Basic HTML Version
FireFlyz | 25
There is an
undercurrent of
the spiritual side
for Laotians who
hold the notion that
water can clean
out the bad luck in
a person and bring
happiness to them if
they are constantly
covered by it
Cars, trucks and vans
packed with partiers
touring the streets
in convoys spraying
locals and foreigners,
strangers and
neighbours with water
Local name festival Country
Start
End
Nobo-borsho
Bangladesh
April 14
April 14
Chaul ChnamThmey
Cambodia
Aprli 14
Aprli 16
Pi Mai Lao
Laos
Apri 12
April 15
Thingyan
Myanmar
April 13
April 16
Aluth Avurudda
Sri Lanka
April 14
April 14
Songkran
Thailand
April 13
April 15
Puthandu
Mauritius,
India, Malaysia,
Singapore
April 14
April 14
jump in to their own inflatable plastic
pools, usually with a bottle of Beer Lao
in hand, and wait to attack.
A non-stop party for four days inter-
rupts the normally tranquil and sedate
capital city with cars, trucks and vans
packed with partiers touring the streets
in convoys spraying locals and foreign-
ers, strangers and neighbours with
water.
Open air discos with a matrix of
water sprinklers inside keep avid party
goers cool whilst they boogie on down
to the electro beat by covering them in
a light spray or a torrent of water from
a fire truck parked just outside. There
is not much point in carrying a towel or
an umbrella with you. It is impossible
to avoid getting soaked, so do nott even
bother to bring a change of clothes.
There is an undercurrent of the
spiritual side for Laotians who hold the
notion that water can clean out the bad
luck in a person and bring happiness
to them if they are constantly covered
by it. Inside the grounds of temples and
watts, in the centre of town, there are
normally Buddhist monks calmly going
about their daily routines but during
Pi Mao they are actively joining in the
water works.
Rituals now involve pouring water into gold trays and
sprinkling water over flowers inside the temple grounds, as well
as hosing down visitors as they walk around the holy grounds.
Water Festival Search
Singing in the rain, there was an all female troupe of drummers
from Africa blocking the road, adding flair and an international
flavour to a National Day celebration whilst onlookers threw
water on them. Locals and tourist alike can hide from the rain
in one of the stylish restaurants or coffee shops that serve up
everything from local fare to French and Japanese cuisines. If
you day dream whilst you are having a bowl of chicken noodle
soup, try gazing in to the broth, you may even see a visual of
yourself and others swimming around in the hot liquid.
If you have never visited an ASEAN country then you could
do worse than taking a first run through the water at the Pi
Mao Lao celebrations, but if you are an avid traveler why not
visit the other water festivals and see who is winning the water
festival contest.