Marble street in Mandalay

Mandalay has a reputation for its incredible marble carvers. Their skill has been passed down for generations.  Along marble street you will find workshops lining the street where Buddha statues of all sizes are carved out of the finest white marble. The marble is mined in quarries not far from Mandalay. A cloud of fine dust lingers over the area, so I used my camera raincover for dust protection. And don’t even think about changing lenses there!  Men seem to do most of the carving work, women do the finishing (polishing), after which the statues are painted and decorated with gold leaf. Before an important piece of work will get carved an astrologer will get consulted to pick an auspicious day, the stone will be blessed with holy water and offerings will be made.

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