The annual Man Shwe Set Taw Pagoda Festival will be held in Minbu (Saku) Township, Magway Region for 75 days, from February 2 to April 17.

During the festival, around 1,000 makeshift tents and 500 shops are set up. The number of pilgrims is at its peak during the Myanmar New Year Thingyan holidays.

As per tradition, the festival opens with ceremonial rituals at the Lower and Upper Footprint Shrines on the first day and concludes with the closing ceremony at the end of the festival.

The Man Shwe Set Taw Pagoda Festival is a significant religious event, attracting thousands of devotees and visitors annually.

"Preparations for the festival have been going on as usual. Some vendors are also worried about the situation as they have to invest for the entire festival days and so they are a bit worried. The number of pilgrims visiting the pagoda before the festival is lower than usual," said a vendor who sells at the Shwe Set Taw Pagoda festival every year.

On the closing day of the festival, the first day of the Myanmar New Year, the lower and upper pagodas are usually closed. The lower pagoda, located in the temple on the left side of the Mann Chaung, is covered with a transparent glass cover, so the lower pagoda can be seen outside the festival period