September 2010 - Chonburi Travel Guide ท่องเที่ยว ชลบุรี: September 2010

Tuesday, September 28, 2010

Pattaya Vegetarian Festival - งานมหากุศล อิ่มบุญ อิ่มใจ เทศการกินเจ เมืองพัทยา




Parade participants finish their walk at the Sawang Boriboon Thamasathan Foundation in Naklua. (Photo by Ariyawat Nuamsawat)
Pattaya Vegetarian Festival 2010
งานมหากุศล อิ่มบุญ อิ่มใจ เทศการกินเจ เมืองพัทยา 2553


Date : 7th to the 17th of October 2010 | วันที่ 7-17 ตุลาคม 2553
Location : North Pattaya | ณ มูลนิธิสว่างบริบูรณ์ธรรมสถาน นาเกลือ เมืองพัทยา จ.ชลบุรี

Vegetarian Festival is held in the months of late September and early October and is of nine day duration. The Vegetarian Festival in Pattaya is celebration of the Chinese belief that if one abstains from meat and various other stimulants during the ninth month of the lunar calendar one will enjoy good health and bliss. Every year Pattaya City celebrates the 11-day vegetarian season with enormous amounts of special vegetarian food which should be enough for about 5,500 participants and a grand procession carrying two statues of Chinese deities -- Kiew Uang Huk Jo and Kuan-Yin Bodhisattva. The procession will make its way around the city and end at Sawang Boribun Dhamma Sathan.

People who follow this festival stop eating not only meat and other animal products but also onions, celery, garlic and certain spices which are pungent. Besides, they must abstain from sexual intercourse, killing, quarrelling, telling lies and residing in hotels during the previous three weeks.

Pattaya Vegetarian Festival - งานมหากุศล อิ่มบุญ อิ่มใจ เทศการกินเจ เมืองพัทยาPattaya Vegetarian Festival - งานมหากุศล อิ่มบุญ อิ่มใจ เทศการกินเจ เมืองพัทยา
left: The parade stops at Mike Shopping Mall to perform an acrobatic dragon show. (Photo by Vimolrat Singnikorn)
right: Eng-Kor-Pabu troops from the Look Praya group perform after the parade. (Photo by Ariyawat Nuamsawat)

It's unclear how the vegetarian festival originated but it may have come from south-eastern China, near Fujian province. A Chinese group fell ill during their visit here and then decided to follow strict vegetarian diet and also prayed for the purification of body and mind to the Nine Emperor Gods. The festivities take part in six Chinese temples and start with the raising of the Lantem Pole which is an act of notification to the nine Gods that the festival has begun. It is the belief of the people that the Hindu God Lord Shiva presence can be felt at this time.

The most impressive and perhaps shocking part of this event is the ritual procession of devotees performing remarkable acts of asceticism along the route. The most astonishing feats include walking barefoot across hot coals, climbing ladders with rungs made of knives, a ritual of bridge-crossing and a street procession in which the mediums, in a state of trance, have their cheeks pierced and bodies spiked with hooks, skewers and various other sharp objects.

All interested people are welcome (please dress in white).

For more details, contact
* TAT Pattaya office, Tel. 0 3842 7667, 0 3842 8750.
* Pattaya City Call Center 1337 (24hrs.)

Pattaya Vegetarian Festival - งานมหากุศล อิ่มบุญ อิ่มใจ เทศการกินเจ เมืองพัทยาPattaya Vegetarian Festival - งานมหากุศล อิ่มบุญ อิ่มใจ เทศการกินเจ เมืองพัทยา
left: Lions and dragons make their way up Walking Street. (Photo by Vimolrat Singnikorn)
right: Leaders carry the ceremonial incense pot into the holy ground to pay respects to their deity. (Photo by Ariyawat Nuamsawat)
เมืองพัทยาร่วมกับมูลนิธิสว่างบริบูรณ์ธรรมสถาน นาเกลือและการท่องเที่ยวแห่งประเทศไทย เตรียมจัดกิจกรรมมหากุศล อิ่มบุญ อิ่มใจ เทศกาลกินเจเมืองพัทยา ระหว่างวันที่ 7-17 ตุลาคม 2553 นี้ ณ มูลนิธิสว่างบริบูรณ์ธรรมสถาน นาเกลือ เมืองพัทยา จ.ชลบุรี

