Katha (, ; , ''Kat Hsa''), sometimes also spelled Kathar, is a town in

Sagaing Region Sagaing Region (, ; formerly Sagaing Division) is an administrative divisions of Myanmar, administrative region of Myanmar, located in the north-western part of the country between latitude 21° 30' north and longitude 94° 97' east. It is border ...

Myanmar Myanmar, officially the Republic of the Union of Myanmar; and also referred to as Burma (the official English name until 1989), is a country in northwest Southeast Asia. It is the largest country by area in Mainland Southeast Asia and has ...

, on the west side of the

Irrawaddy River The Irrawaddy River (, , Ayeyarwady) is the principal river of Myanmar, running through the centre of the country. Myanmar’s most important commercial waterway, it is about 1,350 miles (2,170 km) long. Originating from the confluence of the ...

on a bluff with an average elevation of . Most of the town is more than above the river. Katha is known for having inspired Kyauktada, the fictional setting of

George Orwell Eric Arthur Blair (25 June 1903 – 21 January 1950) was an English novelist, poet, essayist, journalist, and critic who wrote under the pen name of George Orwell. His work is characterised by lucid prose, social criticism, opposition to a ...

's ''

Burmese Days ''Burmese Days'' is the first novel and second book by English writer George Orwell, published in 1934. Set in British Burma during the waning days of empire, when Burma was ruled from Delhi as part of British India, the novel serves as "a po ...

''.

Location

Katha is 12 hours by rail north of

Mandalay Mandalay is the second-largest city in Myanmar, after Yangon. It is located on the east bank of the Irrawaddy River, 631 km (392 mi) north of Yangon. In 2014, the city had a population of 1,225,553. Mandalay was founded in 1857 by Ki ...

through the railroad junction town of Naba which is to the west of Katha. A small branch of railway runs east from Naba to Katha. Katha can also be reached by ferries that run on the Irrawaddy River between the upstream town of

Bhamo Bhamo ( ''ban: mau mrui.'', also spelt Banmaw), historically known as Manmaw (; ) or Hsinkai () is a city in Kachin State in northern Myanmar, south of the state capital, (Myitkyina). It is on the Ayeyarwady River. It lies within of the border ...

down to Mandalay. There is also direct bus service from Mandalay to Katha, but it is a bumpy ride.

Climate

Katha has a

tropical savanna climate Tropical savanna climate or tropical wet and dry climate is a tropical climate sub-type that corresponds to the Köppen climate classification categories ''Aw'' (for a dry "winter") and ''As'' (for a dry "summer"). The driest month has less than ...

(

Köppen climate classification The Köppen climate classification divides Earth climates into five main climate groups, with each group being divided based on patterns of seasonal precipitation and temperature. The five main groups are ''A'' (tropical), ''B'' (arid), ''C'' (te ...

''Aw'') bordering on a

humid subtropical climate A humid subtropical climate is a subtropical -temperate climate type, characterized by long and hot summers, and cool to mild winters. These climates normally lie on the southeast side of all continents (except Antarctica), generally between ...

(Köppen ''Cwa''). Temperatures are very warm to hot throughout the year, with milder winter months (December–February). There is a winter dry season (November–March) and a summer wet season (April–October).

Economy

Katha is the administrative seat of

Katha District Katha District is the northeasternmost district in Sagaing Region of Myanmar.

which comprises seven small townships. Katha is populated with government offices and many of the early town settlers were from every part of Burma and usually had background history of civil service under at least one ministerial department. The main economy of the town is fishing and farming of kidney beans. Production of rice in the Katha Township is less than its consumption and Katha has to depend on imports from the nearby townships such as Indaw or Kawlin.

Setting of George Orwell's ''Burmese Days''

Katha is known in literature as the real place underlying the fictional Kyauktada, the setting of

's first novel ''

'' (1934). Orwell himself served at Katha in 1926–27 in the

Indian Imperial Police The Indian Imperial Police, referred to variously as the Indian Police or, by 1905, the Imperial Police, was part of the Indian Police Services, the uniform system of police administration in British India, as established by Government of India Ac ...

. The British Club (including active tennis court), police station, and town jail are locations mentioned in the novel that can still be visited today. More accounts on this section are readable in Emma Larkin's "Finding George Orwell in Burma". Katha has links with prominent Burmese writers such as Shwe U Daung, Thaw Tar Swe, ''Theik-Pan'' Muu Tin, and

AFPFL The Anti-Fascist People's Freedom League (AFPFL) was a broad popular front that ruled Burma (now Myanmar) between 1947 and 1958. It included both political parties and trade unions as members. The league evolved out of the anti-Japanese res ...

leader

Kyaw Nyein Kyaw Nyein (; ; 19 January 1913 – 29 June 1986), called honorifically U Kyaw Nyein (;), was a Burmese lawyer and anti-colonial revolutionary, a leader in Burma’s struggle for independence and prominent politician in the first decade after t ...

. In September 2019, the Katha Heritage Trust opened a museum at the house that Orwell lived in during his time in Katha. The two-story wooden building had been an attraction for Western tourists. The museum features portraits and a picture of Orwell, and a painting of the house. One stated aim of the trust was to cooperate with the Orwell Trust in the United Kingdom to restore momentos of Orwell's time in Katha.Aung Phay Kyi Soe,
Reliving Orwell's Burmese Days in Katha Township'
''Myanmar Times'', 18 October 2019. File:KatharBritishClub.JPG, The British Club in Katha (only the ground floor remains from Orwell's time) File:Tennis court at the old British Club in Katha, Myanmar.jpg, Tennis court at the old British Club File:George Orwell's House in Burma.jpg, Orwell's house in Katha

Notable people

* Aung Kyaw Myat, Minister of Science and Technology

References

External links

"Katha, Burma"
Falling Rain Inc.
"Katha Map — Satellite Images of Katha"
Maplandia * {{Sagaing Division Township capitals of Myanmar Populated places in Sagaing Region Irrawaddy River