MAKHA POOJA FESTIVAL IN THAILAND
On an invitation by the Tourist Authority of Thailand, six journalists representing print and electronic media in Sri Lanka visited Thailand especially to cover the Nakhon Si Thammarat's International Makha Pooja Festival - a cloth wrapping ceremony around the Dagaba called Phra Borommathart.
Nakhon Si Thammarat is a city in Southern Thailand and has been regarded as a land of variety and holiness where historical Dagaba resembling a heart centre of Buddhists. Thai people believe, it is a Route of Happiness to experience the power of faith and to touch happiness. The name of Nakhon Sri Thammarat has come from the Pali name Nagara Sri Dhammaraja. We arrived at Nakhon Si Thammarat domestic airport from the Don Muang International airport on February 24 to view the Makha Pooja Festival which was held on Nawam Full moon day. Even once in a life time of a Buddhist that have any opportunity to pay worship to Phra Thart Dagaba would be great auspiciousness to life as it is regarded as being close to the Buddha that there is a saying that all single sand on that land had been stepped on by pilgrims till the Buddhists believed to be able to pay worship to Phra Thart Dagaba even only once in a life time within an intention to abstain all sin and to concentrate on doing goodness.
The unique culture of Nakhon Si Thammarat signifies its spirit and life that origin itself to be as a development centre of Buddhism destination to become a Buddhist pilgrim destination at Phra Thart Dagaba where is of good relationship with other coutries around Indian Ocean and Bay of Bengal at similar level with the three world class pilgrim destinations that are holy places of Buddhism in India, Anuradhapura and
Nakhon Si Thammarat is a city in Southern Thailand and has been regarded as a land of variety and holiness where historical Dagaba resembling a heart center of Buddhists.
Polonnaruwa of Sri Lanka, and Shwedagan Pagoda of Myanmar. With the power of faith and the belief in Buddhism as well as its famous culture of procession of cloth to wrap the Dagaba which has been inherited since 800 years ago that has been performed in accordance with the Buddha's instructions and it became a Buddhist tourism and cultural tourism that led to proper development from tradition to learning tourism and it would produce the pride in Thai unique culture.
It is witnessed that the people of Nakhon Si Thammarat grow up under the shade of arts mixed with cultural events parading towards the sacred area. It is the day to appreciate the divine grace and goodness of the Lord Buddha, so the people altogether draw the image and history of Lord Buddha on a strip white cloth which is called "Phra Bata Cloth" as well as long yellow and red cloth to cover around the Dagaba on full moon day of the third Thai Lunar month annually. The devotees from each district of the Nakhon Si Thammarat province and Buddhist delegations from Myanmar, Japan, Vietnam, Laos, Sri Lanka, Cambodia and Nepal were seen participating in the long parade on the city streets. Participants were seen carrying lengthy clothes and demonstrating the history of Buddha.
Nakhon Si Thammarat is where the statues of Prince Dantha and Princes Hemamala located who brought the Tooth Relic of Buddha to Sri Lanka. The statue of the prince is in front while the statue of the princes is at the back of the building.