Buddhists make merits throughout Thailand on the Makha Bucha Day

BANGKOK, Feb 25 (TNA) - Buddhists on Monday made merits throughout Thailand on the occasion of the Makha Bucha Day which falls on the full-moon day of the third lunar month. At the Sanam Luang ground in Bangkok, City Clerk Ninnart Chalitanon led white-clad people to give alms to 87 monks. Activities to promote Buddhism on the occasion of the Makha Bucha Day will continue at Sanam Luang until Feb 27. At the nearby Wat Saket Ratchaworamahawiharn temple, the National Office of Buddhism organised a ceremony in which Thai and foreign Buddhists gave alms to 99 monks who went down from the Golden Mount pagoda in the temple. At the Phutthamonthon Buddhist Park in Nakhon Pathom province, white-clad people gave dried foods to over 2,000 monks. In the northern province of Chiang Mai, Buddhists had similar activities at local temples Sunday morning. In the northeastern province of Nakhon Phanom, the provincial governor led local people to give alms to monks in front of the Indochina Market by the Mekong River. Wat Phra That Phanom Woramahawiharn temple is packed with people and tourists who worship the Phra That Phanom pagoda for their good luck. In the southern province of Songkhla, there were an alms-giving ceremony and prayers for peace in southern border provinces at Wat Liab temple in the Songkhla municipality. At Wat Muang Yala temple in the far South, the Yala provincial governor led soldiers, police and local people to give alms to 50 Buddhist monks. The ceremony was heavily guarded. Makha Bucha Day commemorates a day when 1,250 monks, all from different places and on their on initiative, spontaneously came to pay homage to the Lord Buddha. The Buddha gave an important teaching to the assembled monks on that day 2,500 years ago called the ‘ Ovadhapatimokha’ which laid down the principles of the Buddhist teachings. (TNA)