Headmaster. Each of the eight teachers was given a green longyi, which forms the teachers' 'uniform'.

Students displaying their donated stationery.

Finally, one of the 'Road to Mandalay Guests donated funds to allow the Headmaster to replace the old school roof. Roofing typically lasts for 25 years.

Bagan Medical Clinic: September 2013

This report is based on information from Doctor Hla Tun, who also supplied the photographs.

The Bagan Clinic treated 4,826 patients in September 2013, bringing the total number of treatments since the Clinic opened on 6th August 2011 to 80,055.

Treatment Summary

The table below summarises the number of treatments per month and the total number of treatments since the clinic started.

Month	Patients treated	Total treatments
August 2011	355	355
September 2011	784	1,139
October 2011	1,434	2,573
November 2011	1,723	4,296
December 2011	2,013	6,309
January 2012	1,605	7,889
February 2012	2,464	10,353
March 2012	4,603	14,956
April 2012	2,043	16,999
May 2012 - Jan 2013	To be added	To be added
February 2013	2,713	49,850
March 2013	2,713	49,850
April 2013	2,061	54,924
May 2013	3,303	58,227
June 2013	5,586	63,813
July 2013	6,079	69,892
August 2013	5,337	75,229
September 2013	4,826	80,055

Monthly notes

The picture below shows between 8 and 12 white trucks waiting in front of the clinic. Patients from longer distances reduce travel costs to the clinic by sharing the cost of hiring a truck. They bring food in a lunch box together with pillows, mats, cups, blankets and extra cloths in a basket, knowing that they will have to sleep in the Monastery compound for 1 or even 2 nights.

White trucks which have transported patients long distances to reach the clinic.

A sad story: On 21st September, a 68-year old lady, with her husband and son, travelled to the clinic from PaDung Village which is situated between MinBu Town and Unn Town in Magwe Division, Rakhine State - a distance of 250 km from the Bagan Clinic! The husband had been suffering hemiplegia for a month and the wife also hoped to receive treatment for her hypertension so they booked transport with a light truck which they found out collected patients from MinBu Town (about 32 km from their home village) on 21st September. During the five and a half hour journey from MinBu, the lady suffered a right-sided hemiplegia following a cerebral haemorrhage. The transport arrived at Bagan about 18:30 but, for some reason, the husband, wife and son failed to make contact with clinic staff, although the clinic remained open until 23:40 dealing with the large number of patients. As soon as clinic staff were aware of the situation when the clinic opened at 07:45 on the following day (22nd September), the lady was immediately admitted for treatment. The photograph below shows the son (in a yellow cap) with his mother. The son is now sad and depressed because both his parents suffer from hemiplegia and need care but he is an only child.

The lady who suffered hemiplegia on the way from Rakhine State.

A free lunch is served to waiting patients on clinic days (Friday, Saturday, Sunday). Sometimes, a free dinner is also served, as shown in the photograph below.

A free dinner being served at around 18:15 on 11th October 2013.

Clinic photographs in 2013

Bagan Medical Clinic (2013).

Related posts in this blog

You can find all the posts about the Bagan Medical Clinic here.

Donations to Schools at Katha and Naba

The following brief report is based on information from Doctor Hla Tun, who also supplied the photographs.

One of the attractions during the 'Road to Mandalay' Bhamo cruises is normally a trip by private train from Katha to Naba. In 2013, cruises 1 and 2 made the train journey on the Sabbath day, when schools were closed. But on cruise 3, the train journey took place on Tuesday, 17th September, allowing donations to students at the Monastic Secondary School in Katha where there are 352 students and the High School in Naba which has 703 students.

Donation of stationery to the 80 year old abbot who is a founder of the Monastic Secondary School. He has to provide the teachers’ salary himself but, for the first time this year, the Government are providing around 60% of the cost.

Donation of stationery to the headmistress of NaBa High School

Smiling Grade 1 students in their classroom at Naba High School.

Grateful primary students from the Monastic Secondary school in Katha wave their donated stationery to the passing private train as it passes the Monastery compound on the return journey to Katha.

I first travelled on the private train myself in 2010, riding in the locomotive cab, and that journey is described here (with links to pictures and more technical descrptions of the journey). I made the trip again in 2012 and that trip is described here.