ALL
chanting
ICH Elements 33
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Qālišuyān rituals of Mašhad-e Ardehāl in Kāšān
Denoting ""carpet-washing ceremony"" (qāli""carpet""-šuyān""washing ceremony""), Qālišuyān manifests as a huge gathering in Ardehāl, at a 800m-long site, between Emāmzāde Soltān Ali ebn Mohammad Bāqer Mausoleum (abbreviated as Soltān Ali) and the holy stream beside Šāhzāde Hoseyn Mausoleum yard, where a holy carpet is washed as part of a live ritualistic procedure. Unlike the majority of Iranian rituals that follow a rotating lunar calendar, Qālišuyān is attended according to a fixed solar-agricultural calendar, requiring it around the nearest Friday to the 17th day of the month of Mehr (October 8th), called Jom'e-ye Qāli (""carpet Friday""). Thousands of people of Fin and Xāve constitute the practitioners; a greater crowd attends as witnesses. On Jom'e-ye Qāli morning, the people of Xāve gather at Soltān Ali to sprinkle rose-flower on a donated carpet they select. Having done the wrapping rituals, they, then, deliver it to the people of Fin outside. Holding neatly cut and beautifully decorated wooden sticks, the people of Fin run to take the lead in getting a grasp of the carpet, and carrying it to the running water, cleaned of pollutions and mixed with rose-water. A corner of the carpet is rinsed; the rest is covered with drops sprinkled with the sticks. The carpet is, then, returned to the mausoleum and delivered to the servants inside. The rituals are to express love and loyalty toward Soltān Ali, who is claimed to have been martyred in the same place and carried to his resting place on a carpet, instead of a shroud. Asserted, mainly, through oral history, Soltān Ali enjoyed a holy stance among the people of Kāšān and Fin of 1,300 years ago, who depended on his spiritual guidance. He was, finally, murdered by jealous governors. The story continues that the corpse was found, three days later, by the people of Fin who carried it in a carpet to the stream of Šāhzāde Hoseyn Mausoleum, Ardehāl, where the people of Xāve joined in washing and burying him. The present-day carpet-washing rituals are to commemorate the sad burial. A number of peripheral activities have emerged alongside Qālišuyān, too: - J ār: Oral proclamation of the ""carpet-Friday"" date by an elder; - Donated food: Distributed by witnessing people - Ta'ziye and other ritualistic performing arts: Performed peripheral to the main rituals; - Gatherings of people on the site, which last for several days.
Iran 2012 -
Kha-ram: Gossiping negative forces
Kharam is celebrated in all the villages under Tshenkhar gewog, Lhuentse Dzongkhag of Northeast Bhutan. In the local dialect, Tsangla, "Kharam" means "Gossiping negative forces”. Villages host the festive celebration to please the local deities, and to seek protection them from unforseen disasters for their crops, cattle, and fellow local people. They also pay homage to the local deities for protecting the people, yields and the domestic life of the country by natural calamities. The annual festive event is celebrated on 27th and 28th day of the 8th month of the Bhutanese calendar. The event is celebrated by performing ritual in the morning and consequently by performing boen choe “Bonism” by the communal people in respective locality and followed by traditional games like archery and khuru (dart) competition within the village. The main performer of the celebration is the Bonpo “Chant Leader” accompanied by all villagers irrespective of age. In the past, in the evening of the first day of the celebration, people used to ward-off the negative forces by hitting a rooster against a cow. However, now the community has stopped killing roosters and the symbolism was replaced using a feather. With the performance of Kharam, it is believed that the village will prosper and have good yield in that year with less mishaps in the community.
Bhutan -
Khar-phued: The First Offering Ritual
The people of Drangmaling-Nangar village in Tsamang Gewog, Mongar Dzongkhag in the eastern district gather every two years to perform Khar-phued. Literally, dairy product; milk, curd, cheese, butter, etc. were used as offerings. In other words, Kar means "wheat", Phued means "offering" - it is the offering of the first wheat harvest. Kharphu is a Bon ritual festival used to pay homage to local deities and ensure the well-being of the community, its households, livestock and crops. Kharphu is celebrated from the 26th day of the fourth month to the 2nd day of the fifth month according to the Bhutanese calendar. The village elders trace the origin of this ancient festival to the days of the creation of earth and sky (sachag namchag), as they do not know the exact century of origin or when it was held. The program and its components have been entirely preserved and passed down through oral tradition. This includes the ritual nightly exchange of songs that extends throughout the week. Apparently, this festival is in great danger of being lost in the modern cultural landscape.
