Nakhon Province Boat Procession Festival

The tradition of pulling the Buddha image is a tradition that has been practiced by both Brahmins and Buddhists. It is assumed that this tradition first originated in India, where people liked to take the idols out for processions on various occasions. Later, Buddhists adapted this belief to be in line with Buddhist beliefs. The tradition of pulling the Buddha image is told in the form of a Buddhist legend that after the Lord Buddha performed the twin miracle to defeat the heretics at the mango grove in the city of Savatthi, he went to reside in the Davadungsa heaven to help his mother, who at that time was reincarnated as Mahamaya Deva, residing in the Dusit heaven throughout the rainy season. The Lord Buddha announced the kindness of his mother to the assembly of gods and preached the Abhidhamma to his mother in 7 scriptures until Mahamaya Deva and the gods in the assembly of gods all attained Sotapanna. On the 15th day of the waxing moon of the 11th month, which was the last day of the rainy season, the Lord Buddha returned to the human world via a divine staircase that Indra had dreamed of. This staircase stretched from Mount Sinenurat, where heaven is located. The Dusit level to the gate of the city of Sankassa consists of a golden staircase, a silver staircase and a glass staircase. The golden staircase is for the gods to send off the Lord Buddha on the right side. The silver staircase is for the Brahmas to send off the Lord Buddha on the left side. And the glass staircase for the Lord Buddha is in the middle. When the Lord Buddha arrived at the gate of the city of Sankassa in the early morning of the 1st waning moon of the 11th month, which is the end of the Buddhist Lent, Buddhists who knew the schedule of the Lord Buddha's return from Phra Moggallana came to wait to welcome him in great numbers and prepared food to offer. But because there were so many Buddhists waiting to welcome him, it was not possible to offer food to everyone. Therefore, it was necessary to wrap the food in leaves and pass it to offer. For those who were far away, passing it on was not fast enough, so they used the method of wrapping the food in leaves, throwing it, or throwing it to offer, which caused chaos. This is considered an offering with pure intention through the power of prayer and the miracles of the Lord Buddha. All of those foods ended up in the Buddha's alms bowl. This is why the tradition of "Hor Tom" and "Hor Pat" arose to express the joy of the Buddha's return from the Tavatimsa heaven. Buddhists invited the Buddha to sit on a prepared pavilion and then paraded to the Buddha's residence. When the Buddha's time had passed and there was a Buddha statue, Buddhists carried the Buddha statue to parade and assumed the Buddha's place. #Nakhon Si Thammarat #secret location #thailand