By Sheeba Muskaan
“Once a year, go someplace you’ve never been before”
It’s that time of the year for you to be a part of Asia’s most lively festival in Thailand that epitomizes a New Year. It is filled with zeal and glee. It falls on the 13th of April and goes on for three days or is celebrated a week prior. People heartily wait and greet it with euphoria. The Songkran Festival is known for its spine-tingling celebration with water on the roads of Thailand.
The amusing fact about the word Songkran is derived from the Sanskrit word ‘Samkranti’ which means astrological passage, which additionally means transformation or change and to be a part of this festival explicitly proves to bring a change in everyone through joviality, devotion, bliss and verve. Intriguing is the water, it brings purity from distrust because of its fertility and compassion. What’s better than water fights on streets with a thousand other amazing souls?
The deepness of this festival is that each day is celebrated differently and has a purpose. The first day pays tribute to the elders of Thailand and is about lip-smacking sweets and a classic tea Chao Kuai made with black herb jelly. One should definitely try the aromas and tastes of every country while traveling. It’s said that taste buds can bring back memories from destinations. The second day onwards temple rituals take place where water is poured over statues of Buddha, being a part of various rituals indubitably brings serenity to your spirit.
Songkran week is filled with assorted heritage where people splash water over their houses to induce rainfall, cleaning homes to wash away bad luck, offer prayers and get rid of their sins from the previous year and distribute food to monks, what’s better than watching this act of kindness and watching uncommon ways people act to deem good luck for the future year. Only travelling helps one harmonize these fine facts that bring merriment in one’s soul when you belong with it.
Each part of Thailand has individual ways of celebrating Songkran. All the major roads of Thailand are usually closed where people come together and throw water at each other from family to friends and strangers on this one gala day making you smile and keeping you cheerful throughout. Water balloons, water guns and buckets bring out the kid in you, walk down the lanes dry and you will have a hundred other people to get you drenched. The best place to be at is Khao San Road and Silom Road in Bangkok. Nevertheless, if you’re looking for a quieter Songkran festival, then temples are the place you should be at, especially the Wat Ratchabophit and Wat Prayoon in Bangkok.
Get your bags packed and wish everyone ‘Sawadee Pee Mai’ basically a ‘Happy New Year’ to all the people you’re going to meet in Thailand.
Explorer Travel India 