Thousands of Buddhists Meditate for Full Moon Festival at Thai Temple
- 7 years ago
Thousands of Buddhist monks and devotees participated in a breathtaking lantern-lit ceremony at the Wat Phra Dhammakaya temple in Pathum Thani province, north of Bangkok on Saturday, to mark Makha Bucha Day, a special holiday celebrated on the full moon of the third lunar month of the calendar. Participants sat in prepared positions and meditated according to instructions given by the head priest via microphone.
Makha Bucha Day, also known as Lord Buddha Day, is a public holiday observed in Thailand, Cambodia, Laos, and Sri Lanka. It is an important religious festival held in honour of the Buddha and comes from a special story in Buddhist history. The legend goes that 1,250 monks enlightened monks came to see the Buddha on the day of the full moon without being summoned so that they could be ordained by the Buddha himself.
Each temple in Thailand holds a candlelight procession called a wian thian. Monks and congregation members circle three times around the ordination hall clockwise holding flowers, incense and a lighted candle.
Makha Bucha Day, also known as Lord Buddha Day, is a public holiday observed in Thailand, Cambodia, Laos, and Sri Lanka. It is an important religious festival held in honour of the Buddha and comes from a special story in Buddhist history. The legend goes that 1,250 monks enlightened monks came to see the Buddha on the day of the full moon without being summoned so that they could be ordained by the Buddha himself.
Each temple in Thailand holds a candlelight procession called a wian thian. Monks and congregation members circle three times around the ordination hall clockwise holding flowers, incense and a lighted candle.