Mayor Itthiphol Kunplome and
Deputy Mayor Wattana Chantanawaranon lead the parade to Sawangfa Phritharam
Temple in Naklua.
Staff reporters
Students from Pattaya’s 11 public schools competed to
decorate the most beautiful and creative Buddhist Lent candles before
joining the festive Asalaha Bucha parade through Pattaya.
The July 31 procession carried the candles on lavish
floats down Beach Road where they were parked near Walking Street for
display. More than 100 people participated in the parade, as crowds swelled
along sidewalks from Central Road to Walking Street to see the floats and
costumed marchers.
Pattaya School No. 1 won the top prize for most beautiful
candle and 20,000 baht. School No. 2 took the 15,000 baht second prize and
Photisampan Pittayakarn School took third and 10,000 baht.
In the creative category, Pattaya School No. 6 won the
20,000 baht first prize, with School No. 9 placing second for 15,000 baht
and School No. 3 winning third and 10,000 baht.
Nongprue Mayor Mai Chaiyanit
(center right), and Wat Suthawat School Principal Somchok Yindeesuk (left)
donate lent candles to the abbot of Wat Suthawat.
Prizes were awarded for parade floats as well, with
Pattaya School No. 11 deemed the best and awarded 10,000 baht. School No. 9
won 8,000 baht for second and Photisampan Pittayakarn School 5,000 baht for
third.
Lent candles are longer and larger than normal candles
placed in temples from the start of Buddhist Lent till the end. The Buddhist
Lent candle ceremony originated more than 2,600 years ago and is a
long-established tradition in Thailand.
The Lent candle parade, too, is entrenched in society. It
calls for the cooperation of community residents in making and donating the
candles. Floats are decorated with items found or made locally and dances
are based on local traditions.
Elsewhere About 300 Pattaya students marched in Buddhist
Lent candle parades to benefit monks at Nong Or Temple.
Jeerasak Jitsom, director of
Pattaya School #5, representing the teaching committee, presents Lent
candles to Wat Nong Or.
About 200 pupils and teachers from Arunothai School
paraded the kilometer from their Soi Arunothai school to the temple, with
the marching band and a Hanuman mascot leading the way. The event was
sponsored by the Tourism Authority of Thailand’s Pattaya office.
Later that day, about 100 kids from Pattaya School No. 5
paraded to the temple to present a lent candle to monks there. Principal
Jeerasak Jitsom also directed the students to present the monks with basic
necessities before sitting down to listen to an Asalaha Day sermon.
In Nongprue, Mayor Mai Chaiyanit and Deputy Mayor Anek
Panttangam lit the way for Wat Suthawat School Principal Somchok Yindeesuk,
teachers and students Aug. 1 in a Buddhist Lent candle parade for Suthawat
Temple. Fifty groups from 13 neighborhoods took part in the march from the
Chalermprakiet intersection to the Nongprue football stadium.
Pattaya School No. 1 won the
top prize for most beautiful candle in the Jul 31 parade down Beach Road.
“All 13 communities from Nongprue are determined to
preserve this important tradition of Buddhist Lent by making candles and
presenting gifts, suitable for alms, to various temples to set an example
and instill awareness for our children and grandchildren to have faith in
continuing Buddhist traditions, a important institution of Thailand,” Anek
said.
In Naklua, Mayor Itthiphol Kunplome led Deputy Mayor
Wattana Chantanawaranon, Education Office bureaucrats, teachers and students
from Pattaya School No. 3 in an Aug. 1 Buddhist Lent candle parade, led by
Thappraya 2301 volunteer squad cars, for Sawangfa Phritharam Temple.
Student dancers outfitted in traditional dresses
performed classical moves and the marching band played Mahoreee Samchaa as
the procession made its way to the Sawangfa sermon hall.
Teachers and students of Wat
Suthawat School march in the candle parade to present it to the abbot of Wat
Suthawat.
Teacher Thawee Kraithaisong presented candles and cash to
Abbot Phiphat Jariyathum. The mayor and council members also gave candles,
incense and flowers to monks and poured holy water.
In Sattahip, Mayor Phawat Lertmukda led former mayor
Narong Boonbanjerdsri, members of Sattahip’s cultural council, along with
city officials, schools and the general public in a Buddhist Lent candle
parade around Sattahip market to Wat Sattahip.
Lert Punya School won the annual best candle contest with
one carved depicting the King of Nagas.
Finally, on August 3 at Nong Nooch Tropical Gardens,
Sattahip Mayor Phawat Lertmukda along with Najomtien PAO Head Sornchai
Thongyangyuen and Nong Nooch Tropical Gardens director Kampol Tansajja, led
the annual candle parade around the tropical gardens.
This year’s theme was “Isaan Arts heritage, Buddhism
heritage, Buddhist Lent” and featured a 2-meter tall candle with carvings of
2 beautiful swans, with 2 beautiful girls dressed in traditional Thai
clothes sitting next to the candle.
The candle was followed by performers adorned in Isaan
clothes performing Nang Thue Ton Thien (girl carrying candle),
Nang Fon Nareesri Isaan (girl dancing to Isaan folk music), Nang Thue
Khan Maak Peng (girl holding traditional green bouquet of flowers) and
Salieng Bai Sri reflecting Thai traditions, followed by 14 elephants.
Women dressed in Thai
traditional costumes performing ancient Thai dances are another tradition of
the candle parade that has been preserved.
Arunothai students perform
ancient Thai classical dance in the parade to Wat Nong Or.
Elephants and a giant candle
are centerpieces at the Nong Nooch Tropical Gardens parade.
Lert Punya School in Sattahip
won the annual best candle contest with one carved depicting the King of
Nagas.
