Anyone who has stayed for a longer visit for more than a few weeks, and outside the big cities, will be at least aware that there are festivals going on throughout the year across the whole of the country but these become more noticeable in the small villages where just about the entire population takes part. One of the many festivals is known as Boon Katin, which can take part anywhere between the middle of October and the middle to end of November, at the local temples discretion. The main feature, as far as the majority of local Thai's are concerned, is the opportunity to make merit with Buddha, so a reasonably elaborate ceremony of sorts takes place.
This year we made our way to Wat Don Wararam, some 80km from Udon Thani, to the east of Nong Khai near the border with Laos. We went to this particular temple as the head monk is well known to the family and is looked upon in high regard, indeed it was this particular monk that visited us to perform our wedding ceremony 5 years ago.
This year we made our way to Wat Don Wararam, some 80km from Udon Thani, to the east of Nong Khai near the border with Laos. We went to this particular temple as the head monk is well known to the family and is looked upon in high regard, indeed it was this particular monk that visited us to perform our wedding ceremony 5 years ago.
Keeping it simple, the day starts of with the local people bringing food, drinks and other gifts for the good spirits that reside in the temple grounds which are laid out on table at the centre of the main ceremony area. A group of monks are in attendance to provide good luck chants and blessings and the whole thing is chaotic as hundreds of people clamor to get close to where the "action" is.
This part of the ceremony consists of the people sitting or squatting down to listen to the chants then lighting up a huge number of joss sticks to place in the food and drinks that are laid out for the spirits. It does not pay to stand down-wind of this as it can burn the eyes, so I discovered to my cost as I was trying to get a good vantage point to take some photographs. Once this stage is completed, everyone heads back down the steps from the main temple to the complex entrance. From here, a short time later, a parade begins where people now circle the temple complex three times, carrying money trees. The money, as with the food, is donated by the local population and those in attendance. This is perhaps the most important part of the ceremony and just about everyone completes the three circuits including a hoard of children. At the beginning I did wonder why so many children took part but the answer became quite obvious at the parade headed back to the entrance gate the first time round when some of the older women started throwing sweets and coins in the air for the young children to grab.
While the parade was in full swing my favourite part of the morning was about to start with a small group of girls in traditional Thai style clothing were ready to perform some traditional Thai dancing. I cannot resist taking pictures of these girls as I just love everything about what they do. A little later, once the parade was coming to an end, the girls took to a make-shift stage and continued to entertain for a further 20 minutes or so.
As far as the ceremony was now officially completed and the rest of the time is spent relaxing, eating, socialising and watching whoever was on the stage, singing, dancing or sometimes both. All in all, other than the actual Boon Katin ceremony, it was a fairly typical Issan festival which ultimately becomes a party. We did not hang around much longer as there was little else to keep the whole family amused so we made our way back to Udon Thani but the memory will live on.