In het wat slaperige maar charmante stadje Mae Hong Son in het noorden van Thailand bij de Burmese grens vindt elk jaar tegen het einde van de regentijd een bijzonder festival plaats n.l. het Chongpara festival. Boeddhisten verzamelen zich in de plaatselijke tempels en maken prachtige kastelen van gekleurd papier. Een paar dagen voordat het volle maan is worden de verlichtte kastelen in een optocht door de stad gedragen wat een feeeriek schouwspel oplevert. Dit jaar valt deze unieke gebeurtenis rond 4 oktober. voor meer info klik hier.
The end of Buddhist Lent is a time for colourful parade and pilgrimage to Mae Hong Son
Writer: Story and photos by PEERAWAT JARIYASOMBAT
Published: 24/09/2009 at 12:00 AM
Newspaper section: Horizons
Late monsoon season every year devout Buddhists in Mae Hong Son province, a cosy town in north Thailand, mark the end of Buddhist Lent in very unique and colourful way _ via the Chongpara Festival.
Chongpara is a Tai word meaning ‘‘Castles for Lord Buddha’’. The festival features a parade of colourful paper castles the locals build to welcome back Lord Buddha after he has finished praying for his mother in heaven during the lent period.
*Every castle has a small chamber *
*in its middle in which sits an * image of Lord Buddha.
Before the full moon day of the 11th lunar month, every October, Buddhists in Mae Hong Son gather at local temples to build colourful castles. On a particular evening a few days before the full moon, they dress up in traditional attires to show off the castles they are so proud of. At twilight they light up the castles resulting in a scattering of vibrant colours. The colourful parade of castles then takes off, suddenly turning this sleepy town into a vibrant and lively community.
At this point, if you are standing on Khun Lumprapas Road, the main thoroughfare, you will not believe that Mae Hong Son town could be this lively and busy.
Two days later the focus of activity shifts to Wat Phrathat Doi Kong Mu, that sits atop a mountain downtown where thousands of Buddhist devotees converge, taking up every square inch of space in the temple and on its stair, waiting to offer alms to monks from the crack of dawn.
The people’s great show of faith in Buddhism during the festival makes Mae Hong Son a fitting destination for a pilgrimage at the end of every lent period.
The Buddhist Lent this year ends October 4, on the full moon of the 11th lunar month. For more information about the festival, call TAT’s Mae Hong Son office at 053-612-982 to 3 or visit http://www.travelmaehongson.org.
Air-conditioned coaches leave Bangkok daily for Mae Hong Son. For more information, call Sombat Tour at 02-936-2495.
Buses and air-conditioned coaches leave Chiang Mai for Mae Hong Son daily. For more information, call Chiang Mai bus terminal at 053-242-664.
A few days before the end of Buddhist Lent, devotees in Mae Hong Son gather at temples to build castles. Using bamboo frames delicately adorned with colourful papers in Tai style, they try to make the castles look as beautiful as possible, which indeed they are. It is a reflection of their artistry and communal harmony prevailing among townspeople. However, you’ll find among this crowd individuals or groups offering castle-building services for a price, like this one: prices range from 1,500 baht for a small one to 9,000 baht for a large specimen.
Local women dressed in traditional attire carry ‘money trees’ to which you can make a donation by attaching a banknote to one of the branches. The proceeds go to a temple.
The castles are adorned with food and fruit destined for monks in temples, to which you can contribute by adding your favourite snack, instant noodle or even banana.
Everything in place, the parade gets going. Revellers take their clue from bands blaring at full blast, with music and dancing adding to the merriment and cheerful atmosphere.
At dusk locals take their castles to the town’s main thoroughfare where they wait to join the parade that kick off around the same time. Large castles are mounted on pick-ups, but the smaller ones are handcarried.
On the morning of the end of lent period, locals donning traditional attire line up at the mountaintop Wat Phrathat Doi Kong Mu, the most scared temple in town, to make merit by offering alms to monks.
Wat Phrathat Doi Kong Mu is at its busiest this time of year, with every inch of space from the temple to the foot of the mountain taken up, as people queue up to offers prayers and food to monks.
Every family in Mae Hong Son holds a Chongpara of its own, decorating the castles with small banana trees and sugar cane.
According to Samak Sooksi, who has been making paper castles for two decades, all specimen are built in Tai style. He and his team, being veterans in the field, are adept at their trade; however, it can still take them up to a week to complete a big castle with lots of details.
The Chongpara Festival is a very special time for Mae Hong Son residents who come out in force, dressed in traditional costume, to celebrate to the accompaniment of dancing and music all night.
When darkness descends the castles set the town aglow with their vibrant, colourful lighting. Floats of paper castles weaving their way around town is easily the most lively part of the celebration.
Speaking of mobility, tall castles are handicapped by low wiring of telephone lines and electricity cables as the parade passes through small, narrow lanes. But don’t worry, the locals have figured a way around: the upper decks of tall castles can fold down.