Inthakin City Pillar Festival

Date: May 17 - 24, 2012

Location: Wat Chedi Luang, Chiang Mai

Activities: Flower offerings at the City Pillar, dancing, musical performances, carnival games, and the ubiquitous Thai vendor food

Inthakin also known as Sai Khan Dok - worship of the city pillar. This is a tradition of flower offering to the pillar. The festival held every year in Chiang Mai, Thailand. The people are given the opportunity to venerate the guardian spirits of the city, particularly the spirits associated with the City Pillar, known as Sao Inthakin (The Lord Indra’s Pillar). This pillar had been used for an earlier city built in the same area.

The Inthakin (City Pillar) Festival in Chiang Mai, Thailand, starts on the day of the waning moon of the six lunar month and lasts 6–8 days. Centered around Wat Chedi Luang where the city pillar is housed, this is a celebration of Brahmic origin. Offerings are made to the city pillar as well as the many other Buddhist and Lanna-era icons. Dancing, musical performances, carnival games, and the ubiquitous Thai vendor food is present. This is a very large celebration in which the Chiang Mai citizenry participate.

The festival begins with a procession around the old town of the city. A Buddha image called Phra Fon Saen Haa (the Five Hundred Thousand Raindrop Buddha) is carried, blessed with lustral water and placed in the courtyard of the temple. After this the devotees are allowed to venerate the Buddha and the City Pillar, and to place flowers, candles and incense in each of twenty-eight bowls laid out on mats in the temple.During this festival, the temple is dramatically lit up and the streets around the temple are filled with vendors selling not only flowers, candles and incense to the worshippers, but also lots of food and drink. There are also cultural performances and dance displays.    

Program:

May 17, 2012

13.30       Party of Chiang Mai executive, officer, student, and Buddhist meet at Chedi - Lung temple.

14.00       Lord Mayor and participants parade Fon-Saen-Ha Buddha image, along Pha-Pok-Klao rd. - Three king monument - Ratchawithi rd. - Chang Moi rd. - Thapae rd. - Ratchadamnoen rd. - Wat Chedi Luang.

16.00       Opening ceremony by the governor of Chiang Mai.

17.00       Blessing ceremony for the god of city pillar by 9 Buddhist monks

19.00       Lanna arts and cultural shows

May 18 - 23, 2012


08.00 - 23.00    Buddhist pays homage by giving flower offerings to the god of city pillar.

17.00                 Blessing ceremony for the god of city pillar by 9 Bhuddist monks



May 19, 2012

13.00         The great ceremony for Buddha amulet of the city pillar god.



May 24, 2012 (Closing ceremony)

09.30         Lord Mayor of Chiang Mai prays for Buddha image and gives food offerings to 108 monks.