Bangkok To Mark The Asalha Puja Day

[george]

Bangkok to mark the Asalha Puja Day and the Buddhist Lent

BANGKOK: -- A beautifully carved Lenten candle will be carried from Sanam Luang to Maha Thart Yuwaratrangsarit Monastery in Bangkok today (July 9) in a spectacular procession held as part of the celebration on Asalha Puja Day, which falls on July 10th, this year.

The traditional-style procession, jointly organized by the National Buddhism Office and the Bangkok Metropolitan Administration (BMA), will be joined by 35 processions of carved waxed figures. The main Lenten candle in the procession has a 9-inch diametre and a height of 69 feet. It will be presented to Maha Thart Monastery for use during the 3-month-long Buddhist Lent beginning on July 11th.

Apart from the presentation of the Lent candle, a major exhibition is being held for 6 days at Sanam Luang, ending on July 11th. The exhibition features the places where the Lord Buddha was born, attained enlightenment, made his first sermon and died.

There are also special chanting on the Dhammachak Kappa Wattana Sutra – the first sermon given by the Lord Buddha to his first five disciples, throughout the week-long exhibition. A number of 960 monks are being rotated to chant the Buddhist script at the exhibition site. The nuber 9 represents the reign of His Majesty the King and 60 signifies the diamond jubilee of his accession to the throne.

--thaisnews.com 2006-07-09