BANGKOK SONGKRAN
TRADITION
The Thai New Year (Songkran) is celebrated every year from April 13 to April 15. It coincides with the New Year of many calendars of South and Southeast Asia.
The most obvious celebration of Songkran is the throwing of water. People roam the streets with containers of water or water guns, or post themselves at the side of roads with a garden hose and drench each other and passersby. This, however, was not always the main activity of this festival. Songkran was traditionally a time to visit and pay respects to elders, including family members, friends and neighbors.
Besides the throwing of water, people celebrating Songkran may also go to a wat (Buddhist monastery) to pray and give alms to monks. They may also cleanse Buddha images from household shrines as well as Buddha images at monasteries by gently pouring water mixed with a Thai fragrance over them. It is believed that doing this will bring good luck and prosperity for the New Year. In many cities, such as Chiang Mai, the Buddha images from all of the city’s important monasteries are paraded through the streets so that people can toss water at them, ritually ‘bathing’ the images, as they pass by on ornately decorated floats. In northern Thailand, people may carry handfuls of sand to their neighborhood monastery in order to recompense the dirt that they have carried away on their feet during the rest of the year. The sand is then sculpted into stupa-shaped piles and decorated with colorful flags.
The water is meant as a symbol of washing all of the bad away and is sometimes filled with fragrant herbs.
Songkran is also celebrated in many places with a pageant in which young women demonstrate their beauty and unique talents, as judged by the audience. The level of financial support usually determines the winner, since, to show your support you must purchase necklaces which you place on your chosen girl.
SHOOTING
Once again, it is my serious wish to have some shots of water splashing during this auspicious season. Bangkok nowadays is under STATE OF EMERGENCY. All of my friends asked me to stick my ass in my room. But then, I couldn’t. Today, I went AIT (Asian Institute of Technology) at Prathum Thani. One of my friends told me that there is a water splashing event there. My friends, Myo Kyaw Htun and Myo Min Win, were my accompanies. There was a host at AIT called Kyi Cin Shwe. We arrived there around noon. People already started playing water. I had lots of shots and so does Myo Kyaw Htun. I saw some nice shots on his camera so sharing some of his shots here also.
Special Credits: My friends, Myo Kyaw Htun, Myo Min Win and Little Kyi Cin Shwe.
During Songkran, everyone young and old fervantly flash water with a great happiness…
Bwan… That’s how people throw water…
Giant fire fighter pipes are efficiently utilized at AIT…
I have never known there are heaps of Burmese students at AIT…
This little guy was so happy splashing water around… I really miss my childhood days…
They way people splash water in Songkran is exactly the same as Burmese’s Thingyan… The only difference is that they used powder…
A group of Burmese friends at AIT Songkran Event
Water wash away their SIN… that’s the renown belief of Songkran…
He seems too energetic playing with this giant pipe…
MYO KYAW HTUN likes this picture so much… Taken with his NIKON D-80 and NIKKOR 18-135mm…
Participants at AIT Songkran, Bangkok, Thailand…
WOW… that’s sooo cool… then u had a chance to play with water even u r not in ygn… geez… really envy ya… btw, what else they do for celebrating new yr??? do they treat some snacks like we do??? hee hee… u know i’m curious about my most favourite thing… ;P