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Buddhist Lent ends in celebration
Buddhists in Pattaya light
candles and incense at their local temples.
Staff reporters
It was a ceremonial time at the end of the Buddhist Lent as some
1,000 celebrants joined in the traditional Tak Bat Dhevo ceremony according
on Auk Phansa Day on October 15 at Wat Nongyai in Banglamung District.
 In
Sattahip the ceremony starts at Wat Sattahip.
Crowds of worshippers came early to the temple bringing food to give to
monks, beginning the long day of celebrations, traditionally held at the
waxing moon on the 15th day of the 11th lunar month.
A donation counter at the temple receiving money for the construction of a
new sanctuary was busy. Birds and fish bought from vendors were given their
freedom as Buddhists believe that it is very good fortune to free other
lives.
Many turtles were released in the belief that as turtles live a long time
and so would the merit-makers who put them back in water.
The traditional Tod Krathin ceremony was also popular.
For the Tak Bat Dhevo ceremony, people usually bring khao tom lookyon or
khao tom hang (rice dishes). Traditional belief is that the khao tom lookyon
practice came down from the time of Buddha when many people tried to offer
food to the prophet and his disciples.
But as many people in the crowd couldn’t reach Buddha’s food bowl, they
threw food instead from where they were to the Buddha’ alms-bowl. Their food
perfectly filled up his bowl in a miracle that has become part traditional
practice since.
Tak Bat Dhevo is a food-offering ceremony on the 1st night of waning moon in
the 11th lunar month. This marks the time when Buddha proceeded down from
Dheva Lok (Heaven) from his lent period in order to help his mother by
praying.
He came down from heaven to earth on the 15th night of waxing moon in the
11th lunar month in Kassa Nakorn District after an absence of the three
months’ Lent period. To greet his return, joyful followers offered a large
amount of food, as we still do today to his monks.
In Sattahip the ceremony started in Wat Sattahip then a procession traveled
to Sattahip market. Forty-nine monks and one novice there helped worshippers
in their celebration to mark the end of Lent.
Buddhist temples throughout the region, and the country, all help similar
ceremonies.
Worshippers at Sattahip market
present alms
to monks on Auk Phansa Day (the end of Buddhist Lent).
Monks prepare to leave Wat
Nongyai in Banglamung.
The Abbot of Wat Nongyai in
Banglamung blesses
the crowd with sprinkles of holy water.
Worshippers prepare for the
procession of monks in Sattahip.
Sikhs celebrate 300th anniversary of Adi Granth
Taking sweets is believed to
bring prosperity.
Bringing the Adi Granth back
to the Sikh temple after the parade.
The parade celebrates Adi
Granth.
Staff reporters
A brilliant parade, all in bright pink and yellow, led surprisingly by two
elephants, moved forward to the loud sound of a naval marching band as some
1,000 members of Pattaya’s Sikh community celebrated the 300th anniversary
of Adi Granth on October 17.
Women dressed their best in bright pink and the men, not to be outdone, wore
bright yellow shirts for the parade. As tourists and locals snapped
pictures, the young marching band from Pattaya School 8 struggled somewhat
to compete with the navy band blaring away.
The parade started from Central Pattaya in front of Alibaba restaurant,
where food and drinks were served, to all the way up to Soi 17 to the Sikh
temple Gurdwara, symbolizing a door or path towards the Gurus.
Mayor Ittiphol Khunplome, Banglamung District Chief Mongkol Thamakittikhun
and Pol Col Nopadol Wongnom were at the Sikh temple to join in prayers on
October 20, the final day of the three days of continuous prayers.
Adi Granth (Punjabi for “first book”) is the most important sacred book of
Sikhism. The original compilation was made under the direction of Guru Arjan
(1563-1606), the fifth Sikh guru.
Written in the Gurmukhi script, it consists of the preaching of the first
five gurus but also includes Muslim and Hindu hymns. The work was completed
by the tenth Guru, Gobind Singh, who declared that hence-forward there would
be no more gurus: his successor would be the Adi Granth itself, now given
the honorific title Guru Granth Sahib (‘Holy Book Guru’).
For this reason, the Adi Granth is treated with great respect, the throne
holding the book forms the focus of worship in a Sikh temple.
