This year, the ceremony will take place for the 33rd time and will start at 6.30am with a common gathering of 99 monks at the Wat Tilok Aram pier at Pyahao Lake. The 500-old temple was submerged under water in 1939 when the artificial Phayao Lake was created. Now each year to perform the ceremony of candlelight procession a special floating platform is set right above the submerged wat. 50 boats with lit candles will depart towards the illuminated floating platform after 5.30pm.
Vesak Day, locally known as Visakha Bucha in Thailand, is celebrated throughout the country with many temples organizing wian thian, or candlelight processions. Monks with lit candles, joss sticks and flower garlands in thier hands circumambulate the main building of the temple, phra ubosoth, for three times moving in a clockwise direction, one time for each of the Three Jewels of Buddhism; Lord Buddha, Buddhist Teaching and Sangkha. Other famous candlelight processions in Thailand in the one organized in Ubon Ratchathani.
Phayao's Unique Candlelight Procession of Water Is Scheduled for May, 29
News in Asia
Phayao, Thailand will mark Vesak Day which falls on May, 29 this year with its annual candlelight procession which differs from similar processions around the country in that it is held on water.