Bhutan -
Tradition of Vedic chanting
The Vedas comprise a vast corpus of Sanskrit poetry, philosophical dialogue, myth, and ritual incantations developed and composed by Aryans over 3,500 years ago. Regarded by Hindus as the primary source of knowledge and the sacred foundation of their religion, the Vedas embody one of the world’s oldest surviving cultural traditions. The Vedic heritage embraces a multitude of texts and interpretations collected in four Vedas, commonly referred to as “books of knowledge” even though they have been transmitted orally. The Rig Veda is an anthology of sacred hymns; the Sama Veda features musical arrangements of hymns from the Rig Veda and other sources; the Yajur Veda abounds in prayers and sacrificial formulae used by priests; and the Atharna Veda includes incantations and spells. The Vedas also offer insight into the history of Hinduism and the early development of several artistic, scientific and philosophical concepts, such as the concept of zero. Expressed in the Vedic language, which is derived from classical Sanskrit, the verses of the Vedas were traditionally chanted during sacred rituals and recited daily in Vedic communities. The value of this tradition lies not only in the rich content of its oral literature but also in the ingenious techniques employed by the Brahmin priests in preserving the texts intact over thousands of years. To ensure that the sound of each word remains unaltered, practitioners are taught from childhood complex recitation techniques that are based on tonal accents, a unique manner of pronouncing each letter and specific speech combinations.
India 2008 -
Kumbh Mela
Kumbh Mela (the festival of the sacred Pitcher), is the largest peaceful congregation of pilgrims where people bathe or take a dip in a sacred river. Held at Allahabad, Haridwar, Ujjain and Nasik every four years by rotation, the Kumbh at Prayag/Allahabad is the most significant. Ardha ("Half") Kumbh Mela is held at only two places, Haridwar and Allahabad, every sixth year. It is held on the banks of the rivers - Ganga in Prayag, Saraswati in Haridwar, Godavari in Nashik and Shipra in Ujjain. A great fair is held on these occasions on the banks of the rivers. Devout believe that by bathing in the Ganges one is freed from their sins liberating them from the cycle of birth and death. A unique facet is that millions of people reach the place without any invitation. Mythology says the gods and the demons fought for the pot with the nectar of immortality. Lord Vishnu, disguising himself as an enchantress (Mohini), seized the nectar. While fleeing from the evil ones, Lord Vishnu passed the nectar on to his winged mount, Garuda. In the ensuing struggle, a few drops of the precious nectar fell on Allahabad, Nasik, Haridwar and Ujjain. Since then, the Kumbh Mela has been held in these places. The astrological sequence of the stars are the basis for the Kumbh locations. As Jupiter enters in Aquarius and Sun enters Aries the Kumbh is held at Haridwar, Jupiter enters Aries and Sun and Moon in Capricorn at Prayag and so on.
