Mindat, Chin State

Mindat is located at south of the 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. The people speak the Kʼchò language.

Mindat
မင်းတပ်
Town
Mindat is located in Myanmar
Mindat
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
Time zoneUTC+6.30 (MST)
ClimateCwa

People

The people living in Mindat are called K'Cho, which is made up of three tribes; Mün/Müün, Daai, 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 (1991–2020)
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) 21.2
(70.2)
24.9
(76.8)
28.6
(83.5)
30.5
(86.9)
28.4
(83.1)
25.7
(78.3)
25.5
(77.9)
24.9
(76.8)
24.5
(76.1)
23.9
(75.0)
22.3
(72.1)
20.4
(68.7)
24.8
(76.6)
Daily mean °C (°F) 15.4
(59.7)
18.6
(65.5)
22.2
(72.0)
24.1
(75.4)
23.2
(73.8)
22.0
(71.6)
21.6
(70.9)
21.2
(70.2)
20.6
(69.1)
19.7
(67.5)
17.4
(63.3)
14.9
(58.8)
20.1
(68.2)
Average low °C (°F) 9.6
(49.3)
12.3
(54.1)
15.8
(60.4)
17.7
(63.9)
18.1
(64.6)
18.3
(64.9)
17.8
(64.0)
17.5
(63.5)
16.7
(62.1)
15.4
(59.7)
12.4
(54.3)
9.4
(48.9)
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 precipitation mm (inches) 7.7
(0.30)
4.2
(0.17)
13.8
(0.54)
29.6
(1.17)
173.4
(6.83)
203.4
(8.01)
197.2
(7.76)
290.5
(11.44)
341.0
(13.43)
228.4
(8.99)
43.8
(1.72)
9.7
(0.38)
1,542.7
(60.74)
Average precipitation days (≥ 1.0 mm) 0.8 0.6 1.4 4.7 13.1 18.0 18.4 21.4 20.7 15.1 4.6 1.4 120.2
Source 1: World Meteorological Organization[2]
Source 2: Norwegian Meteorological Institute (extremes)[3]

Geography

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

Transport

Bus

There is a bus station with direct buses to Pakokku or Matupi. These run mainly in the morning. The Pakokku bus route is approximately 4.5 hours and the Matupi bus route is approximately 5 hours.

Walking trails

Before the road was built and regular bus service began, students walked from Mindat to the advanced schools in Pakokku. The route was by walking trail 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)[4]

  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. Vol. 2. Naypyitaw: Ministry of Immigration and Population. May 2015.
  2. "World Meteorological Organization Climate Normals for 1991–2020". World Meteorological Organization. Retrieved 16 October 2023.
  3. "Myanmar Climate Report" (PDF). Norwegian Meteorological Institute. pp. 23–36. Archived from the original (PDF) on 8 October 2018. Retrieved 28 October 2018.
  4. 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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