Visakha Puja in Thailand

Visakha Puja is a national holiday and one of the most sacred days in Buddhism.Visakha Puja is one of the most significant religious holidays, celebrated on the 15th day of the 6th lunar month. The celebration is held in honor of the birth, enlightenment and death of the Buddha.

Thailand is a Buddhist country, and His Majesty the King is the guarantor of all religions, so this day is widely celebrated throughout the country. There are religious flags everywhere.

Religious ceremonies are held throughout the country to honor religious shrines. In the countryside, people get up early in the morning to prepare food and sweets for the monks, and at dawn head to a nearby temple, where they spend most of the day taking part in religious rituals.

The main events unfold around the temples. Here people listen to sermons throughout the day, and by evening they take part in a candle procession, during which they walk around the main temple chapel three times. During the procession, everyone holds flowers, three incense sticks and a lit candle, which symbolizes the three shrines (the Buddha, his Teachings and his followers).

In honor of this holiday, in the province of Nakhon Patom, in the temple of Putta Monton, where the statue of the Walking Buddha is installed, the main religious ceremony is held. The candle procession is usually led by a member of the royal family. Buddhists from nearby and other provinces also take part in the procession, with some listening to sermons or even meditating.