Thailand. Visakha Bucha Day Pictures. Buddha Day.

Today we celebrated Visakha Bucha Day here in Isaan country Thailand. We didn’t go to the morning ceremony as my girlfriend Noot didn’t want to get out of bed early today. So we traveled this evening to the village and went to the temple for the ceremony or service.
I explained in a brief overview about Visakha Bucha Day in a previous post that you can view here http://isaanstyle.blogspot.com/2007/05/thailand-visakha-bucha-day-buddhas.html

We arrived at the village around 6pm and then it was the usual sitting around and watching kids playing and life unfolding in an Isaan village. I have a lot of photos to post over the coming days but will take a little time as there are a few blogs in them all.

This morning we bought some fish and brought them home and added them to our fish tanks. This is a symbol of freeing people who are trapped, imprisoned, or tortured against their will. Usually people release these animals into the wild but these fish are going to be really well cared for here at home and spoiled. It’s much nicer than the fish tanks at the fish shop.

Tonight we started the ceremony by lighting candles and putting them on the fence out the front of my family’s house on the fence in the village. This is a symbolic gesture to show that everything starts with life but eventual dies just like human existence. We are born, grow old and then die. Like the candle burns and then goes out.

(Noot, sister Benjawan and friend with our candles)

(A neighbour and their candles)
(My beautiful girl with our flower offerings)

Tonight the ceremony was meant to start at 7pm but because and elderly person had died today the monks from the village were attending the house for the blessing of the body and spirit and only 1 monk was able to arrive back at the village by 8pm, an hour late to start the ceremony.

There were around 50-60 people at the temple and mostly were elderly women and young girls. The older men were nowhere to be seen and the young boys don’t attend these ceremonies unless it involves drinking and dancing.

(The elder women at the front of the temple)

The elder women of the village sat at the front of the temple looking and helped lead the chants (prayers). The younger people sat towards the back. Young children ran around and played and yelled and light firecrackers outside. Dogs roamed around inside the temple as well and no one really cared they just kept on chanting.

(Looking from the back of the temple)

(Young kids running amok)

(Noot and some younger girls sittiing and praying with the monk)

I will post more tomorrow and more pictures of the ceremony and descriptions but for now I must go to bed. It’s nearly midnight 11:56 pm and I have to work tomorrow and I have a busy day. So goodnight to my readers and there will be more tomorrow. Brunty