Thai New Year (Songkran)

Songkran Day (Thai New Year) Song-kran originated in Sanskrit as “pass or moving forward”. This meaning has an astrological definition of the Sun moving from one zodiac sign to another. When movement changes from Pisces to Aries, it is called Maha Song-kran. Song-kran period generally are on the 13th, 14th, and 15th of April each year. It is normal practice for people within the South East Asian subcontinent, in the scorching summer heat to gently drizzle/ splash water on each other to help relieve the heat of the weather and such actions have continued as a tradition until this day.

In Thailand, it is also known as the "Water Festival" as people believe that water will wash away bad luck. The Songkran tradition is recognized as a valuable custom for the Thai community, its society and religion. The value that it provides for family is that it gives opportunity for family members to gather in order to express their respects to the elders by pouring scented water onto the hands of their parents and grandparents and presenting them with gifts including making merits so that the result can be dedicated to their ancestors. The elders in return bless the youngsters with good luck and prosperity.

The values for community is that it provides the opportunity to create and strengthen unity and ties within the community such as to jointly acquire merits, to meet and interact with each other and enjoy the entertainments put on show especially for the events.

For value that it presents to society is that it creates concern for the environment and encourages cooperation between social groups, as they get together to clean their houses, temples, public places and official buildings.

In terms of religion, the value is presented in terms of acquiring “Merits”, offering alms to monks, practicing meditation, listening to sermons and monks-bathing.

In the afternoon, after performing a bathing rite for Buddha images and the monks, the celebrants both young and old, joyfully splash water on each other. The most-talked about celebration takes place in the northern province of Thailand, Chiang Mai where Songkran is celebrated from April 13 to 15. During this period, people from all parts of the country flock there to enjoy the water festival, to watch the Miss Songkran Contest and the beautiful parades.

Story of Songkran Day

Once upon a time, in a palace called Brahmanic, there lived a Brahma, who had seven daughters. He was extremely wise, beyond all others. At that time on earth, there was one young man named Dhammabala. He was a talented multilinguist, and his talent extended to even being able to communicate with animals. The Brahama has heard of this young man’s abilities and wanted to meet him so that he could put forward a question of “where can a man find luck in the morning, in the afternoon and in the evening”. Brahma had challenged Dhammabala and given him only 7 days to find an answer to his question. The wager was set on their own heads. If Dhammanala would fail, then his head would be sacrafised, and vise versa, if Dhammanala succeeds, then Brahama would be the one facing a sacrificial end.

Day seven had come, but Dhammabala was still unable to find an answer to the question and thought that he would surely be sacrafised. Through despair, he lay under the banyan tree just waiting for death. In the meantime, he overhears a couple of eagle having the conversation. The wife eagle asks her husband where they were going to go to hunt for food the next day, in which the husband replied that there was no need for them to go anywhere the next day because they have all the food that they will need, right here. “How come?, the eagle wife asked, “We are going to have Dhammabala's flesh when he dies” the husband replied. “How do you know?”, the wife asked again, in which the husband replied “because Dhammabala does not have an answer to the Brahma's question”. “And what question is that?” she asked. So the husband eagle tells his wife, whereby she then asked her husband whether he knew the answer. The husband eagle said “yes; in the morning, human luck can be found on their face, so he washes his face first thing, In the afternoon, the luck is found on the chest and that is why it is the time where they will choose to wash themselves. In the evening, their luck is found on their feet, and that is why he washes his feet before retireing to bed every night.

After hearing the answers detailed by the eagle, Dhammabala was able to answer Brahama’s question and managed to save his own life. The Brahma on the other hand, kept his word and sacrafised his own life by cutting off his head.

Due to his mystical powers, if his head were to be placed in the sea, the sea will dry. If placed in the air, then there would be no rain and if it was left on the earth, the earth will burn. So his daughters perform a procession by carrying their father's head, according to this belief, they took turns to carry the head for one day each, during 13-14-15 of April every year.

The Buddhapadipa Temple, The Lay Buddhist Association and The Young Buddhist of the United Kingdom have great pleasure in announcing that celebration for Thai New Year (Songkran Festival) will be held at The Buddhapadipa Temple, 14 Calonne Road, Wimbledon, London SW19 5HJ.

Programme

09.00	Gathering in the basement of the main temple or Ubosatha Hall
10.00	Lighting candles and incense by the chairman followed by taking the five precepts and a Sermon
10.45	Chanting Jayamangalagatha by Venerable monks and alms-offering (Takbat) for Venerable monks
11.00	Lunch for Venerable monks
12.00	Lunch for Lay people
01.00	Chanting and transfering merit to those ancestors who departed
01.30	Traditional Thai food and groceries on sale. Exhibition of Thai Classical dance and Miss Songkran contest

A tray of non-perishable food for alms giving or Takbat is purchased in the basement of the main temple. All proceeds go to the Temple Fund. All are cordially welcome. Please bring your friends a long. If you are unable to attend it but wishing to make a donation, please make a cheque payable to THE BUDDHAPADIPA TEMPLE.
The Buddhapadipa Temple
Lay Buddhist Association
and The Young Buddhist of the United Kingdom

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