The annual Rab Bua or Lotus Festival in Samut Prakan’s Bang Phli district marks the end of Buddhist Lent and has locals tossing lotuses onto a passing boat carrying a replica statue of the Luang Phor To Buddha. Photos by Somchai Poomlard.

PHOTOS

22 OCT 2010

Lotus Festival

The annual Rab Bua or Lotus Festival in Samut Prakan’s Bang Phli district marks the end of Buddhist Lent and has locals tossing lotuses onto a passing boat carrying a replica statue of the Luang Phor To Buddha. Photos by Somchai Poomlard.

 
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Lotus Festival
The Lotus Festival is an annual ceremony held in Bang Phli district, Samut Prakan for over a century. Local villagers offers lotus flowers by throwing them into barges holding a statue of Luang Por To Buddha. These flowers will be recollected and used as offerings to monks.
Lotus Festival
The event also marks the end of Buddhist Lent however it is more than religion ceremony. Tourists and villagers from nearby rush watch the parade of fancy boats.
Lotus Festival
The main highlight is the annual Barge Decoration Contest. A total of fifteen villages in the district decorate their boats for the competition. The boats are judged on three categories: beauty, creativity and humour.
Lotus Festival
On the day of the event lotus flowers, major plant in the district, can be sold for far more than usual.
Lotus Festival
The real highlight is the throwing of the lotus flowers and "Kao Tom Mat" or sweet sticky rice bundles into the main barge that carries a replica of Luang Por To Buddha.
Lotus Festival
The origins of this ceremony are believed to be related to the local Mon who used to flock to the area for labour work.
Lotus Festival
According to local history, migrating Mons would return to their villages on other side of the Chao Phraya River once a year. They would ask the local villagers to store lotus plants for them and would come back to collect them at the end of Buddhist Lent.