India 2017 -
Yeongsanjae
Inscribed in 2009 (4.COM) on the Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity The Yeongsanjae is performed to help all beings and spirits enter into the world of truth, by worshipping and admiring the Buddha, Buddha’s law and monks. It is the highest and biggest ritual utilized by Korean Buddhists to represent the world of Buddha here and now and is based on the philosophy of the Lotus Sutra. It is also a means for meditation and training. The order of a Yeongsanjae performance is as follows: 1. Reception Ritual (siryeon): The purpose here is to receive all the saints and spirits of heaven and earth with the guidance of the Soul-Guiding Bodhisattva so that the ritual can be performed in a holy way. 2. Spirit Reception (daeryeong): The masters of the ritual are the spirits, dead and alive, i.e., all people. Dead spirits are invited to the ritual, while those present at the ritual are told why it is being performed and given the directions they should follow, based on the Buddha’s Law. Families of the deceased dedicate food and liquor as an expression of their love and respect for the dead. 3. Cleansing of the Dirt (gwanyok): This is the ritual to cleanse the three karmas of the spirits that have accepted invitation so as to facilitate the achievement of serenity. 4. Donation of Money (Jojeon Jeoman): “Jojeon” means money that can be used in the nether world, and “jeoman” means to endow money with value. The necessity of money is to awaken us to the fact that our life is maintained by material blessings from the outside. 5. Tea Donation (Sinjung Jakbeop): A tea ceremony is dedicated to all the saintly spirits invited with the hope that the ritual will be performed well. 6. Reception of Buddha (Gwaebul Iun): Sakyamuni Buddha, the master of the ritual and who will preach on the Lotus Sutra, and all the Buddhas and Bodhisattvas are received according to the Law of Buddhism. 7. Dedication of Rice Meal (Sangdan Gwongong): With the Buddhas and Bodhisattvas invited, a rice meal is dedicated. In this ritual, wishes are made that, with the merciful help of the Buddhas and Bodhisattvas, all beings will obtain happiness and that the light of truth lit by Buddha will shine over the world of suffering. 8. Sermon (Beopmun): A monk in place of Buddha reconfirms the purpose of the ceremony, presenting concrete ways to realize that purpose. The monk delivers a sermon in which the audience is invited to the door of truth. 9. Meal Ritual (Sikdang Jakbeop): This ritual meal is intended not for the Buddhas and Bodhisattvas, but for the monks attending the ceremony. However, symbolically, it is for all beings in this universe, and through this service a foundation is laid for becoming a Buddha. 10. Blessing Ritual (Jungdan Gwongong): All of the saintly beings attending the ritual are asked to help ensure a good performance of the ritual. It also asks for blessings on all those present at the ritual. 11. Meal for the Dead Ritual (Sisik): Since the attendees are fortunate to be listening to the words of Buddha and since all rejoice that the dead have all gone to heaven, a happy rather than sorrowful ritual is performed for the departed to celebrate and congratulate themselves on going to heaven. 12. Farewell Ritual (Bongsong & Sodae Baesong): At the opening of the ritual, all beings were politely received with chants, so likewise, they should be given a proper farewell. The farewell is the final step in affecting the deceased’s final destination. Since Yeongsanjae was designated an Important Intangible Cultural Heritage by the state in 1973, it has been under national protection. In 1987, when the Yeongsanjae Preservation Association was officially established, it started to perform activities to ensure its transmission. The Yeongsanjae has been transmitted by the Taego Order, a Korean Buddhist order. Based at Bongwonsa Temple, the Taego Order maintains the tradition of Buddhist rituals and as such, most of the transmitters are monks of the Taego Order. Currently, Monk Kim In-sik (Buddhist name: Guhae) is the primary Yeongsanjae expert in terms of Buddhist music, following the ranks of Jigwang, Byeokeung, Songam, and Ileung. Assisting Kim are Ma Myeong-chan, Lee Su-gil, Oh Chan-yeong, Lee Byeong-u, Lee Jo-won and Han Hui-ja, who are all trainers in Buddhist music and dance or making the ornamental paper flowers for the ritual. A total of 240 transmitters are leading the Yeongsanjae Preservation Association. Until 2006, Bongwonsa Temple held a Yeongsanjae ritual for the public on the fifth day of the fifth lunar month. In order to encourage more people to participate in the ritual, it is now held on Memorial Day, a national holiday which falls on June 6.
South Korea 2009 -
Tibetan opera
Tibetan opera, the most popular traditional opera of minority ethnic groups in China, is a comprehensive art combining folk song, dance, storytelling, chant, acrobatics and religious performance. Most popular in the Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau in western China, the performance begins with a prayer ceremony, including the cleansing of the stage by hunters and blessings by the elder, and concludes with another blessing. The heart of the opera is a drama narrated by a single speaker and enacted by performers supported by groups of singers, dancers and acrobats. Actors wear traditional masks of a variety of shapes and colours that contrast with their simple makeup.
