International Makha Puja Hae Pha Khuen That Festival
Nida Tunsuttiwong
Located within the temple grounds of Wat Phra Mahathat Woramahawihan is Phra Borommathat Chedi, a very important pagoda that houses tooth relics of the Lord Buddha. Due to its religious significance, many lay followers flock to the temple, which is located in the southern province of Nakhon Si Thammarat, in order to pay homage.
Local inhabitants have been holding an annual Hae Pha Khuen That ('taking cloth to the pagoda') festival for over 800 years. This takes place on Makha Puja Day, an important religious festival that falls on the full moon of the third lunar month (February 18, 2011), which is celebrated by Buddhists in Thailand, Cambodia and Lao PDR. Participants believe that their involvement will take them a step closer to the Lord Buddha.
Four Auspicious Events
Makha Puja Day is considered to be an important event among all Buddhists, since it marks four auspicious events, which are said to have taken place nine months after the Lord Buddha's enlightenment, namely:
- That 1,250 Sangha followers made an unscheduled visit to see the Lord Buddha on that evening
- That all of them were Arhantas ('Englightened Ones'), who had personally been ordained by the Lord Buddha
- That the Lord Buddha taught the Arhantas the ovadhapatmokha ('principles' of Buddhism) – to cease from all evil, do what is good and cleanse one's mind, and;
- That it was the night of a full moon (during the third lunar month).
Venerated Guests
To celebrate the 84th birthday anniversary of His Majesty King Bhumibol Adulyadej (December 5, 2010), Nakhon Si Thammarat's provincial administration in tandem with the Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) and several other organizations invited several highly revered monks from Bangladesh, Cambodia, India, Lao PDR, Myanmar, Nepal, Sri Lanka and Vietnam to participate in the International Makha Puja Hae Pha Khuen That Festival.
On February 17, a party of local and foreign monks, along with high-ranking officials and local people, gathered at Si Thammasokarat Park to participate in a ritual blessing of the Phraboth cloth (for details regarding the importance of the cloth, please see the box below), which, once the ceremony is over, is then offered at the pagoda. One section of the park hosts an exhibition dedicated to the story of the Phraboth cloth and the display area includes several examples of the cloth brought from several countries within Asia, along with some that was produced locally.
The Legend of The Phraboth Cloth
Bunchar Pongpanich, an academic who is an expert on Nakhon Si Thammarat's history and traditions, says that the first Phraboth cloth was produced during the lifetime of the Lord Buddha. The Lord Buddha personally allowed his followers to paint his image on a length of cloth, according to Bunchart. After the ceremony, the Phraboth cloth is used as an object of devotion and as a visual aid to illustrate the Buddha's teachings.
The Phraboth cloth is generally a rectangular piece of cloth that comes in various sizes and is usually decorated (using paint) to depict stories relating to the Lord Buddha. While there are many kinds of Phraboth cloth, the most common ones found in Nakhon Si Thammarat are the 'long' Phraboth (in white, yellow or red), which do not feature any painted embellishments, along with 'regular' Phraboth, which feature paintings and are designed to be used as wall hangings. This latter form is also popular in China, Japan and Korea. Many Buddhists will be familiar with Bhavacakra (popularly referred to as the 'Wheel of Life'), which are a common sight at Tibetan and Nepalese temples.
Bunchart says the Phraboth cloth tradition began in Nakhon Si Thammarat about 800 years ago when a group of lay followers were taking a Phraboth cloth from Hamsawady (now Pegu in Myanmar) by sea to Sri Lanka. When the ship capsized on the way, so legend has it, those aboard were washed ashore at the port of Pak Phanang, a district of the province. King Sri Thamma Sokaraj, who ruled the provincial kingdom during that period, took the cloth to Wat Phra Mahathat and wrapped it around the pagoda and the tradition has continued ever since.
During the evening, members of the public enjoyed several impressive displays, featuring performers from China, India, Japan and Sri Lanka, as well as a kinaree si pak ('kinaree from the four regions') performance by a Thai troupe. Kinaree is a mythical creature, which is half-human, half-bird. There was also an impressive mini light-and-sound performance called Si Thamma Sokaraj, which recounted the history of the province and the Hae Pha Khuen That ceremony.
On Makha Puja Day, members of the public gathered at Sanam Nar Muaeng, a multipurpose ground near to the local TAT office, before setting off along Ratchadamnoen Road in the direction of Wat Phra Mahathat That. Originally, only elderly folk would take part in the two-kilometer procession, but these days people of all ages take part in the joyous event, which involves taking the Phraboth cloth to the temple.
On arrival at the temple, lay followers walk in a clockwise direction around the pagoda to pay homage to the Lord Buddha's tooth relics stored inside, before wrapping the cloth around the pagoda. Since more and more people are taking part in the ceremony these days, the length of the cloth used has increased accordingly. Any cloth that is spare is wrapped around some of the 158 smaller pagodas surrounding the main pagoda. Once the ceremony comes to an end, the cloth is donated to other temples within the province.
For further information on the Phraboth cloth ceremony, contact the Nakhon Si Thammarat office of the Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) on Tel: +66 (0)75 346 6515.
Transport Connections:
Air: Thai Air Asia and Nok Air offer regular scheduled daily flights between Bangkok and Nakhon Si Thammarat. The journey to Nakhon Si Thammarat takes approximately one hour by air. For further information on flights, visit the official websites of these two carriers at http://www.airasia.com and http://www.nokair.com.
Car: From Bangkok take highway 4 (Phetkasem Road) in the direction of Hua Hin (in Prachuap Khiri Khan province). Switch over to Highway 41 when the opportunity arises, which will take you right through to Surat Thani province's Phun Phin district. When you arrive there, take Highway 401, which will take you to Nakhon Si Thammarat. Nakhon Si Thammarat is 780 kilometers south of Bangkok.
Credit: TAN Network (www.tannetwork.tv)
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