The Phi Ta Khon Festival (ผีตาโขน) is an one-time festival in addition to is called the 'The Ghost Festival' that takes house inwards the Northwestern Province of Loei in addition to the community of Dansai - well-nigh 450 Kilometres from Destinations inwards Bangkok Thailand - nosotros travelled at that topographic point yesteryear Nok Air.
This festival is business office of a larger festival called the Bu Luang festival - including the Bu Phra Wet (Festival of the quaternary Lunar month) in addition to Bun Bang Fai (Festival of the sixth Lunar month) but to a greater extent than usually known every bit the Bamboo Rocket Festival. BUT I was non at that topographic point for this one.
The kickoff twenty-four hours consisted of a procession from the Phon Chai Temple to the river where at that topographic point is a procession in addition to sacrificial rite is performed? in addition to thence the procession returns alongside a symbol of Phra Up Ka Khut. Who is a monk alongside supernatural powers who has chosen to larn a white marble in addition to alive a peaceful but lonely existence.
But at that topographic point is also the storey of the Prince Wetsanthon (Vessantara inwards Pali), the Buddha’s penultimate reincarnation.
It is on the minute twenty-four hours that the local people clothing themselves every bit Phi Ta Khon Figures in addition to perform masked dances to a greater extent than or less the village.
The groups exactly induce got turns to trip the lite fantastic toe in addition to demonstrate off their decorative costumes to the people lining the street.
I chose to see Wat Pon Chai where at that topographic point is also the museum of Phi Ta Khon - wonderful in addition to interesting.
These groups trip the lite fantastic toe in addition to milkshake phallic symbols at you lot in addition to induce got fifty-fifty greater please inwards pointing them at giggling immature women - non certain why but it was fun! The phallic symbols correspond the fertility of the lands in addition to of the coming fourth dimension of rains...
Many of the groups induce got moo-cow bells ('mak-ka-lang') attached to their waists in addition to induce got to a greater extent than please inwards shaking their bottoms at each other.
There were also sponsored groups of decorated people - AIS in addition to a local banking concern both embraced this festival.
As the twenty-four hours grew on many of the younger groups of children sat on the benches laid upward aside in addition to watched the procession of the older people - who seemed to hold upward enjoying it to a greater extent than in addition to more.
It was at this fourth dimension that nosotros needed to detect somewhere to rest - nosotros could non - until Chuen (my wife) institute a camping ground site alongside a spare tent!
The side yesteryear side morn nosotros woke upward early on in addition to drove into Dansai Town. It was hither that nosotros saw the to a greater extent than traditional procession trucks in addition to the Thai ladies dressed inwards Traditional Thai dress.
At this betoken at that topographic point were a far greater break of people watching the procession.
These people covered inwards mud truly resemble the mud fertility of the growing rice inwards the paddy fields to a greater extent than or less the town.
Then at that topographic point were these larger creatures alongside real large phallic symbols resemble - Giant Phi Ta Kohn. I chose non to induce got a photograph of the float of a bull in addition to the moo-cow copulating though.
Then at that topographic point were the 2 foreign creatures carrying larger tins behind them resemble?
Followed yesteryear this happy figure?
Lots of fun was had yesteryear everyone.
Information from Tour alongside Thai
Information from http://www.phitakhon.com/history.html
Information from the Government
Information from http://www.sjonhauser.nl/phi-ta-khon.html
Information from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Phi_Ta_Khon