Makha Bucha Day - Wed 4 March

Makha Bucha Day is a special day when the Buddhist Temple is visited by people to pay respect.

"The Buddhist holiday of Sangha Day is called Makha Bucha Day in Thailand. It is observed in Thailand on the full moon of the third lunar month, which is usually the end of February or early March. In most other parts of Asia, Buddhist observe Sangha Day about a month later.

Sangha Day commemorates a day when 1,250 monks, all from different places and on their on initiative, spontaneously came to pay homage to the historical Buddha.

In Pali, Makha is the name of the third lunar month, and Bucha means "to venerate." On this day, Thai Buddhists gather at sunset in their local temples to participate in candlelight processions called Wian Tian. Ceremonies express appreciation for the order of monks founded by the Buddha and for the Three Jewels -- the Buddha, the Dharma, the Sangha."

This text is from About.com - Buddhism.

It is on a different year every year because it is governed by the phases of the moon - this 2012.

We visited Wat Vichit Sangkaram. We visited the temple early in the evening at approximately 8pm and it was already very busy - no space to park a car!

We walked up the steps with the fabulous staircase of a dragon with a number of heads.

We each purchased a collection of flowers, joss stick and candle.

On reaching the Wat it was clear that we were not early! The monks were already in the ceremony and everybody who could not fit in was standing outside. Every so often the group outside would recite some of the words spoken by the monk - there were so many people that the monk inside had a microphone and there were speakers set up outside.

 

After the initial words were shared the monks came out and then proceeded to walk around the Wat three time whilst holding candles (managing to keep them alight - think I might have a plastic cover next time).

Everybody else followed them and recited what was said inside - photographs are from the iPhone backwards. I am under the impression that the walking is to pay respects to the Wat.

Lovely - felt a little relieved...