ในวันที่ 7 ต.ค. เวลา 09.19 น. จะมีพิธีอัญเชิญเทพยดาฟ้าดิน (เซ็งทีตี้) จากนั้นเวลา 12.29 น. เคลื่อนขบวนแห่เทพเจ้า โดยมีคณะมังกรทอง สิงโตทอง เอ็งกอ เข้าร่วมในริ้วขบวนแห่ โดยเคลื่อนขบวนจากท่าเทียบเรือแหลมบาลีฮาย พัทยาใต้ ผ่านวอล์คกิ้งสตรีทถึงทางแยกป้อมตำรวจ แยกริ้วขบวนเป็น 2 สายไปตามเส้นถนนต่างๆ ดังนี้ สาย 1 ตรงไปตามถนนเลียบชายหาดพัทยาใต้ ผ่านสภ.เมืองพัทยา ถึงสามแยกพัทยากลาง เลี้ยวขวาเข้าถนนพัทยา เพื่อไปบรรจบกับขบวนสาย 2 ที่สี่แยกอาลีเมาะ (สี่แยกพัทยากลาง) ผ่านซอยบัวขาว จนถึงสี่แยกสาย 3 ตรงองค์การโทรศัพท์ ทีโอที และขึ้นรถไปลงที่วัดสว่างฟ้า นาเกลือ เพื่อจัดตั้งขบวนแห่เทพเจ้าใหม่

สำหรับสายที่ 2 เมื่อแยกขบวนออกแล้วเลี้ยวขวาเข้าถนนพัทยาใต้ ถึงแยกวัดชัยมงคลเลี้ยวซ้ายเข้าถนนพัทยา สาย 2 ตรงไปถึงไมค์ช๊อปปิ้งมอลล์ เพื่อหยุดพักขบวนให้คณะมังกรสิงโตเอ็งกอแสดงเมื่อการแสดงเสร็จก็จะเคลื่อนขบวนต่อจนถึงสี่แยกพัทยากลางเพื่อไปบรรจบกับขบวนที่ 1 และไปตั้งขบวนใหม่ที่บริเวณชายหาดลานโพธิ์นาเกลือในเวลา 15.00 น. โดยเคลื่อนขบวนใหม่ไปตามถนนสว่างฟ้าผ่านตลาดใหม่ผ่านสามแยกไฟแดงนาเกลือเลี้ยวขวาไปที่สวนสาธารณะลานโพธิ์ ถึงลานโพธิ์ เลี้ยวซ้ายเข้าชายหาดเพื่อทำพิธีอัญเชิญ “กิ้วอ้วงฮุกโจ้ว” และ“พระโพธิสัตว์” มาสถิต ณ โรงเจ

ในเวลาประมาณ 16.00 น. จะมีพิธีเปิดงานอย่างเป็นทางการ ซึ่งในปีนี้จะมีการผัดหยาดทิพย์แปดเซียน กระทะยักษ์ และแจกท้อสวรรค์ 5,000 ลูก ให้กับสาธุชนที่เข้าร่วมงาน เพื่อความเป็นสิริมงคลและสร้างสีสันความน่าสนใจของกิจกรรมอีกด้วยส่วนในภาคค่ำของทุกวันจะมีพิธีสวดมนต์เดินธูปโดยคณะเก็งจู ส่วนในวันสุดท้ายคือวันที่ 17 ต.ค. เวลา 06.19 น. เคลื่อนขบวนออกจากหน้าโรงเจไปยังชายหาดหน้าต้นโพธิ์ นาเกลือ เพื่อทำพิธีส่ง “กิ้วอ้วงฮุกโจ้ว” แล “พระโพธิสัตว์” หลังจากนั้นเดินทางกลับมาที่โรงเจดื่มน้ำมนต์เพื่อความเป็นสิริมงคล และออกเจ เป็นอันเสร็จสิ้นการกินเจเมืองพัทยาประจำปี 2553

ทั้งนี้ ในวันที่ 7 ตุลาคม 53 เวลา 12.00 น. เมืองพัทยาจะดำเนินการปิดการจราจรถนนตลอดแนวเลียบชายพัทยาใต้ถึงแยกท๊อป แยกวัดชัยมงคล ถึงแยกท๊อป ส่วนถนนเส้นพัทยากลาง จะดำเนินการเปิดการจราจรหนึ่งช่องทาง เพื่ออำนวยความสะดวกขบวนแห่เทพเจ้า และในเวลา 15.00 น. เมืองพัทยาจะดำเนินการปิดการจราจร ตลอดแนววัดสว่างฟ้า ผ่านสามแยกไฟแดงนาเกลือ ถึงลานโพธิ์ สอบถามข้อมูลเพิ่มเติมได้ที่ ฝ่ายธุรการมูลนิธิสว่างบูรณ์ หมายเลขโทรศัพท์ 038 – 221 380 , 038 – 222 380 งานประชาสัมพันธ์เมืองพัทยา หมายเลขโทรศัพท์ 038 – 253 131 – 2 หมายเลขโทรศัพท์อัตโนมัติตลอด 24 ชั่วโมง 1337



info credit:
http://www.travelhot.in/Travelhot/TravelExperience/Pattaya/Festivals_Of_Pattaya.shtml
http://www.patrolnews.net/2010/09/มหากุศล-อิ่มบุญ-อิ่มใจ-เ/
all images credit: http://www.pattayamail.com/848/features.shtml