China 2009 -
The Sacred Kava Ritual
Throughout the Pacific, kava is synonymous as the elixir or drink of the gods. Known in various words ranging from kau, sakau, kava, ava and yaqona, the ritual commonality is similar. This video revisits the sacred kava ritual from a retelling of the indigenous spirituality and worldview as far as yaqona, chiefs, mana, power and the people are involved.
Fiji -
Neypo: Seasonal Offering to the Local Deity
The Neypo ritual is a seasonal offering performed across Bhutan to appease local deities, Ney village in Lhuentse to the northeast is one of many villages to perform this ritual. Neypo literally means "Zhidag", a category of deity who protects the area under their control or certain parts of the valley. The identity of the protector figure varies from region to region, as does the ritual. In Ney village, the Neypo ritual is performed every year on the 15th day of the third lunar month of the Bhutanese calendar. The ritual is performed in their Lhakhang, temple, in order to appease the local deity Zhidag Drakpa Gyalpo with offerings. In return, the community asks for his protection of their farms from wild animals. The Zhidag is believed to dwell below the village in a dense forest on the left side of Kurichu. Zhidag Drakpa Gyalpo has a grim appearance with a black face, dark clothes, and a reindeer mount with ten horns. He has one face and two hands; in his right hand he holds a flaming sword and in his left hand he holds a robe or Zhagpa sling. Within a single second he could cover the distance between any two places. Eighth century tantric master Guru Rinpoche (Skt. Padmasambhava) bound Drakpa Gyalpo by oath and made him the protector of the East Gate of the hidden land Baeyul Khempajong, and sworn to be the Dharma protector in the region. During the Neypo ritual, the entrance to the dense forest is sealed off for people which will last for a whole season, which is called Rigya lungya dam or Ridam. Ridam is a common practice of mountain closure in which the path to the Zhidag Phodrang, deity’s abode, and the surrounding dense forest are closed to human access from spring to autumn until the rice harvest. During this period, people are generally not allowed to enter the area to collect natural resources or visit any place in the area. After performing rituals, no one is allowed to go there unless except for exceptional occasions. This restriction applies to outsiders as well as people from the village.
Bhutan -
Bay Batabor (Ceremonial Sacred Offering)
Bay Batabor is one of the most important offerings among other offerings, as the old people in the fields often do when preparing offerings for various festivals, large or small, for example, birthday celebrations, funerals, Tes moha cheadok festival, and rainmaking ritual. How to make Bay Batabor may be slightly different from one to the next, it depends on the festival, community, or area. What we are sharing here is how to make rice cakes for cremation in Daun Ov village, Leang Dai commune, Angkor Thom district, Siem Reap province. First, they place ripe bananas and palm sugar which are wrapped in conical banana leaves in a bowl. Then take another bowl and place it on top of the bowl. On top of that bowl, there are 12 pieces of sticky rice and some spread sticky rice. Then, fold 12 banana leaves into a conical shape and put them around the 12 pieces of sticky rice. The top of the sticky rice bowl is called the middle part of Bay Batabor. It is where they place a banana corm right in the middle and they cover it with banana leaves in a conical shape. With that, they also put 12 areca palm nuts on it. On the top of the cone, there are 12 folded betel leave, 12 candles, champa flowers, yellow flowers, a paper bag of the dried areca palm, red and white paper flags, and riel banknotes. According to the elders who make Bay Batabor, they made the rice offering to put on the ceremony’s donation table. However, during the rain-making ritual at Neak Porn temple, the rice offerings are placed on the altar in front of other offerings. Before it can be placed on the table of the ceremony, those female elders, sit around the circle, make three rounds of Batabor bowls to dedicate to the Preah Shak muni stupa, and chanting for 3 times, “Tong Teng Kroleng Bopha Tok Moung Vey Bay Moung Va we are offering candle, incense, betel leaf and areca palm nut to Preah Shak muni stupa. The elders also mentioned that The Batabor rice bowl represents the mother’s body, and the 12 betel leave and the 12 candles represent the mother's breast, which has six holes in each side.
