Celebrating The New Year In Style At Bangkoks Annual Songkran Festival

Although it's typical to see Thais throwing water on Buddhist monuments during various

festivals in the year, one has to wait till April rolls around to see the locals splash one another on the streets of Bangkok. Despite being heavily overshadowed by its water squirting activities, Songkran is in fact the Thai New Year festival which celebrates the dawn of the coming year while paying tribute to one's elders and family members. The days preceding the three day festivities typically sees a bout of spring cleaning hit the Thai homes, when the old is replaced by the new as the houses get a makeover in preparation for the coming of the new year.

As a major public holiday in the Thai calendar this season also sees many heading to their ancestral homes to celebrate with loved ones and engage in religious activities. Inviting good fortune in to one's life also takes precedence at this auspicious time when meritorious activities such as alms giving and other pious undertakings reach an all time peak. Gifts are also exchanged between family members as elders are also treated with special consideration during the festival. Those who wish to gain merit also visit the nine sacred temples during the festival to bless the year ahead. The Wat Phra Kaeo, Wat Pho and Wat Chana Songkhram see a havey influx of devotees while Wat Suthat Thepphawararam, Wat Arun, Wat Benchamabophit, Wat Boworn, Wat Kanlaya and Wat Rakhang Khositaram temples are also frequented by most Thais.

The official celebration of Songkran sees the 'Buddhasihing' image transported from the National Museum to Sanam Luang on the first day. The statue is sprinkled with water as it makes its journey to Sanam Luang where it will spend the next three days as the public pays their respects to the sacred relic. Other highlights of the festival include building sand stupas on temple grounds decked in flowers while the Miss Songkran Beauty Pageant in Wisutkasat is also worth the time.

Culminating in a water sprinkling melee on the streets of Songkran, Bangkok can be described as a rejuvenating water festival for the young and old. Armed with water guns or hefty buckets, Thais step on to the streets for a national merrymaking event that includes splashing everyone is sight, embodying the celebratory sprit of Songkran.

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by: Pushpitha Wijesinghe

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