The important of traditional festival of Laos PDR
Pha That Luang is the national symbol and most
important religious monument of Laos. It was built from 1566. It has been
destroyed and rebuilds frequent times since then. Vientiane capital is the
central of Laos PDR and has one of the most important festival call “Boun
Pha That Luang”, is held for three days during the full moon of the month
(November). Pha That Luang Festival is an important Theravada Buddhist holiday
for the Lao nation. The Monks and many people from all over Laos gather
together to celebrate the occasion with three days of religious ceremony
followed by a week of festivities, day and night.
Day 1:
Every year in November, under the full moon, That Luang festival takes place.
Monks and Laotian from all over the country travel to Vientiane capital for the
week-long festival. The festivities start at Vat Simeung, the location of the
cornerstone of the city, as revelers circle the vat (temple) three times
counterclockwise, many carrying “phasat pheung”, which are “wax castles”
adorned with banana leaves, flowers, money and other offerings.
Day 2:
The following day a procession takes place, beginning at Vat Nongbone. Again,
wax castles are carried as the procession winds its way through the city
streets until it reaches That Luang. The stupa is then circled three times
before the castles are placed on the skirt of the stupa. The procession lasts
into the evening and is guided by the full moon and candlelight.
Day 3:
The third day begins with another communal religious ceremony. Participants
must arrive early to secure a coveted spot within the cloister of the stupa.
Those not early enough to get a spot within the cloister must settle for a
place on the esplanade, sometimes quite a distance from the stupa itself. After
the prayers and blessings, alms are given to the monks lining both the cloister
and esplanade, as they are throughout the festival. That afternoon a game of
ti-khee, similar to hockey but played with bamboo sticks and a bamboo ball, is
played on the esplanade. In the evening, another candlelit procession three
times around the stupa is performed by monks and devotees alike.
Apart
from the religious festivities, the That Luang festival includes a large trade
fair, so big that much of it had to be moved from the esplanade surrounding Pha
That Luang across town to Lao ITECC, Vientiane's exposition center. Many
festival games and food booths are part of the trade fair.
The end of Boun Pha
That Luang festival draws to a close under a full moon, when people from
all over Laos will crowd around the Pha That Luang for one last
candlelight procession, bearing posies of flowers, incense and candles.
Normally these days there are also firework displays to mark the end of the
celebration.By สุริยะไชยะสิน(ตี๋)
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