Cambodia -
Pithi Chol Mlub (Rite of passage: Seclusion of a Girl at Puberty)
Nowadays, almost everyone misunderstands that Chol Mlub, which is a traditional rite of passage for Cambodian women has disappeared, and even the purpose of the ceremony is also somewhat confused, because it is understood that women during rite of passage learn to be housewives, mainly to lighten the skin or whiten the skin, learn female law, learn the five precepts, the eight precepts until the ten precepts and sew embroidery. The fields of housing and education mentioned above belong to women, but that does not mean that woman has to learn while she is in the rite of passage. She can know before or after. The main purpose of the "Rite of Passage" is to be ready to be a man's wife in the future (ready to have a husband). Traditionally, every family always wants their sons and daughters to live as adults with honor in society. For sons to be ordinated as monks to show gratitude towards parents while daughters to enter the rite of passage to show gratitude toward mother. These factors motivate families with daughters to have at least one of their siblings to be in rite of passage. If you make the eldest daughter, youngers daughters will be accompanied, so when they reach puberty too, there is no need to organize a rite of passage, which saves the cost of the family. In fact, parents love and want their children to do the same. With this in mind, some locals still implement and practice rite of passage tradition, even in modern society. According to previous research, the villages and districts that still practice this tradition are in Boeung Preav commune, Sre Ambel commune, Dong Peng commune, Sre Ambel district, Koh Kong province, Tumnup commune, Taing Krasang commune, Batheay district, Kampong Cham province, Kien Sangke commune, Sot Nikum district, Siem Reap province. Rite of passage is women’s most important subject that they have to learn and there are many stages of the rite. The first stage is to prepare themselves for "first menstruation" that will last for 2 to 3 days, a ceremony called "Sen Chhol", will be commemorated to inform the ancestors about the rite of passage of their daughter. The second stage is the period of "Staying in the rite of passage”, women will be obligated to be on a proper diet such as eating vegetarian food, no sunlight exposure as well as other tasks that must be done every day for an average of 1 month, 3 months, 6 months or There are also 9 months. The third stage is "Leaving rite of passage" it is the last stage but there are many more tasks to be completed, the ceremony has to be held similar to a wedding ceremony (one night and two days). The symbolism of the work in the first stage is compared to "sperm" that propel in the mother's womb. Second stage is compared to a baby in the womb ready to be born. Stage 3 is compared to a mother is "having a contraction" waiting for the birth of a baby to come out of the womb. The whole ceremony is quite similar to a wedding; it is somehow called a single wedding or sometimes there is an escort who represent the husband. These are the wedding trials which women have to experience before a real one that take place in the future. The rite of passage that prepare women to get ready to be a wife has a tough discipline than men. Women are secluded in a room whereas men are in pagoda, focusing on the study but they are free to chat or meet people on holy days. The pagoda area for the venerable symbolizes the mother's womb and during a monkhood, men seems to be more relaxed than women, there is sunlight all over the large courtyard, but during rainy season, the monks are not allowed to leave the pagoda. In order to study dharma and other subjects for one year (equal to one Vorsa), which is equivalent to one quarter, the monks rushed to study only dharma (literature). But if monks want to continue to study for many years, they can learn more skills such as lime carpenter, carpenter, and sculptor. After leaving monkhood, they will be able to earn money with their skills and start a family. Beside, studying in pagoda monks also follow a strict diet which they can eat only two meals a day which is morning and noon (fish-meat) and in the evening only tea, milk only. For women, when they are in the rite of passage, they do not leave the room or outside the house, generally speaking, no sun exposure except at night when they shower or use toilet, because a dark sky represents mother’s womb, and the daughter in the rite of passage represents the baby in the mother's womb. That's