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Sweet
Tamarind Day Sweet tamarind is grown mostly in Phetchabun. Sweet Tamarind
Day is thus organised in Phetchabun to celebrate the harvest of this fruit.
This day is also called Phetchabun’s Agricultural Day. During the festival,
farmers bring their sweet tamarind to sell at reasonable price at Phetchabun’s
provincial athletic field where contests of sweet tamarind and other crops
are held. Besides this, there are other agricultural exhibitions and entertainment
organised during the event.
The Bathing
of Phra Buddha Mahadhamaracha Festival or Um Phra Dam Nam Ceremony This
event is annually held on the fifteenth day of the waning moon in the
10th lunar month or during the Sat Thai period, in September. Phra Buddha
Mahadhamaracha is a highly revered ancient Buddha image of Phetchabun.
The image was found in the Pasak River by a group of farmers four hundred
years ago and it was then taken to be housed in Wat Trai Phum. According
to a legend, the Buddha image was disappeared twice from the temple and
was later found in water. It was said that the Buddha image itself had
wandered out of the temple. Therefore, the ritual bathing ceremony is
held. The ceremony starts at 1 p.m. The image is carried around town and
put under a tent in Wat Trai Phum, so Buddhists can pay respect to it
and stick gold leaf on its body. In the evening, prayers are chanted.
At night, there are various kinds of entertainment. The next morning,
people make merit as it is Sat Thai Day. Foods, including Krayasat, and
other necessities are given to monks. The Buddha image is then taken to
be immersed in the Pasak River by the governor of Phetchabun and traditional
dances are performed to show respect to it. After the ceremony, the water
in the river is regarded as sacred. As a result, plople swim in it or
take the water to drink before the boat racing begins.
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