Naga Fireball Festival kicks off

[webfact]

Naga Fireball Festival kicks off

NONG KHAI, 26 October 2015 (NNT) - Tourists have flocked to Nong Khai province to see the spectacular fireworks and light shows held every year as a local Buddhist tradition.

Nong Khai Deputy Governor Prasong Kongkaoroptham presided over the opening ceremony of the Naga Fireball Festival on Sunday at Sri Boonruang Temple. The opening act, held for the 18th time since its inception, explains how Naga fireballs are created, according to Buddhist lore.

The legend goes that the giant serpents, or Naga, make fireballs as a show of respect to Lord Buddha, when he descended from heaven to visit his mother on the night of the 15th day of the 11th lunar month.

An encore show will be held tonight. Visitors can enjoy northeastern cuisine served in a traditional tray called ‘Palang’. Around 200 students from various schools in Nong Khai have also joined the event to put on traditional Thai dance performances.


-- NNT 2015-10-26

[ezzra]

Attention to all aircrafts flying over the area, don't be surprise if you see a fireball in your windshield,

be ready to execute evasive maneuvers immediately....

[webfact]

Nong Khai Readies for ‘Naga Fireballs’ (Photos)
By Khaosod English


A show at Wat Sri Boonruang in Nong Khai province Sunday night opened Naga Fireball season.

NONG KHAI — When the waxing moon hits full Tuesday, the nagas will come out and play.

As the story goes, the mythical serpents which reside in the depths of the Mekong River celebrate the end of Buddhist Lent and a celestial sojourn by the Buddha by belching magical orbs of fire into the sky.

In practice, it’s a curious mix of stagecraft and myth that draws tourists to witness fire shot into the sky above the river running between Thailand and Laos, along with fireworks and light shows.

Full story: http://www.khaosodenglish.com/detail.php?newsid=1445836985


-- Khaosod English 2015-10-26

[spermwhale]

Let the FAKERY begin. What a joke.

[upena]

TAT promotes this annually as real. It is a complete farce.

[mrfill]

TAT promotes this annually as real. It is a complete farce.

So a bit like X-Factor then?

[willyumiii]

Let the FAKERY begin. What a joke.

Walking on water, raising the dead, living in the belly of a wale, penguins walking from antarctica to the middle east to get on a boat..

At least Buddhist have videos of their fantasy!

[khaowong1]

Actually, I believe it was the other way around. The Buddha ASCENDED to heaven to visit his Mother as she died when he was a baby. Just saying.

[bangon04]

TAT promotes this annually as real. It is a complete farce.

I like traditions, however primitive. It is just such a pity that the fireballs are getting more difficult to see against a background of that other great tradition - slash and burn land clearing and forest fires.