Page 128 - รวมเล่มศาสนาในประเทศไทย ภาคภาษาอังกฤษ

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Important Buddhist Religious Festivals

Other important religious festivals are the Kathin and
the “Thod Pha Pa.”

The Kathin Ceremony is the merit making ritual
ceremony to offer robes to monks. It is a ritual practiced since the
Buddhist Era. The Lord Buddha permitted monks, who had
remained in their monasteries during the Buddhist Lent of
three months, to accept the offering of a robe from laymen. It is
considered to be the season of ‘Sangha’ to change the robe
so that the old or worn robes can be replaced. This festival lasts
for only one month between the 1 day of the waning moon of the
st
th
11 month of the lunar moon to the 15 day of the waxing moon in
th
th
the 12 month of lunar moon. Each temple can accept the Kathin
merit making only once a year. This merit making is considered a
great event because of the limited time period. There are two types
of the kathin, -- regular Kathin and royal Kathin. In contrast, the
“Thod Pha Pa” is flexible and may be performed at any time. 2

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