Temple Festival

The Temple festival have been part and parcel of Thai society throughout the ages. It is an annual festive Buddhist merit making ceremony hosted by community temples. Or, to be more precise, it is a merit making ceremony determined by each temple’s own auspicious time table. Ceremonies include gilding the footprint of Buddha, burying gilded sacred marker spheres to consecrate the temple, paying respect to the sacred relics, gilding the sacred venerable monk, and celebrating of the sanctuary, to name just a few. The Temple festival are normally held out in the open air. It is a cold season event that can be held any time from the early part of cold season to the end of hot season, just before the rainy season starts up. Traditionally it has been a merit making ceremony accompanied by entertainment for people of all ages. There are venders, talent shows, plays, carnival rides, open air theaters and rare side shows. Even though, today, the form of these temple festivals has changed somewhat it still maintains its unique charm that lures people of all ages to come and experience its classic atmosphere.