A ceremony to offer religious titles for 2025 was held in con­junction with the rice-offering ceremony in the precinct of Maravijaya Buddha Park in Nay Pyi Taw yesterday afternoon, attended by Chair­man of the State Administration Council Prime Minister Senior General Min Aung Hlaing and his wife Daw Kyu Kyu Hla.

The ceremony was also attended by religious title recipient Sayadaws and nuns at home and abroad led by State Sangha Maha Nayaka Committee Chair­man Aggamaha Pandita Aggamaha Sad­dhammajotikadhaja Thanlyin Minkyaung Monastery Sayadaw Dr Bhaddanta Can­dima Bhivamsa, SSMNC Secretary Pre­siding Patron of Mandalay’s Masoeyein Taikthit Monastery Sayadaw of Dhamma Thameikdi Monastery Aggamahapandita Aggamaha Saddhammajotikadhaja Ma­hadhammakathika Bahujanahitadhara Bhaddanta Vasettha Bhivamsa.

Moreover, SAC Vice-Chairman Dep­uty Prime Minister Vice-Senior General Soe Win and his wife Daw Than Than Nwe, Council Secretary General Aung Lin Dwe and his wife, Joint Secretary General Ye Win Oo and his wife, council members and their wives, union-level dignitaries, union ministers and their wives, senior Tatmadaw officers from the Office of the Commander-in-Chief and their wives, the commander of Nay Pyi Taw Command, officials and Sasana Nuggaha title recip­ient laypersons.

Deputy Minister for Religious Affairs and Culture U Aye Tun opened the cere­mony with supplicating the opening paper.

The Chairman Sayadaw adminis­tered the Eight Precepts.

Rector of the State Pariyatti Sasana University of Mayangon Township Abhidhaja Maharat­thaguru Dr Bhaddanta Kumara gave a Sammodaniya Ovadaka­tha and Union Minister for Reli­gious Affairs and Culture U Tin Oo Lwin supplicated religious affairs.

At the ceremony, the Senior General offered the Abhidhaja Maharatthaguru title to Mahah­tupayon Buddhism Learning Centre Sayadaw Bhaddanta Paññobhasa in Thonze, Bago Region.

The Vice-Senior General also offered the Abhidhaja Ma­haratthaguru title to Sayadaw Bhaddanta Kesava, Head of Ab­bot Training School in Aungmyay­thazan Township, Mandalay.

The SAC Secretary and the Joint Secretary presented the Abhidhaja Maharatthaguru ti­tle to Maha Withokdayon (Pali) Tekkatho Shwegyin Taikthit Sayadaw Tipitakadhara Dham­mabhandagarika Yaw Sayadaw Bhaddanta Sirinda Bhivamsa of Bahan Township in Yangon Region and Sayadaw Bhaddan­ta Candavara Bhivamsa of Khe­mathiwun Buddhism Learning Centre in Myitkyina of Kachin State.

Council members, Un­ion-level dignitaries, union min­isters and, senior Tatmadaw officers from the Office of the Commander-in-Chief and offi­cials offered Abhidhaja Maharat­thaguru, Abhidhaja Aggamaha Saddhammajotika, Aggamaha Pandita, Aggamaha Saddham­majotikadhaja, Aggamaha Gan­thavacakapandita and Aggama­ha Kammathanacariya titles to recipient Sayadaws respectively.

The wife of the Senior Gen­eral presented the Aggamaha Ganthavacakapandita title to Nun Dr Candasingi, Presiding Nun of Thameikdawdaya Pyapon Nunnery from Bahan Township in Yangon Region and Nun Daw Visingi, Presiding Nun of Zeyatheingi Corner Nunnery of Sagaing from Sagaing Region.

The Senior General also con­ferred the Aggamaha Thirithud­hamma Manijotadhara title on U Kyaw Pe, U Kyaw Zeya and U Bran Mai, respectively.

The Vice-Senior General presented the Thirithudhamma Manijotadhara title to U Myint Soe Tun.

The wife of the Senior Gener­al gave Thirithudhamma Theingi titles to Daw Than Than Nwe, Daw Kin Aye Myint, Daw Htwe Htwe Nyunt, Daw Aye Myint and Daw Myint Myint Yi respectively while the wife of the Vice-Senior General handed Thirithudham­ma Theingi title to Daw Hla Win, Daw Mu Mu San, Daw Wah Wah Hlaing and Daw Chaw Su Myat respectively.

The SSMNC Secretary Sayadaw delivered a sermon, and the congregation shared the merits gained.

This year, the State Ad­ministration Council offered religious titles to 120 members of the Sangha, two nuns and 10 laypersons. At the ceremony, the Abhidhaja Maharatthaguru title and offertories were offered to eight members of the Sangha, the Abhidhaja Aggamaha Saddham­majotika title to five members of the Sangha, the Aggamaha Pandita title to 20 members of the Sangha, Aggamaha Saddham­majotika title to 52 members of the Sangha, Aggamaha Gantha­vacaka Pandita title to 25 mem­bers of the Sangha, Aggamaha Kammathanacariya title to 10 members of the Sangha and Ag­gamaha Ganthavacaka Pandita title to two nuns.

Chief Ministers and officials from the Nay Pyi Taw Council Area, regions and states also presented relevant titles to the remaining title recipient Sayad­aws, nuns and laypersons.

The rice offering ceremony followed. At the ceremony, the Senior General and his wife, the Vice-Senior General and his wife, the Council Secretary and his wife, the Joint Secretary and his wife, council members and their wives, union-level dignitar­ies, union ministers and their wives, senior Tatmadaw officers from the Office of the Command­er-in-Chief and their wives, de­partmental staff and well-wishers donated rice and alms to title recipient Sayadaws and nuns at home and abroad. — MNA/TTA