Three elephants helped Nong Nooch Tropical Garden celebrate Buddhist Lent by lending their tusks for nine days of candle-making.
Pachyderms Christmas, Thupthim and Plaimuk used their trunks to fill dippers with candle wax during the “Nine Days, Nine Temples, Nine Candles” event July 22-30 at the Najomtien tourist attraction.
Pachyderms Christmas, Thupthim and Plaimuk use their trunks to fill dippers with candle wax during the “Nine Days, Nine Temples, Nine Candles” event July 22-30 at Nong Nooch Tropical Gardens.
Deputy park director Manij Narintharak kicked off Nong Nooch’s celebration of Khao Pansaa with a drum ceremony in the park’s Wiwat restaurant. Kasemkittisophon, abbot of Samakheebanphot Temple, presided.
After the ceremonies, the candles will be presented to temples according to belief that those making merit by offering light, will have bright virtues.
The candle making ceremony originated since Sukhothai era, as, when Buddhist lent arrives, monks need to remain in their temples for three months, forbidden to spend the night elsewhere. The ordained monks would have to attend temples, pray every morning and night, and in the past, there was no light; therefore, monks would have to rely on oil lamps or other forms of light. Thus, Buddhists would make candles for monks to use when they would pray during the three months of ordaining.
In rural areas, the candle making ceremony is conducted with spirit and fun and when candles are made, they are paraded three times around the temple, lit for worship. Some areas would decorate candles and parade the candles around the city. Donating Buddhist lent candles is considered as the highest form of merit making, as candles are considered the light lighting the way to higher intellect and a prosperous life