why they try to keep the baby in the womb out of the sun until it is born. If the mother expose with sun, baby will pre-maturely born, it will definitely be worse for the baby. Strictly speaking, two-course meal like the monks, but a vegetarian dish without meat, such as porridge or rice with salt, soy, cucumber, sesame, ripe coconut, ripe banana, ripe mango, watermelon. Some foods are avoided such as bacon fat or fish sauce. At this point, it is not considered that rite of passage is when women learn to be housewife, because they don’t eat or anything. In fact, a woman knows how to cook before she enters the rite, and so does sewing, embroidering, and sweeping the house, these skills are important for women when they have husbands. The study of the five precepts, the three precepts, or the ten precepts deeply, is not seen at all, that is, only the chanting of the Dharma of worshiping God (Vantea Preah) every morning and evening. Some of the work women do while in the rite of passage are just to get rid of boredom. Others say that they Chol Mlub to exfoliate their skin complexion, because they have not been applied makeup or any powder, only wearing a long sleeves shirt to cover her body and staying in a mosquito net. Wearing a multi-layered shirt is not just for the sake of a bright skin, it represents a baby in a mother's womb covered by a few layers of belly. If women have only one layer of belly, it will affect the baby when the mother eats spicy or hot. Generally speaking, staying in the rite of passage is a way of guiding women during their puberty to get ready to be a wife. They do not have to get married immediately, at least wait two to three years The symbol of leaving the rite of passage is like a mother during a contraction of childbirth delivery, because on the first day of the ritual, the woman is not yet exposed to the sun. Even though she leaves the room in the house but she needs to use an umbrella and still be in mosquito net, waiting for the next task, with the Khmer grandmother as the guard next to the mosquito net. In some villages in Sre Ambel district, Khmer grandmothers who know how to give birth midwives called (Daun Khner) are obliged to monitor the baby's movement by taking care of the mother's womb, such as touching or waiting for the baby to be born. Next important task, an old single man called (Jas Komlos) will dance with a movement of digging (Daun Khner) with a traditional music, which metaphorically means to ease the process of child delivery to be quick. Then, Daun Khner will hold the woman’s hand out of the room to a ceremony hall. This represents a baby who was just born and it will be covered by a piece of while cloth and the body of a baby is compared to the mother’s placenta. At that time, it was old, hot, dancing, digging, digging, Daun Nhe (Daun Khmer) accompanied by the traditional song titled, "Kors Daun Nher". The process of carrying a child by the Khmer grandmother from the room to the ceremony hall on the ground is the process of being born from the surface or out of the abdomen one step at a time with a piece of white cloth as a way or covering the body of the child is like the placenta of Mother. Waiting until a next sunrise, it is assumed that the baby is successfully born. There are many following rituals such as cutting hair, ear piecing, tver tmenh (), which serve as a confirmation the woman is ready for a wifehood. The rite of passage process is almost the same as a wedding, which includes: Krong Peali ritual (Sen Krong Pali), Sen Chong Dai, Bok Lak (game to find Lak). All work is done continuously from the evening until Acha tied the hand of the Cho Mlub child with his sister and cousin to participate in the ceremony (Photo: San Phall, 2016) 1AM, Kors Duan Nher ritual will be done at midnight. On the morning of the second, the child will be accompanied to the ceremony hall to worship the sun, get haircut, do teeth, get ears pierced, reav ang kor reab, porpil rotate and tie hands as a finale. This Chol Mlub tradition plays an important role in educating people in society by showing the process of a woman in her puberty who has to go through the rite of passage in order to be qualified for wifehood and to become mothers. Women is considered as a land for sowing seeds and the gender roles they inherited include housekeeping, child care, in general, to manage the family economy. For men, they pick up profession or skill to earn money for the female to manage. Men and women are always in pairs, one of which cannot be missed, that is how society created.
