Mindat, Chin State

Mindat (Burmese: မင်းတပ်မြို့; MLCTS: mang: tap mrui., pronounced [mɪ́ɰ̃daʔ mjo̰]) is a town in the Chin State of Western Myanmar.It is the administration seat of Mindat Township and Mindat District.

Mindat

မင်းတပ်
Town
Mindat
Location in Chin State, Myanmar (Burma)
Coordinates: 21°22′N 93°59′E
Country Myanmar
Division Chin State
DistrictMindat District
TownshipMindat Township
Population
 (2014)
 • Town46,008 [1]
 • Urban
10,932
 • Metro
35,076
 • Religions
Buddhism Christianity
Time zoneUTC+6.30 (MST)
ClimateCwa

People

The people living in Mindat are called K'Cho, which is made up of three tribes; Mun, Dai, and Kaang. The K'Cho people are known for their rare tradition of females having their face tattooed. However, this tradition is no longer practice since the mid 1900s and face tattoo can only be seen on elderly women. Beginning in the early 21st century, many of the K'Cho people have migrated to many different parts of the world including United States, Australia, Denmark, Norway, New Zealand, Malaysia, and many others.

Based on a translated conversation with a group of elderly women with tattooed faces (2016):

  • A girl would decide when she was ready to have her face tattooed. She would take an offering to the woman who gave the tattoos.
  • The entire face could be tattooed in as little as an hour. The time depended on how many breaks the girl needed, since it is a painful procedure. The time is estimated, since they did not have clocks in those days.

Climate

Mindat has a humid subtropical climate (Köppen climate classification Cwa). Temperatures are warm for most of the year, but the winter months (November–February) are cooler. There is a winter dry season (December–May) and a summer wet season (June–November).

Climate data for Mindat (1981–2010)
Month Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Year
Record high °C (°F) 26.7
(80.1)		 32.2
(90.0)		 34.9
(94.8)		 35.7
(96.3)		 37.0
(98.6)		 33.6
(92.5)		 31.0
(87.8)		 29.9
(85.8)		 29.7
(85.5)		 28.8
(83.8)		 28.1
(82.6)		 26.5
(79.7)		 37.0
(98.6)
Average high °C (°F) 20.9
(69.6)		 24.3
(75.7)		 28.1
(82.6)		 30.4
(86.7)		 28.2
(82.8)		 25.7
(78.3)		 25.7
(78.3)		 24.6
(76.3)		 24.3
(75.7)		 24.0
(75.2)		 21.7
(71.1)		 20.0
(68.0)		 24.8
(76.6)
Average low °C (°F) 9.7
(49.5)		 12.1
(53.8)		 15.7
(60.3)		 17.7
(63.9)		 17.9
(64.2)		 18.0
(64.4)		 18.0
(64.4)		 17.6
(63.7)		 16.9
(62.4)		 15.6
(60.1)		 12.6
(54.7)		 9.6
(49.3)		 15.1
(59.2)
Record low °C (°F) 2.4
(36.3)		 4.9
(40.8)		 7.5
(45.5)		 9.6
(49.3)		 10.7
(51.3)		 12.2
(54.0)		 11.8
(53.2)		 12.2
(54.0)		 10.7
(51.3)		 8.0
(46.4)		 5.1
(41.2)		 3.2
(37.8)		 2.4
(36.3)
Average rainfall mm (inches) 3.0
(0.12)		 6.3
(0.25)		 13.0
(0.51)		 33.9
(1.33)		 169.7
(6.68)		 188.8
(7.43)		 180.6
(7.11)		 287.4
(11.31)		 318.8
(12.55)		 202.6
(7.98)		 57.3
(2.26)		 9.6
(0.38)		 1,471
(57.91)
Source: Norwegian Meteorological Institute[2]

Geography

The main part of the town runs along the ridge of a mountain. The paved road runs from Pakokku to Matupi.

Transport

Bus

Arrive and depart by bus or minibus. There is a bus station. Direct buses to Pakokku or Matupi run mainly in the morning. Pakokku is approximately 4:30 hours. Matupi is approximately 5 hours.

Walking

Before the road was built or before regular bus service students walked from Mindat to Pakokku (advanced schools in Pakokku). The walk was on trails and took 2 to 3 days.

Accommodation

There are small hotels and guesthouses in Mindat that are available to both Myanmar people and foreigners.

Tun Guesthouse

Private rooms with shared bathroom. Private rooms with bathroom. Common room has a television and seating.

Religion

Religion in Mindat (2014)[3]

  Christianity (52.3%)
  Buddhism (47.05%)
  Atheist (0.65%)

There are various religions in the town. Missionaries walk or motorbike to outlying villages to convert people.

Catholic

There is a Catholic church, which maintains a nursery school and living quarters for the elderly.

Buddhism

There are three Buddhist monasteries; one in the Western Quarter, another in Sanpya Quarter and the last one in Eastern Quarter.

Notable residents

References
  1. Census Report. The 2014 Myanmar Population and Housing Census. 2. Naypyitaw: Ministry of Immigration and Population. May 2015.
  2. "Myanmar Climate Report" (PDF). Norwegian Meteorological Institute. pp. 23–36. Archived from the original (PDF) on 8 October 2018. Retrieved 28 October 2018.
  3. Department of Population Ministry of Labour, Immigration and Population MYANMAR (July 2016). The 2014 Myanmar Population and Housing Census Census Report Volume 2-C. Department of Population Ministry of Labour, Immigration and Population MYANMAR. pp. 12–15.


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