The famous Phra That Phanom shrine is located in Wat Phra That Phanom Voravihan in the northeastern province of Nakhon Pranom. For those born on Sunday, or those born under the astrological sign of the Monkey, this would be their principle shrine to come and worship.
This graceful pagoda - standing some 53 meters high - is build in ancient Khmer style and is regarded as one of the most sacred shrines for Thai and Lao people living on the banks of the Mekong River. Legend has it that the urangkhathat, or the chest bone relic of the Buddha, was placed inside this pagoda.
Nakhon Phanom residents believe that paying homage to the shrine is like paying homage to the Buddha and that the merit will bring them success. Based on this belief , numerous people come from all over Thailand, to pay homage to Phra That Phanom all year round.
Phra That Phanom Festival
However the most auspicious time to do this is during the annual Phra That Phanom Festival.
The festival takes place between the 12th day of the waxing moon and the first day of the waning moon of the third lunar month which usually falls on February. During this festival, there will be a ceremony to bring Phra Uppakut Buddha image from the Mekong River in a procession to be enshrined in the Phra That Phanom compound. During the festival there will be merit-making, candle processions around the shrine, entertainment programs, a bazaar sale of local products, and folk games.
Many Buddhists, mainly Thai and Lao people, come to pay homage to the shrine with the hope to improve their lives, and also as equally important to preserve this tradition, so that it can be passed on from generation to generation.