Cambodia -
Bon Om Tok (The water festival)
“The Royal Water Festival” is a major national festival that Cambodians across the country celebrate every year. Because this is a national festival organized by the Royal Government, the main center for the ceremony is in Phnom Penh, Chaktomuk river in front of the Royal Palace. In the provinces, villages, districts and pagodas, this ceremony is also held according to their ability and resources. Every year, the Water Festival is held on the 14th Kert, 15th Kert and 1st Roach day of the Kadeuk month (lunar calendar), and people from everywhere come to participate in this festival in large numbers. In this festival, there are 3 big events: boat racing, lantern floating ceremony, and Ok Ambok ceremony to worship the moon god. Boat Race: Boats that are used for racing are called “Tuk Ngor” which consist of two types of boats: Tuk Ngor and Tuk Chev. Today, most pagodas have Tuk Ngor. Some pagodas have only Tuk Om or Tuk Chev and some pagodas have both types of boats. Touk Ngor is a village or a community’s property. Since it is a communal ‘s property, the Touk is placed and taken care of by monks and the pagoda. Villagers will train and join the race. Before the Water Festival arrives, villages are gathered to train because the racers are not professional athletes. They usually do work for a living and come to train only when the race is approaching. During the Water Festival in Phnom Penh, they have to do the selection from their own village. Some pagodas or villages in the district hold this boat race during Pchum Ben and some race on the day of Chenh Preah Vossa for people to watch and celebrate the festival. On the day of the Water Festival, only the winning boats for each village and district representative will be taken to join the race in Phnom Penh. The boat race lasts for 3 days. In general, the number of boats participating in the race each year is about 400 to 600 boats, and each boat is drawn to select a competitor organized by the race organizing committee. Each boat requires to race twice, once in the outer stream and against the inner stream. The race starts from Chroy Changvar Bridge and runs along the water in front of the Royal Palace at Dum Nak Pear (royal port), which is the final and the place where the King and his entourage sit and watch. The winning boats from the first day and the second day must go to the race on the third day, which is the final day. At the end of the race, there is an important task called“Cut Proit" celebrated by the Baku Brahmins at the Royal Palace. The sword for the cut consists of the swords kept in the Royal Palace and four other swords kept by the Brahmin family in Baray District, Kampong Thom Province. Each day the king came to be the preside and watch the boat race at the port pavilion in front of the royal palace. Besides, there is also the royal Family, prime ministers, the president of the national assembly, diplomats, and many more dignitaries. Lantern Floating Ceremony: Every night of the Royal Water Festival, there is always Pror Tip Jvea Lea floating on the water for people to visit and enjoy. The figure decorated with lights are usually arranged on boats or large ships, designed as symbols of ministries or institutions or of private companies, and decorated with colorful light bulbs. In some rural areas, people also float lanterns along rivers, lakes or ponds in pagodas, etc. The small lanterns are made of banana trees or banana leaves decorated with flowers and candles. Ork Ombok Sompeah Preah Khae ceremony: On the night of the middle of the Royal Water Festival, which falls on the full moon day, there is another important ceremony, "Ok Ambok Sompeah Preah Khae”. Whether it is a house, a pagoda or a royal palace, offerings are always prepared for the ceremony. The main offerings were Ambok (pounding rice grain), banana, coconut, and sugar cane, as well as candles, incense, and flowers. In the countryside, many villagers Dal (pounding) the Ambok by themselves. In addition to preparing offerings at home, the villagers bring bananas and young coconuts to the abbot in the temple, and the abbot also arranges the Ambok on a pedestal dish and five young coconuts for the monks. Then the monk began to pray and spread the Ambok to young and old Buddhists is a sign that the fruits are abundant. When the monks finished chanting, the Buddhists came out to celebrate the Ok Ambok ceremony. Traditionally, the Ok Ambok ceremony begins at midnight, when the full moon rotates above the head. But today, in pagodas, people often start the Ok Ambok ceremony late at night, as Buddhists will soon return home. Before the Ok Ambok ceremony begins, one of the most important tasks is to "drain the candles." This is done at the Royal Palace and in the pagodas across the country. The main purpose of the candle draining is to predict the rain and agriculture harvesting in the coming season. The way to drain a candle is to insert a row of candles, about one inch apart, on a long candle holder made of bamboo or wood, and at the northern end, there are often carved dragon heads. The candles in the Royal Palace depend on the number of provinces. There can be 24 or 25 candles, that is, after the Brahmins have finished praying, they light them. The candles are turned upside down. If the candles representing the province burn the most, it is predicted that the province will have lots of rain. But in some areas of the countryside, there may be many candles, all of them 108, which is a very lucky number in the ancient Khmer tradition. At other pagodas, for example at Wat Taing Krasang (Brorsam village, Kampong Cham province), there are five candles, but only three are considered important, as the other two candles are smaller. The three candles represent the beginning, middle, and end of the year. After the end of the candle draining ceremony, the Ok Ambok ceremony began. At that time, young and old, men and women, took the Ambok and gave it to each other happily. Therefore, the Ak Ambok Sompeah Preah Khae ceremony refers to the same idea, that is, to have abundant harvests, and only until there is enough rain, the fruits can be reaped.
Cambodia