Monk brings solace in coup-torn Myanmar

Revered figure: Sayadaw walking past devotees at the Nyeyadham monastery in Kantbulu township in Sagaing region. — 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.