Monk's reappearance brings solace in coup-hit Myanmar

This photo taken on Oct 10, 2021 shows Buddhist monk Myaing Sayadaw walking in the Nyeyadham monastery in Kantbulu township in Sagaing region. - AFP

SAGAING, Myanmar (AFP): When dawn arrives in normal times, 80-year-old Buddhist monk Maha Bodhi Myaing Sayadaw emerges from his meditation on the plains of northern Myanmar to silently receive food offerings from a handful of followers.

Now each morning, crowds of pilgrims line his path, hoping for a glimpse of the monk who has become an unwitting embodiment of hope and solace for thousands in the coup-wracked country.