Tak Bat Dok Mai (Floral Offering Merit-Making)

Tak Bat Dok Mai (Floral Offering Merit-Making)

Nowadays in Thailand the merit-making of offering flowers to monks has become a significant religious tradition observed on Khao Phansa Day (first day of the 3-month rains retreat of monks) at many temples in central Thailand. In Bangkok, for example, it takes place at major temples including Wat Bawornniwetwiharn, Wat Ratchabophit Sathit Maha Simaram, Wat Phra Chetuphon Wimonmangklaram, Wat Phraram 9 Kanchnapisek, and Wat Jindamani in Singburi Province. The Tak Bat Dok Mai, or floral offering merit-making tradition, is typically “local” and unique because the rite includes offerings of the special dok khao phansa flowers. These flowers are also known as dok hong hern (flying swan flower – the flower shape and pollens resembles a swan flying graciously around).

          The unique tradition observed by the Phra Phuttabat residents is very famous and has been promoted as being the only one in the world. The ceremony takes place annually on Khao Phansa Day at Wat Phra Phuttabat, and is celebrated together with the Royal Candle Offering Ceremony.

          The conventional activities involve, in the morning, the offering of cooked rice and food to the monks at the sermon hall of Wat Phra Phuttabat. Later that morning, devotees will go to collect the special khao phansa flowers (literally flowers of Buddhist lent) that only come to bloom during the Buddhist lent and are found on the hillsides in Phra Phuttabat District. People will put the flowers in monks’ alms bowls as a way of making merit. These flowers grow particularly on Suwanbanphot Mountain (where there is a footprint of Lord Buddha), Khao (mountain) Chang/Sian, Khao Wong and Khao Thum Wiman Chakri. (Prakong Nimmanhaemin 2542: 2258)

          Prakong Nimmanhaemin (2542: 2556) mentions that collecting the flowers must be done at an auspicious time.  Along the way, people sing and dance merrily. Young people too have a good time in this type of fun and playful atmosphere. When they get to the spots where the flowers are blooming, young ones go to a separate location to do the job while elder ones take a different direction.

          The flowers are bunched up together with candles and incense sticks.  The devotees come back and gather at the temple yard, lining both sides of the path the monks are going to walk through. (Prakong Nimmanhaemin 2542: 2258)  They offer the flowers to the monks while they are walking up the staircase to the ubosot (main temple hall).  The monks take the flowers, with which they worship the Buddha image inside the hall (Commission for Compiling Documents and Archives 2544: 172).

          Historical records from the Phra Phuttabat Municipality have the story of old days’ local devotees doing their alms offering at the temple on Asanha Bucha Day, the full moon day of the 8th lunar month.  The ritual was observed for 3 days.  On Asanha Bucha Day, people went to Wat Phra Phuttabat to offer food to the monks.  After that, large groups of young people would go up the Bhodi Lanka Mountain (Khao Suwanbanpot) and the Phu-krang Mountain to collect khao phansa flowers.  They offered the flowers in bunches together with some candles and incense sticks, instead of the typical cooked rice.  This happened on Khao Phansa Day (Waxing 1, Month 8). With these flowers the monks then worshipped the Buddha’s Footprint up on the hill.  As they were coming down the other way, devotees were waiting there too, with bowls of water in their hands. They poured water on the monks’ feet. Washing the monks’ feet in that maner was equivalent to washing away their sins. The monks then proceeded to the ubosot to start their 3-month rains retreat during the lent.

Tak Bat Dok Mai – changes initiated by state agencies

          Offering of flowers to monks was an old practice. Old-time folks presented flowers to monks, who then took them to worship the Buddha inside the ubosot (main hall) or the Footprint Mondop (a mondop is a specific square or cruciform based building or shrine within a temple), where they would do the religious rite of committing themselves to observe a 3-month retreat during the rainy season.  Devotees believed that their floral offering on this occasion would bring them merits too.  In later time, some government offices took initiatives to promote this local religious tradition as being the only one of its type, also to be a new identity of the district that would boost the province’s tourism and economy.  This explains while the local conventional practice has come to be a “festival” of Saraburi Provicne.  On Khao Phansa Day, the grand event features a colorful, beautiful parade of floral floats from all Saraburi towns. As the floats are driven past, residents lining the streets to view the spectacle offer floral alms to monks and novices who walk by in two rows.  Upon arrival at the temple the monks and novices will walk up the Mondop and take with them the khao phansa flowers to offer to the Buddha.  Then they will walk down to the ubosot to perform the lent vows.  As they are coming down, devotees wait on the steps to perform another rite of washing their feet.

          In the recent 3-4 years, due to the increasing number of participants and visitors, the festival has come to last for 3 days, from waxing 14th to waning 1st of the 8th month (or Khao Phansa Day).

          The Tak Bat Dok Mai tradition of Wat Phra Phuttabat is observed alongside the Royal Candle Offering Ceremony.  One day before Asanha Bucha Day, or on the 14th day of the waxing moon of the 8th lunar month, there is an important ritual unique to Phra Phuttabat District – paying homage to King Songdham’s Spirit and all the other sacred beings dwelling in the district, along with the ceremonial offering of the Royal Candles to the temple.  Taking part in this important event are provincial and district officers.

          In earlier days, it was Wat Phra Phuttabat which organized the traditional activity of dok khao phansa alms giving, and it was done only on Khao Phansa Day (the first waxing of the 8th month).  They could do it any time in the afternoon. Generally monks would come out to receive alms around 3 p.m. Previous to this on Asanha Bucha Day, there was only the rite of presenting the Royal Candles.  The practice of giving floral alms was popular and attracted large crowds also from outside the province.  Festival-goers wore traditional Thai clothes in myriad colors.  Women in particular walked around in beautiful outfits and sarong, mindful of the fact that among the crowds there were a few spotters who would pick beautiful girls to be candidates in the beauty contest, another entertainment for the public that would take place in the evening.

          As for the dok khao phansa – these yellow, white, or purple flowers bloom only on hillsides.  Local people would go up the mountains to collect them.  In recent years, this special flower has been cultivated in houses and gardens for commercial purposes.

          About 3-4 years ago, this religious tradition underwent a big transformation. Since then the festive period has been extended to 3 days, and the floral alms offering can happen many times a day throughout the 3-day period.  Participants are encouraged to dress in white, and the parading is a big event.  The morning alms are no longer cooked rice.  They put dry foodstuffs instead in the alms bowls carried by monks and novices who stand in long lines.  The late morning and afternoon activities are the tak bat dok mai and the khan tok (Lanna food) feasts as well as many types of public entertainment.  Dok khao phansa flowers, mostly from flower farms, are available for sale.  So these flowers meant for merit-making purposes have turned out to be more of commercial items rather than for religious faith.

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