Songkran

Join in the celebration at the annual Songkran water festival this 13 and 14 April at the Thai Chaiya Mangalaram Buddhist Temple and Burmese Buddhist Temple at Burma Lane, George Town. The festival starts from 9am at the Burmese temple and 10am at the Thai temple. The festival will start off with offerings of candles, flowers and fruits to Buddha, as well as bathing of the Buddha figurines with scented water. At the Burmese temple, devotees can assemble at the Main Shrine Hall to receive blessings by the Venerable Monks from 12.30pm onwards. After that, the water splashing celebration will begin within both temple grounds.

Songkran is a Thai New Year festival celebrated annually by the Thai community in Penang. To the Burmese, it is called Thingyan and it also marks the New Year ’s Day. Traditionally, Songkran is a time to visit and pay respects to elders, relatives, friends, neighbours and monks. The throwing and splashing of water is believed to bring good luck and prosperity for the New Year. Every year, the revellers will be seen armed with pails, hoses, water guns and plastic bottles to drench each other with water while greeting everyone a “Happy New Year”. Some were also seen throwing talcum powder and flour. Originally, the throwing of water is a way to pay respect to others by pouring a small amount of the “blessed” water, that has been used to pour over the Buddhas, over the shoulders of elders and family members.

As Songkran is a time for cleansing and renewal, the Thai community in Penang will usually clean up their houses and cleanse images and figures of Buddha in their homes.