A floating paradise

Located more than 1300 metres above sea level,
the Inlay Lake is rimmed by blue mountain silhouettes. The clear waters of this natural lake reflect a surreal landscape of floating villages and markets, writes D.B.N. Murthy

Inlay Lake is one of the major tourist attractions of Myanmar. It can easily match Venice in terms of beauty but at the same time it is quite unique and different.

In this undeveloped country (formerly known as Burma, one of the 10 poorest nations of the world) people live in harmony with nature. This is evident from the fairly clean waters of this vast inland lake. The lake sustains at least 70,000 persons, who live on or near it.

The lake, which measures 22 km long and 10 km wide and about 3 metres deep, is shaped like a narrow channel located in the heart of the Shan state, in eastern Myanmar. Tourism is one of the major income earners but fishing in traditional manner with nets, horticulture and floriculture, too, sustain the economy of the lake through innovative measures like using floating islands to grow plants.

The lake also forms part of the Inlay Wetland Wildlife Sanctuary and has been declared a bird protection area. Cottage industries like foundry, silk weaving, and cheroot manufacturing provide jobs to natives, employing mostly young girls and women. Some of the shops sell all kind of dresses, souvenirs, artefacts and so on.

Myanmar is also known for its longneck tribal women, who wear special type of rings around their necks to extend it. From young girls to older women, these tribals are willing to bear this torture in the name of beauty.

A few pagodas exist right on the lakeshore, which are places of worship as well as sightseeing. There is a steady stream of foreign visitors riding boats with guides indicating these as popular spots.

Life on the lake moves at a leisurely pace. Boats are the main means of commuting. People from nearby areas arrive at Nyaung Shwe, also called the gateway to Inlay Lake, for trade and commerce and also to proceed to big towns like Taunggyi, the capital city of Shan state, Kalaw and Mandalay. The boats, motorised versions, carry all sorts of goods and produce for trade to nearby towns and villages.

Shan women traditionally dress in big colourful headgear, which is part decoration and part protection. Women are also adept at rowing a boat. They use it to drop their children to school, visit friends and relatives and also do shopping. Life revolves around the lake for all its residents and those of the nearby areas. They bathe, wash clothes with soap and clean utensils using the lake water but yet the water is reasonably clean.

But the most famous attraction of the lake remains its one-legged rowers, called the Inthas. The rower stands at the helm of the boat on one leg while the other leg is wrapped around the oar, which is used to propel the boat. This unique style of rowing is a relic of the past when there were too many weeds and floating debris so the rower had to clear a passage for his boat.

The lake people have adapted to living in houses built over stilts. They harvest fish from the bounteous lake and use their ingenuity in growing vegetables and flowers in floating islands made of silt and weeds.

The local meaning of "Inlay" means a "smaller lake".

Channels lead to the main lake area with floating gardens and tall grass growing alongside the channels. Hills form the backdrop to this famous lake. Apart from local resident birds a number of migrant birds too settle down amidst the hospitable environment with plenty of fish and marine animals to choose from. A traditional fish net is used for fishing but specials conical fishing nets are used to get larger catch.

Inlay Lake attracts a large number of visitors but despite that its clear and calm waters reflect peace and tranquillity — rightly so because this is a place where spiritualism has existed for centuries.

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