January 15 (part 4): Near Mount Popa is a temple dedicated to Nats, "spirits worshipped in Burma (or Myanmar) in conjunction with Buddhism. They are divided between the 37 Great Nats and all the rest (i.e., spirits of trees, water, etc.). Almost all of the 37 Great Nats were human beings who met violent deaths" (Wikipedia). The statues have a distinctly worldly and raffish air, as if acknowledging the less-than-pious aspects of human existence.
Click photos to enlarge them.
