On the first day of the festival, four of the Buddha images are taken from the main temple of the Phaung Daw Oo pagoda and placed on a royal barge. The barge is pushed forward by the unique leg-rowers of the Inle Lake. During 18 day period, the barge carrying the four of the Buddha images starts travelling from 14 villages along the shores of the lake passing through floating villages and overnight stopping at each village. Upon arrival at an appointed village, the four images is taken from the barge and placed in the main monastery in the village in order for people to pay homage to the four images.

Only four out of the five images are on the barge, the fifth stays to guard the monastery. Legend has it that once in a windy day, when the waves were high on the lake, the barge capsized, losing the fifth to the depth of the lake. People could not find it until it mysteriously re-appeared in its original position in the pagoda and has remained there ever since.