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Sweet Tamarind Fair
Sweet tamarind is grown mostly in Phetchabun. Sweet Tamarind Fair
is thus organised in Phetchabun to celebrate the harvest of this
fruit. This day is also called Phetchabun’s Agricultural Day.
During the festival, farmers bring their sweet tamarind to sell
at reasonable price at Phetchabun’s provincial athletic field
where contests of sweet tamarind and other crops are held. Besides
this, there are other agricultural exhibitions and entertainment
organised during the event.
Um Phra Dam Nam
This religious ceremony means the bathing of an Buddha image. This
event is annually held on the fifteenth day of the waning moon in
the 10th lunar month or during the Sat Thai period, in September.
Phra Buddha Mahadhamaracha is a highly revered ancient Buddha image
of Phetchabun. The image was found in the Pasak River by a group
of farmers four hundred years ago and it was then taken to be housed
in Wat Trai Phum. According to a legend, the Buddha image was disappeared
twice from the temple and was later found in water. It was said
that the Buddha image itself had wandered out of the temple.
Therefore, the ritual bathing ceremony is held. The ceremony starts
at 1 p.m. The image is carried around town and put under a tent
in Wat Trai Phum, so Buddhists can pay respect to it and stick gold
leaf on its body. In the evening, prayers are chanted. At night,
there are various kinds of entertainment. The next morning, people
make merit as it is Sat Thai Day. Foods, including Krayasat, and
other necessities are given to monks. The Buddha image is then taken
to be immersed in the Pasak River by the governor of Phetchabun
and traditional dances are performed to show respect to it. After
the ceremony, the water in the river is regarded as sacred. As a
result, plople swim in it or take the water to drink before the
boat racing begins.
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