Thailand’s Tak Bat Dok Mai Festival: a religious and cultural
immersion This summer, Thailand’s will be the perfect way for
travelers to immerse themselves in Thai culture and the Buddhist
religion. Around July 14 and 16, residents of the Saraburi
province, which is located in central Thailand, perform a
religious ritual involving the offering of flowers. While the
area is perhaps best known for its gorgeous fields of yellow
sunflowers, Dok Khao Phansa flowers are equally as important in
the region and play an enormous role in this annual festival.
Dok Khao Phansa flowers only bloom once per year - during the
Buddhist Lent, or Khao Phansa. This time of meditation and study
typically falls between July and October, which means that the
flowers begin to bloom during the Tak Bat Dok Mai Festival. For
this reason, they have become a key element to the celebration.
The religious event begins with a trip to the Wat Phra Buddhabat
Woramahaviharn, or the Shrine of the Holy Footprint, where
guests give offerings, such