Popa, Mount

   Located about midway between Pagan (Bagan) and Meiktila in Mandalay Division, what is popularly known as "Mount Popa" is actually the core of an extinct volcano, rising 737 meters (2,200 feet) above the Myingyan Plain. It is the site of shrines devoted to the nats. Often called "Burma's Mount Olympus," the nat cult flourished there long before King Anawrahta established the official pantheon of the Thirty-seven Nats. A popular destination for pilgrims, it hosts two important nat-pwe, in spring and winter, and is widely known as the "temple mount" (daung kalat). It should not be confused with the actual Mount Popa, which is located nearby and has an altitude of over 1,500 meters (4,500 feet).