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As night falls, majestic fire boats,
elaborately-adorned with flowers, incense sticks, candles
and lanterns and each bearing an assortment of ritual
offerings, are set alight and floated down the Mekong River.
Against the
darkness of the moonlit night, the sight of flickering light
from candles and lanterns on magnificent fire boats
drifting downstream on the Mekong River, is both mesmerising
and awe-inspiring. It is this enchanting spectacle that has
given the water-borne procession its very name Lai Reua
Fai', which literally means to set afloat a fire boat.
The illuminated
boat procession is celebrated in I-San, the northeastern
region of Thailand on the 15th day of the waxing moon to the
first day of the waning moon in the 11th lunar month of the
Buddhist calendar, usually a month earlier than the
corresponding month in the conventional calendar. This
dazzling event marks the end of the Buddhist Lent or Ok
pansa and is accompanied by a colourful street procession
and cultural performances which add to the highlights of the
event which is held annually.
Illuminated
boats vary in shape and form and reflect cultural identity,
artistic and cultural splendour, indigenous culture and
beliefs, folk knowledge and skills. Designs inspired by
Buddhist motifs, The Royal Barges, mythical characters in I-san
and Brahmin legend and folklore are depicted. Naga the
Serpent King, Hong the swan, the sacred steeds of the
Brahmin gods Hamsa, the sacred goose and mount of Brahma,
Garuda the mount of Phra Narai (Vishnu), Erawan the
mount of Indra and Ganesh the elephant-headed son of Shiva
are commonly featured.
Origins of the Illuminated
Boat Procession
The
Illuminated Boat Procession reflects Buddhist origins as
well as animistic beliefs and the worship of the forces of
nature.
According
to some scholars, the ritual is based on ancient Buddhist
tales and is undertaken to pay respect to the sacred
footprint of the Lord Buddha on the bank of the mythical
Nammadhammahantee river and in honour of the Buddhist
trinity Phra Buddha, Lord Buddha; Phra Dhamma his
teachings and Phra Sangkha disciples of the Lord Buddha.
In his
seventh lent, in remembrance of his mother, Buddha ascended
to the heavens to deliver a sermon to his mother. There he
resided throughout the entire period of the three-months
Rains Retreat or the Buddhist Lent. At the end of the Rains
Retreat which falls on the first day of the waning moon of
the eleventh lunar month, Lord Buddha returned to earth,
descending by the Celestial Stairway comprising of the
Silver, Gold and Crystal stairs.
Delighted
by the news of Buddha's return to earth once again, Buddha's
disciples and followers prepared to receive him with
offerings of food and other sacred items being presented.
Tak Bat Devo, the Buddhist merit-making ritual performed
on the final day of the festival signals the end of the
Buddhist Lent, originates from the word "Devorohana" and
refers to Buddhist celebrations marking the special occasion
of the return of the Lord Buddha to earth, as mentioned in
ancient Buddhist tales.
In traditional
river-based communities which rely on the river as a source
of food, harvesting fish and other marine life from the
river and planting crops on the banks of the river in the
dry season when the water level recedes, water is the
essence of life. In riparian cultures, ritual offerings are
made to Mae Khongkha - Mother of Waters in an act of
appeasement to beg for her forgiveness for Man's
carelessness in polluting pristine waters - the source of
all life; The Naga the mythical Serpent God associated
with water that dwells in three realms: beneath the earth
where it guards minerals and gems, in bodies of still and
flowing water, and in the skies where it creates the rain
which nourishes crops; and other celestial powers
responsible for the gift of life revered by the I-San
people. By setting the fireboats adrift, one also
symbolically casts away one's grief, misery and ill-fortunes.
Traditionally,
a fireboat was hewn out of a 10-12 metre banana tree trunk
or and other buoyant material readily found in the vicinity.
The various forms and structure it takes is made by shaping
spliced bamboo slithers and other inflammable components.
Contemporary versions are either made from actual boats or
petrol drums adorned with flowers, incense sticks, candles,
light bulbs, fireworks and pyrotechnics. Once the ritual
offerings have been made, the boats are salvaged and
recycled for the next festival.
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