Many areas held a grand and spectacular candle procession on Asarnha Bucha Day to help preserve Buddhism.
Starting from Ubon Ratchathani Province, which has organized the Candle Festival for the 123rd year, this year’s event is called the Candle Festival Procession ‘Celebrating the 72nd Birthday of the City of Candles, City of Dharma, Beautiful City of 4 Lights’. Today, there are 28 processions, including a procession of royal candles and royal rain-bathing robes, a procession to celebrate the King, and a procession of 51 candles from temples, including carved, printed, and ancient candles. Each candle is carved by the craftsmen of the temples to tell stories of the Lord Buddha in various postures, which are very beautiful and magnificent. Each procession has dancers dancing in front of the candle procession along the main road of Mueang Ubon Ratchathani District. This year, the Ubon Ratchathani Chamber of Commerce expects that the total amount of money spent by tourists from the event will be over one bill
ion baht.
Chachoengsao continues the tradition of candle procession up the stairs
At Suwannakiri Temple (Khao Dong Yang), Tambon Hua Samrong, Amphoe Plaeng Yao, Chachoengsao Province, hundreds of villagers joined in continuing the tradition of carrying candles, robes, and food up the 718 stairs to Khao Dong Yang to wrap the reclining Buddha statue on the mountaintop. This is a long-standing local tradition that was originally a dense forest, making it difficult for villagers to travel to make merit. However, with their faith in their ancestors, they did not give up. When it was Asalha Bucha Day and the beginning of Buddhist Lent, villagers would gather to offer candles, robes, and food to the monks continuously. However, at present, a road has been built through the temple, so the temple has been moved to the lower part of Highway 331 Kabin Buri-Sattahip for more convenient travel. However, the villagers have continued to preserve the traditions of their ancestors.
Nong Bua Lamphu, riding on the back of th
e elephant, Chai Mongkol
At Ban Kham Subdistrict, Mueang Nong Bua Lamphu District, Nong Bua Lamphu Province, Phra Phawanawachiraprakarn (Luang Pho Parami), abbot of Phra That Pha Sorn Kaew, Phetchabun Province, together with Pu Ruesi Ket Kaew of the Ban Khok Kung Buddhist Center, mounted on the back of the male elephant Chai Mongkol, along with a procession of 10 elephants, in a procession of 108 candle trees around the village, to be presented to the abbots of 108 temples who were waiting at the Pu Ruesi Ket Kaew Buddhist Center. Along the way, there was the tossing of glass beads, coins, and candies.
For the leading procession, there is a sign that says, ‘Making merit by offering candles and candles during the Buddhist Lent, food for the three months at the Kesa Kaew Buddhist Center, Ban Khok Kung,’ along with a procession of Phu Thai dancers led by Dr. Tasanee Saengchan, executive of n-tech inter group, joining the dance procession with the villagers. After that, the procession danced together again insi
de the large pavilion before performing a ceremony to offer candles to the monks from various temples.
Source: Thai News Agency