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Thursday, June 05, 2008

Dancers at the Chiang Mai Inthakin (City Pillar) Festival

The Chiang Mai Intakin Festival (Festival of the City Pillar) is held annually to invoke blessings of peace, happiness and prosperity for the city and its residents. It is held at Wat Chedi Luang, which is one of the original wats in Chiang Mai. One of the main events is the parading of the Buddha image names "Fon Saan Haa" which means "One hundred thousand drops of rain". Following the parade, the image is sprinkled with water by the local people who believe that by taking part in the ceremony, they will be blessed with good health and that the rain will fall in the right amounts at the right time during the year. For 7 days, the local people "make merit" by offering flowers and lighting candles to the Buddha image.

The festival this year began on Saturday 1st June.

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