The word “guru” is derived from the root words “gu”, which means darkness or
ignorance and “ru”, which means light or knowledge.
There are now about 20 million Sikhs worldwide with most living in the Sikh
homeland of Punjab and around the world including, not least, Pattaya.
Two elephants follow the Royal
Thai Navy
marching band at the head of the parade.
Celebrating the 300th
anniversary of Adi Granth.
Five sword carrying elderly
Sikh disciples march in the parade.
Women and children make up a
big part of the parade.
The marching band from Pattaya
School #8 keeps the beat.
The Royal Thai Navy marching
band leads the parade.
Oompah-pah in Najomtien
Dr Iain Corness
Najomtien looked like Bavaria on October 22 and 24, as the guests at
the Pinnacle Grand Resort were swaying to the famous German music at our own
version of Oktoberfest.
 Pinnacle
GM Ingo Raeuber ensures that there was enough of an authentic Oktoberfest in
the celebration on the Pinnacle lawn.
Oktoberfest, which has been celebrated since 1810 features music, carousing
and beer, and the Pinnacle GM, Ingo Raeuber, had ensured that there was
enough of an authentic Oktoberfest in the celebration on the Pinnacle lawns,
with draft Erdinger Weissbier and Warsteiner Pilsener served as exclusive
beers for the night. But for those with more romantic tastes, Casa Pascal’s
tent was offering a lively sparkling Prosecco.
Oompah-pah was provided by the Original Williams Musikanten
(www.original-williams.de), a group which really does know how to make
Oktoberfest into a success! They really brought the music to the people,
standing on chairs and tables to deliver the traditional German songs (as
well as a handful of Italian, Spanish and Mexican numbers).
As part of the evening’s fun, an auction was held, the proceeds of which
went to the YLDF (Youth Leadership Development Foundation), with major
sponsor LTU Air Berlin making a major contribution. The YLDF is an
organization set up by Dr. Vongbhum Vanasin to help foster leadership in
young Thai students. This raised 42,000 baht, of which 30,000 baht was from
the spirited bidding for a return Lufthansa ticket to Europe
(congratulations Eva Muehleck and thank you Lufthansa). Pascal Schnyder also
had the winning bid for an amazing painting that could be hung any way up,
including diagonally.
Despite worries about the weather, the rain held off all evening (after
torrential downpours in the afternoon), and the Pinnacle Grand Resort and
Spa, Ingo Raeuber and a huge crowd of German folk (and their non-German
friends) all enjoyed another Oktoberfest in Najomtien.
After making a major
contribution to the fun, the crew from LTU Air Berlin,
one of the major sponsors, takes a little time to enjoy the event.
Guests at the Pinnacle Grand
Resort sway
to the famous German music at the Pinnacle Oktoberfest.
The Original Williams
Musikanten provides the Oompah-pah.
Draft Erdinger Weissbier and
Warsteiner Pilsener
serve as exclusive beers for the night.
The Original Williams
Musikanten really brings the music to the people,
standing on chairs and tables to deliver the traditional German songs.
Guests enjoy the authentic
German cuisine.
Hard Rock Cafe rocks on
George Hazard receives
congratulatory flowers from Mayor Itthipol Khunplome.
Pratheep Malhotra (left)
presents flowers to congratulate George Hazard,
general manager Hard Rock Hotel Pattaya.
Hard Rock Hotel Pattaya team
warmly welcomes all.
The party zooms into high
gear.
The party rocks on.
Champagne for everyone.
Vimolrat Singnikorn
Champagne flowed as rock music throbbed and a giant cake in the
shape of a guitar was sliced when the Hard Rock Cafe Pattaya celebrated its
7th anniversary on October 15.
Jirasak “Maew” Panpum from Grammy sang on the stage to a colorful motley
crew of rock-music fans, as three big bottles of champagne popped their
corks and the cafe’s general manager George Hazard cut the birthday cake.
Among the celebrities present could be glimpsed the political one of Pattaya
Mayor Itthipol Khunplome, who congratulated the famous cafe, and Norm
Pongkanjananukun, chief privy photographer for HM the King.
The Hard Rock Hotel will be celebrating its 7th anniversary on November 15.
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