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Pattaya Vegetarian Festival 2010
งานมหากุศล อิ่มบุญ อิ่มใจ เทศการกินเจ เมืองพัทยา 2553

Festivals and Events in Pattaya | Pattaya Travel Guide
Annually, Pattaya City hold the 11-day vegetarian festival featuring large amounts of vegetarian food and a grand procession carrying two statues of Chinese
http://www.pattaya.net/do/festivals.html

Vegetarian Festival
During the Vegetarian Festival, shops selling vegetarian food ... In Pattaya, in previous years, there were the biggest pot and wok of vegetarian pha-lo
http://www.thaiwaysmagazine.com/pattaya/pattaya_festival.html

Pattaya and Naklua prepare for vegetarian festival next month
The city is getting ready for the biggest celebration of vegetarian food ... major religious ceremony and festival for the residents of Pattaya and Naklua,
http://www.pattayapeople.com/default.asp?Folder=16&IdArticle=23949

Monday, September 20, 2010

The Vegetarian Festival, Thailand



The Vegetarian Festival, ThailandThe Vegetarian Festival, ThailandThe Vegetarian Festival, Thailand
left: During the Vegetarian Festival, shops selling vegetarian food are easily recognized by yellow flags.
mid: Along the way the procession passes, the sound of firecrackers almost never stops.
right: Vegetarian food


The Vegetarian Festival, Thailand

The Vegetarian Festival is observed nationwide on a grand scale. The most famous place holding this festival is absolutely Phuket province where the most spectacular event takes place yearly. In other provinces such as Trang, Songkhla (Hat Yai) and Chon Buri (Pattaya), people of the Chinese descendants keep this festivals commonly.

However, the most known part of the festival as is shown through the media is the blood-curdling presentations, such as, piercing the cheeks with a pointed steel rod, walking barefoot on burning charcoal, sprinkling oneself with boiling oil, cutting one's tongue and climbing a ladder with rungs made of sharp blades.

The festival occurs yearly during the period from the 1st to the 9th of the 9th Chinese lunar month, which corresponds to 11-19 October. During this time almost all food shops and restaurants will fly yellow flags signifying that vegetarian food is available there. It is so convenient to have vegetarian meals during this time.

In recent years, the Vegetarian Festival has become more popular and has been increasingly observed by young people. This is so because of the belief that the observers will have better health and the purer mind and gain merits from taking vegetarian foods. This aspect, though being the main purpose of this festival, is less mentioned than the spectacular processions.

There are several interesting perspectives of the festival.


The atmosphere of a morning before the procession of mediums will move through the city.
Origin

The Vegetarian Festival is a religious event originating from China. It was observed in Phuket for the first time in the newly developed mining town of Kathu by a Chinese opera company about 170 years ago.

Kathu was then a thriving town inhabited mostly by Chinese miners. As they were well-to-do and in need of recreation, they hired an opera troupe from China to give performances. Everything went on smoothly and the troupe was able to stay there for several months. Then they were suddenly stricken by an epidemic and the theatre was forced to close down.

The trouble reminded the leading members of the company of the religious rites they had performed in China periodically but that they had neglected to do since arriving in Thailand. They were convinced that they were being punished with the illness for their negligence.

So when the time came for the observance, the whole troupe abstained from eating meat and animal oil and performed religious rites for a period of 9 days and 9 nights, in order to purify their bodies and minds, and to get rid of evil.

Strange to say, all the members of the troupe recovered their health immediately afterwards. This caused great curiosity to the local people. Some of them did the same thing the next year and found it beneficial both physically and mentally. The number of people practising this increased year by year, in Phuket Island and other provinces with numerous Chinese descendants. And now it has become a festival for the whole country highlighting provinces such as Phuket, Trang, Songkhla (Hat Yai county) and Chon Buri (Pattaya) where grand-scale celebrations take place.
The festival has undergone some changes in form and content through decades and has become more and more colourful and fascinating. Details of procedures are different in different provinces. As practised today, the vegetarian festival has the following features:

Name -- The full name of the festival is "Observe the Ten Commandments and Abstain from Meat".

