AYUTTHAYA SONGKRAN FESTIVAL (Old Capital’s Songkran)
April 13, 2011
Around the island city and ancient moat of Phra Nakhon Si Ayutthaya
Songkran celebrations will be held at various sites around the island city of Phra Nakhon Si Ayutthaya — the ancient capital of Ayutthaya. Songkran or Thai New Year festivities will feature ancient customs and traditions of Songkran that have been observed through the centuries.
Visitors are invited to join local residents in traditional Songkran merit-making activities to seek blessings for the new year and to witness a range of time-honoured Thai traditions and customs, such as paying homage to the elderly.
Other popular Songkran highlights include the Miss Songkran Beauty Contest and the Grand Songkran procession. The ancient city of Ayutthaya is also famous for its elephant corral. Join the elephants and their mahouts for some Songkran water-splashing fun.
Activities
- Buddhist merit-making — the presentation of rice and dry foodstuff to Buddhist monks and temples as merit-making offerings
- Seek blessings from elders in the Rot nam dam hua ceremony in which scented lustral water is presented to elders and individuals held in high esteem in a gesture of respect.
- Miss Songkran beauty contest
- Songkran procession
- Songkran water-splashing with elephants
- Traditional Mon Songkran procession of swan pillars and centipede flags
- Mon-style merit-making
- Ritual bathing of monks at Wat Tong Boh Instead of the lustral water being poured over the hands of the monks, consecrated lustral water is poured over the monks via bamboo pipes.
Contact information:
Tourism Authority of Thailand, Phra Nakhon Si Ayutthaya Office
Tel: +66 (0) 3524 6076-7
Fax: +66 (0) 3524 6078
E-mail: tatyutya@tat.or.th
Credit: Tourism Authority of Thailand (www.tourismthailand.org)
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