Thein Sein's ordination as a monk took place Monday, officials said, four days after he presided over a historic transition of power to the former opposition party headed by Aung San Suu Kyi.

Photographs circulating on social media show the former president, with his head shaved and dressed in a saffron robe, beside a fellow monk. The Ministry of Information released a statement on its Facebook page Monday saying Thein Sein will spend five days at the Dhamma Dipati Monastery outside Pyin Oo Lwin, a scenic hill town near Mandalay in central Myanmar.

A temporary stint at a monastery is common in the predominantly Buddhist country, where boys are expected to ordain as novice monks at some point in their childhood and then return later in adulthood.

Thein Sein himself has not spoken publicly about his choice to temporarily become a monk but the official statement indicated he has been considering it at least since January when he attended a Buddhist conference in Myanmar.

"Recently, the country's most respected monk, Sitagu, urged ex-President Thein Sein to enter into the Buddhist monk-hood when he attended the World Buddhist Conference," the statement from the Ministry of Information said. - THE JAKARTA POST