Period -- The festival normally lasts for nine days from the 1st to the 9th of the 9th Chinese lunar month, as mentioned above.

Dress -- All the vegetarians are required to dress in white during the entire period as white signifies purity.

Food -- People observing the festival should abstain from eating meat, animal oil and five pungent-odour vegetables, viz. garlic, onion, Chinese chives, garlic chives and tobacco. The vegetarians can have their vegetarian meals either at home or at a Chinese temple nearby. In Phuket the meals at the temples are provided free, but most people make a donation and have their names registered first. In Pattaya, in previous years, there were the biggest pot and wok of vegetarian pha-lo and fried rice to dole out to the vegetarians participating in the festival.

Religious rites -- Rites are performed at the Chinese temples at various dates and times. The details will be given by the organizers beforehand.

Processions -- The best known exciting and fascinating processions are those held in Phuket. Long lines of devotees, led by images of gods and priests walk through the streets in procession several times during the festival. Onlookers lining along the streets with large quantities of firecrackers prepared in advance, light and throw them to the procession, causing continuous thunder-like noises that are heard miles away and adding colours to the occasion. It is in processions that the observers see some magical performances.


Magical Performances

For the majority of people, these form the most absorbing part of the festival. During the performances of religious rites at the temples or in the processions, the priests or the mediums conduct various kinds of dangerous acts to show the power of their gods, to strengthen the faith of their followers and to rid them of their bad luck. These acts include walking barefoot across a stretch of ground paved with burning charcoal, climbing up and down, also barefoot, a stepladder with a total of 72 crosspieces made of sharp iron blades, and cutting, striking or piercing parts of the body with sharp or pointed objects.

All these perilous acts are performed by or to mediums who are in hypnosis. Still, it seems inexplicable that they always escape serious injury. When the rites are over and the mediums regain consciousness, only traces of cuts are left on the skin and these are healed soon afterwards.

You may wonder whether the mediums have been hired to do the job and whether they have been trained beforehand. The reply is, they have not. All the mediums act involuntarily. But they must have faith in the gods before they can be possessed by the gods.


The Ten Commandments

1. Abstain from killing animals;
2. Abstain from eating all kinds of meat;
3. Abstain from stealth and embezzlement;
4. Abstain from harming others bodily or mentally;
5. Abstain from telling lies, using obscene language or swearing at people;
6. Abstain from touching people of the opposite sex or talking with them flirtingly;
7. Abstain from taking alcohol or using narcotics;
8. Abstain from gambling;
9. Abstain from wearing ornaments including those made of metals or leather;
10. Abstain from sharing receptacles or utensils or a meal with people who do not observe the commandments.

ou may wonder, if the festival is so solemn, why it should have the appearance of a carnival. The answer is that the participants are serious in their faith. The dangerous performances are given to attract crowds and to try to convert them by making them believe in the powers of gods. In this respect, the organizers have been very successful as is evidenced by the ever increasing numbers of participants in the event every year.


A Taoist Event

The religious rites involved in the festival are entirely Taoist in origin as is shown by the following:

The supreme god worshipped in the shrines of Phuket is the Jade Emperor, or Yok-Ong Songte as the local people call him. He is the supreme god of Taoism.

The gods invoked to preside over the festival are called "Kiu Ong", which means "Nine Heavenly Kings". Originally, the nine kings meant the gods of the sun, the moon and seven other heavenly bodies. They should still be so. But they are now interpreted also to mean seven Buddhas and two Bodhisattvas. This is an obvious attempt to give the festival a Buddhist colour to broaden its appeal.

In short, the Vegetarian Festival is a festival to clean the body and mind. And it is a bonus to visit Phuket or other participating provinces during the festival period. Even if you do not like noise and crowd, you can have a glimpse of this event and then continue to enjoy your holiday in the usual way. The beautiful nature is not disturbed and is always ready to welcome you.


info credit: http://www.thaiwaysmagazine.com/thai_article/2412_vegetarian/vegetarian.html

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Pattaya : Festivals & Events, Songkran Festival, Pattaya
Pattaya Vegetarian Festival (October 2010) Every year Pattaya City celebrates the 11-day vegetarian season with enormous amounts of special vegetarian food
http://www.thaiwaysmagazine.com/pattaya/pattaya_festival.html

Festivals and Events in Pattaya | Pattaya Travel Guide
Annually, Pattaya City hold the 11-day vegetarian festival featuring large amounts of vegetarian food and a grand procession carrying two statues of Chinese
http://www.pattaya.net/do/festivals.html
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