The romantic East: Burma, Assam, & Kashmir - Khamkoo

72 THE ROMANTIC EAST
and a staircase to the third terrace up
of each side.
by
an iron railing,
the centre
The base of the is
pagoda surrounded
and the shrines and monasteries
are relegated to the outer side of the wide platform,
so that there is an unobstructed view of the whole
pagoda
from base to ti. On the west side is the
Mahuya Paya brought here from Gaya
The pagoda platform
is
in 1839.
a favourite place to hold
a grand pwe, and it is also a great resort for the
experts in Burmese football or chinlon, a sort of
battledore and shuttlecock played with a hollow
wicker sphere and the feet. The ball is thrown in
the air and allowed to fall
player,
who catches it
behind the back of the
on the heel or the sole of the
foot before it reaches the ground, and kicks it
straight up into the air. The ball may be caught
in
front on the knee or toes, but the back strokes
are more favoured. There are no sides, but the
players
stand around near each other,
who first fails to send the ball up
As an exhibition of skill the game is
and the one
in the air falls out.
very interesting,
and as an exhibition of masculine grace there
is nothing, except skating,
compared.
with which it can be