The Lai Reua Fai, Nakhon Phanom’s famous and mythological annual illuminated boats festival, is considered one of the Kingdom’s most spectacular cultural festivals to mark the end of Buddhist Lent.
This year, the Nakhon Phanom Illuminated Boat Procession 2018 is taking place on October 17-25.
The festival is held annually during the eleventh lunar month when Thai Buddhists in this northeastern province launch the Lai Reua Fai to float them down the Mekong River. Residents pay respect to the Lord Buddha and make offerings to mythical serpents (‘Naga’ in Thai), which supposedly reside in the mighty river and its many tributaries.
It is also believed that this ceremony washes sadness and life’s troubles down the river while also bringing good fortune to participants and believers.
The local people of Nakhon Phanom gather together with Buddhist monks from each village temple to spectacularly decorate the boats and rafts weeks before the festival takes place. They then load them with food, flowers, incense sticks, candles and handmade lanterns. Once lit, these illuminated boats are then launched creating a spectacular visual spectacle as they float down the legendary Mekong River.
For more information, contact TAT Nakhon Phanom Office on Tel. 04322 7714-5 or E-mail: [email protected]
Courtesy of Nation Multimedia
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