Bago Medaw (also known as the Buffalo Mother or Lady Buffalo; , or Nakkarai Medaw , ) is a Burmese nat commonly venerated in the vicinity of Bago (although worship is seen throughout

Lower Burma Lower Myanmar (, also called Lower Burma) is a geographic region of Myanmar and includes the low-lying Irrawaddy Delta ( Ayeyarwady, Bago and Yangon Regions), as well as coastal regions of the country ( Rakhine and Mon States and Tanintharyi ...

). Bago Medaw is depicted as a maiden wearing a water buffalo skull, representing a female water buffalo named Nakkarai (Burmese: နံကရိုင်း), who nursed Prince Ashakuma, the son of Thamala, the traditional founder of Hanthawaddy (now Bago). She is believed to protect the family and home, and grant wishes to those she favors. She is believed to be a goddess of the

Mon people The Mon (; Thai Mon: ဂကူမည်; , ; , ) are an ethnic group who inhabit Lower Myanmar's Mon State, Kayin State, Kayah State, Tanintharyi Region, Bago Region, the Irrawaddy Delta, and several areas in Thailand (mostly in Pathum Than ...

, representing the Mon cultural identity and the history of Bago, which was once the Mon capital of Hanthawaddy. In Mon People Call Her Name “Minangkarai (Mon: မိနံကရိုင်)”http://www.teol.lu.se/indiskareligioner/conference04/13996670/panel1berglie.pdf

Legend

In the year 187, King Thamala reigned over Hanthawaddy. He appointed his brother, Prince Wimala, as the crown prince, sending him to

Taxila Taxila or Takshashila () is a city in the Pothohar region of Punjab, Pakistan. Located in the Taxila Tehsil of Rawalpindi District, it lies approximately northwest of the Islamabad–Rawalpindi metropolitan area and is just south of the ...

for studies. The king promised that Wimala would succeed the throne upon his return. Simultaneously, King Thamala selected a woman, reportedly born inside a glowing

pumpkin A pumpkin is a cultivar, cultivated winter squash in the genus ''Cucurbita''. The term is most commonly applied to round, orange-colored squash varieties, but does not possess a scientific definition. It may be used in reference to many dif ...

in the Hanthawaddy forest, to be the chief queen with the title of "pumpkin maiden." This queen later gave birth to a son named Prince Ashakuma. When the crown prince returned to the country after his studies, the king neglected his promise. Consequently, the crown prince became furious and killed his older brother, seizing control of the throne. In the wake of his uncle's usurpation, young Prince Ashakuma was forced into exile. Nursed by the female

water buffalo The water buffalo (''Bubalus bubalis''), also called domestic water buffalo, Asian water buffalo and Asiatic water buffalo, is a large bovid originating in the Indian subcontinent and Southeast Asia. Today, it is also kept in Italy, the Balkans ...

named Nakkarai, the young prince considered Nakkarai as his mother. Upon Prince Ashakuma obstructing the tide of the water goddess

Manimekhala Manimekhala () is a goddess in the Hindu-Buddhist mythology. She is regarded as a guardian of the seas, namely the Indian Ocean and the South China Sea as part of the mythology of Southeast Asia. She was placed by Cātummahārājika to protect ...

, her anger flared, compelling him to make a wager. In a decree, the prince was mandated to cut thousands of gazelles' tails within 1 hour to appease her wrath. The rule specified that the loser must unquestioningly obey the winner. Despite the prince cutting thousands of gazelles' tails in the meantime, the goddess cunningly concealed one tail behind her back to deceive him. Following his defeat by the goddess' trickery, she demanded that he cut off the head of Nakkarai, who had pure gold in her horn, and present it to her. After hearing that news, concerned that her son might commit a grave sin by beheading her, Mother Nakkarai ordered him to place the blade only on her neck. She made a solemn vow to heaven to cut her head automatically. Since then, Nakkarai became a nat (deity), and people began constructing shrines for her in almost every front yard. She governed through her own shrine, ensuring that business growth served the well-being of the people.

References

{{Burmese nats Burmese nats Burmese goddesses Mon culture Animal goddesses Mythological bovines