History of Loy Krathong Festival
Loy Krathong Festival originated from an old Brahmin festival that paid respects to the water spirits. Thai people float krathongs to give thanks to the water goddess for the fortune of having water while others will ask for forgiveness for using too much or contaminating it.
Loy Krathong originated in the ancient Sukhothai Kingdom, over 800 years ago. The King, Ramkamhang, was a devout Buddhist and believed that at the end of the Thai year his people should pay tribute to the water goddess, Phra Mae Khong Ka, for all they had been given. So he chose a night with a full moon after the monsoons, meaning the rivers and canals would be at their fullest, to worship.
A popular legend says that one of the King's consorts, Nang Noppamas, was the one who created the first Krathong. Noppamas was the daughter of a Brahmin priest and adapted an existing Brahmin tradition to make the float from banana leaves. The king was impressed and he proclaimed that every year on ...
Wat Phra Dhammakaya is a prominent Buddhist temple in Thailand, known for its modern approach to Theravada Buddhism, large-scale meditation practices, and distinctive organizational structure. Located in Khlong Luang District, Pathum Thani Province, just north of Bangkok, it is one of the largest temples in Thailand and has garnered both significant following and controversy.
• Founding (1970): Wat Phra Dhammakaya was established on February 20, 1970, by Luang Por Dhammajayo (Phrathepyanmahamuni) and his teacher, Chandra Khonnokyoong (known as Khun Yay Maha Ratana Upasika Chandra), a devoted lay Buddhist practitioner. The temple was founded on a 78-acre plot of donated land with the aim of reviving traditional Buddhist meditation practices, particularly the Dhammakaya meditation technique, which emphasizes visualization and inner light to achieve spiritual purification.
• Growth (1980s–1990s): The temple grew rapidly, attracting a large following due to its structured meditation programs, modern ...
Ang Thong province is one of the central provinces of Thailand. It is about 100 km from Bangkok, so you can take a day trip here from the capital. This province has a lot of tourist attractions, historical and cultural places.
There are more than 200 beautiful temples in this province, Wat Chaiyo Worawihan, Wat Khun Inthapramun, Wat Pa Mok Worawihan, Wat Tonson, Wat Mahanam, Wat Thasutthawat, Wat Siroi, Wat Khian and, Wat Muang are among the best temples to visit.
The province is mostly rural with many of its inhabitants planting rice. It is possible to get up to 3 rice harvests a year with Jasmine rice being the main cash crop. This area misses most of the tourists so if you want to experience Thailand away from the crowds this is the place to come.
Wat Khian is a historic temple. It’s very small with one monk being in residence. The highlight is the Ayutthaya era murals that are painted on the inside of the ordination hall. In order to view them you need to have it opened during ...
Wat Chaiyo or Wat Ket Chaiyo was built during the Ayutthaya Period. It became important during the reign of King Rama IV. The venerable Somdet Phra Phutthachan (To Phromrangsi) of Wat Rakhang Khositaram built the large Buddha image in a subduing Mara gesture and placed it outdoors. However, the image collapsed soon after construction. He re-built it in the same pose but smaller, covered it in plaster and without gold leaf. As the image could be seen from far, the villagers called it Luangpho To (meaning huge image). Further temple restoration during the reign of King Rama V the Buddha image collapsed again. The King ordered the renovation of the image with steel bars inside. The new image was covered in gold leaf and monks’ robes and was given the new name by King Rama V the Great “Phra Maha Phutthaphim”. A new main chapel was constructed to house the image. Upon completion, King Rama V the Great established the temple as one of the royal temples.
To pay respect to Luangpho To, ...
