Bathing Ceremony during Songkran (Siam Society Article)
cr. Kapook
One of the most famous activities of Songkran, or Thai New Year Festival, is the bathing of Buddha images. Water symbolizes purity and is a much-beloved cooling agent in the heat of the Thai summer. The ritual of bathing Buddha images with scented water is a symbolic act of reverence and cleansing, and is believed to generate good karma for the participants. Ritual bathing can also be performed on revered monks and elders that one respects. The ritual is emblematic of the gentle nature of the Thai people, as well as our spiritual beliefs.
We present to you the story of “bathing ceremony” during the Songkran celebration through this 1954 article by Phraya Anuman Rajadhon, one of Thailand’s most respected cultural scholars.
Author: Phya Anuman Rajathon
* This article was published in the Journal of Siam Society and is being shared on the Thailand Foundation Website with permission from The Siam Society.
