Thailand & The Loy Krathong Festival

If there was one country I’ve visited  frequently and enjoy immensely it would be Thailand. I find everything the Kingdom of Thailand has to offer either new and exciting or then comfortingly familiar. While the culture, the people and the food seem so different from what I’m use to in India, I do find a lot of similarity and familiarity with their customs and traditions.

While I am now quite familiar with Thai customs and traditions, I have never really experienced any typical Thai festival. My most recent trip to Bangkok was made extra special because I managed to visit during the festival of Loy Krathong. Reading about it is one thing but experiencing it is quite another.

The festival is celebrated in the 12th month of the Thai Lunar calendar and it is where people pray to the river goddess Phra Mae Khongka or interestingly means Goddess Mother Ganga. People celebrate this festival by lighting candles and floating a Krathong ( little foam baskets decorated in banana  leaves and flowers ) and paying their respects to the river goddess. The idea of floating these Krathongs is to let go of their past and troubles and start fresh.

Loy Krathong might possibly be the prettiest festival where you see thousands of people thronging the river side ready to float their krathongs. You can take a boat ride on the famous Chao Prahya River just like I did to get a better view of the people on the river banks. The sky is little up with gorgeous fireworks and the entire city of Bangkok comes alive during this time. The festival usually falls in the month of November and in 2016 it is going to be celebrated on the 15th of November. If you’re planning a trip to Thailand, try and visit during the festival. It really is unlike any other.