Khao Phansa Ceremony in Thailand

Khao Phansa Day is on the first day after the full moon of the sixth lunar month (this year is on July 27th, 2010) and marks the beginning of the three-month rain retreat period. The tradition of the annual three-month rains retreat is known in Thai as "Phansa". Khao Phansa means to remain in one place during the rainy season.

During Khao Phansa period monks should not venture out or spend the night in any other place except in cases of extreme emergency and, even then, their time away must not exceed seven consecutive nights. This is a time for contemplation and meditation for monk. The monk meditates more, studies more and teaches more. For Buddist Phansa is also customarily season for temporary ordinations. Young men enter the monkhood for spiritual training, to gain merit for themselves and their parents during this period.

Two main important things will present to monks during Khao Pansa are the candles and monks’ robe. The candles were essential in former times for both ceremonies and studying scriptures during night time. The large candles that are made and given to the temple to create illumination in the belief that such a gift will likewise illuminate the mind.

The presentation of monks’ robe is said to have originated during this period too. Lay people from Singapore and Malaysia organize buses to come to Thailand to offer robes to monks during this 3 month period. In many temples and Buddhist Societies in Malaysia and Singapore carry out the offering of robes ceremony in a grand way.

Not only local people presents the candle to monk, some province in the Northeast of Thailand especially Ubon Ratchathanee province

. In Ubon Ratchathanee, 629 km northeast of Bangkok, the Candle Festival is the province's most popular annual event. The cerebration of the beginning of Khao Phansa is marked by the ceremony of presenting candles to the monks. Various public and private organizations will organize a colorful candl

e processing. On the days before the event, Isan (North East region of Thailand) local arts make ornately carved beeswax candles of various sizes and shapes. On the day of the festival, the fabulous candles are paraded around the town on colorful floats, accompanied by displays of religious devotion. After the procession, they are presented to local temples.
At Sakonnakhorn province, the beautiful embellished beeswax candles were designed in different castle shapes. In this province, the wax castle celebration will start on the third day before the Khao Phansa will be over.

The wax castle procession will be organized and the religious ceremony will be on the last of Khao Phansa (Ok Phunsa day).