Cheers to the New Year! Part 2

Coward that I am, most of my photos were taken at a friend's shop from the second floor balcony overlooking Tha Pae Rd., as I really did not want to sacrifice my camera to the gods of Songkran. I was there mainly to document, for you Dear Reader, the kinder and gentler side of Songkran: the parade of Buddhas, brought out to be cleansed for the new year and to bestow merit on those doing the cleansing.

For this a necessary ingredient is 'lustral/holy water'-
a special, fragrant water made with the flowers of certain trees, plus special herbs and seed pods.

It is poured onto the Buddhas and that which has run off is given back as reciprocal blessings. It can be a lovely ritual when done with small silver cups or ladles, and proper timing. Unfortunately, the Buddhas were often parading by at speed and there was barely time to throw some holy water in their direction.

More venerable and sacred ones, however, were on old, ornately carved, hand-pulled carriages.

Some were on elaborately constructed and ornamented floats

and even the common rickshaw was elevated to a conveyance of the holy (tho surprisingly no tuk tuks were to be seen)

Buddhas from all over the province were brought out for the ritual cleansing and included a variety of postures and materials:

a standing Buddha

a red-headed one

a large alabaster Buddha

a very large silver Buddha

a small, but sweet jade Buddha

gold Buddhas

and

a very dark green bronze one



It's always a treat to see so many beautiful Buddha figures all decked out for their big day.
Part 3 of 3

Tis the Season

It's beginning to sound a lot like . . . World War III! Everyone has been trying out their new cache of fireworks for the last couple of weeks, with the crescendo being Sunday night when the moon reached its fullest in this, the twelfth lunar month, and the peak of 'Loy Krathong'. Also known as 'Yi Peng', it is a celebration of the end of the rainy season, and a time to honor the goddess of water sources. We missed the festivities that night, but I was able to make it on Monday for the parade of large floats and the last night of merriment and mayhem. Ah, I love the smell of kordite in the evening! And there was plenty, along with a sky full of 'khom loy', or hot air lanterns that were being set aloft in any space large enough to accommodate them. Here a 'clutch' of schoolgirls ready theirs for liftoff--




The river was alight with the twinkle of candles on 'krathongs' (the little flower festooned floating offerings to the goddess of the waterways), as well as the reflections of lights and lanterns along its banks. (Here a veteran 'krathong'-maker is at work pinning folded leaves onto a base formed by the cross-section of a banana tree trunk.)




Families were out en masse and I noticed several new carnival-like venues- including one at a temple. As always, it's a magical time of year and for all ages. The parade did not disappoint either. We got to Tha Pae Road a little late, so missed some of it, but were still able to see over an hour's worth of dancing girls, magnificently glittering floats, occasional sword dancers with rolling gongs, contingents of traditionally-dressed ladies,

(Thanks to Deb Swingholm for the photo above and below)

and assorted beautifully decorated umbrellas, canopies, banners and vertical 'flags' called 'tung'.




The end was signalled by the 'Last Redshirt', an elderly fellow on his decorated, red bicycle/cart who was following a small army of red-shirted, flag-bearing followers of the former, now exiled, Prime Minister.