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A Vassa candle, or Tean Vassa, is a giant beeswax candle which burns for the whole duration of the Theravada Buddhist festival of Vassa used especially in Cambodia and Thailand. It has been compared to the paschal candle of Christians, which burns during the whole season of Paschaltide. [1]
An ancient Angkorian rite was associated with the presence of a large candle, sometimes compared to the Vassa candle. [2] According to the Chinese diplomat Zhou Daguan who visited Angkor in the 12th century, the rite the tchen-t'an was a rite of "deflowering" of young girls. Girls between seven and nine years were submitted to that rite. [3]
The first archeological reference to a Vassa candle holder is found in the early 19th century in Siem Reap. The oldest Buddhist Vassa candle dates back to 1807–1857. The second oldest reference to Vassa candle is based on the Cambodian Royal Chronicles composed during the reign of King Ang Duong. The genealogy mentions that no Vassa candle had been found beforehand. Vassa candle tradition therefore emerged as one of the "candle-lit ceremonies" led by Buddhist monks. [4]
In the pre-electricity era, one of the offerings people would make was candles which monks could use to help light the temple during the darker days of the rainy season. Candle-giving has morphed into one of Thailand's more colourful festivals. [5] This carving has become so intricate that some observers even consider it to be "extravagant". [6] In various localities of Thailand, this has evolved into Wax Candle Festivals with teams coming "from all over the world to compete and the detail on the wax artworks is staggering, with some being colossal in scale." [7]
In Cambodia, an annual ceremony known as sett tean Vassa is hold at the royal palace for the Vassa candle moulding. [8] The Khmer monarch, sitting on a throne, pours the melted wax, into moulds held by the purohit baku attached to the religious service of the palace.
Offering a Vassa candle is a particular honor sought after by government officials and benefactors of Buddhist pagodas in Cambodia. [9]
The Vassa candle is usually carried by men [10] and brought to the pagoda in an elaborate procession. [11]
While monks have historically been the ones tasked with lighting the Vassa candle, [12] laypeople have more recently also been granted that privilege.
Formerly, the candle could be lit only with fire coming from a stone beaten by a lighter or by fire obtained by the friction of two bamboo sticks. Today, a simple match is enough. [1]
Once lit, the candle has to burn for the full length of the Vassa festival.
A Vassa candle is traditionally prepared by the achar from twelve kilograms (26.5 lbs) of natural beeswax. It measures 93 centimeters (3 ft) and is seated on a pedestal or throne called balan, about 29 centimeters (0.9 ft) high.
In modern day, beeswax is usually recycled by melting old candles stumps, collected from within the temple, or donated by the surrounding villages. Hairdryers are used to re-soften the wax, allowing them to mould and create the shapes. Sculptors create the more intricate carvings and details of the exterior. [13]
On top of the large candle is placed an actual candle to be lit. The wax candle is carved with intricate design of lotus flowers. It is often be crowned with a small recipient filled with coconut oil which burns instead of the wax. [1]
Vassa candles are considered to be "the light for life", through which the dark part of life would be lightened, guiding a way out toward Nibbana . [14]
The Ubon Ratchathani Candle Festival, the most elaborate of the traditional parading of candles to wats, is held in Ubon Ratchathani, Isan, Thailand, around the days at of Asanha Puja and Wan Kao Pansa.
Āsāḷha Pūjā is a Theravada Buddhist festival which typically takes place in July, on the full moon of the month of Āsādha. It is celebrated in Indonesia, Cambodia (ពិធីបុណ្យអាសាឡ្ហបូជា), Thailand, Sri Lanka, Laos, Myanmar and in countries with Theravada Buddhist populations. In Indonesia, the festival is centered at Mendut Temple and Borobudur Temple, Central Java.
Vassa is the three-month annual retreat observed by Theravada practitioners. Taking place during the wet season, Vassa lasts for three lunar months, usually from July to October.
Buddhism in Cambodia or Khmer Buddhism has existed since at least the 5th century. In its earliest form it was a type of Mahāyāna Buddhism. Today, the predominant form of Buddhism in Cambodia is Theravada Buddhism. It is enshrined in the Cambodian constitution as the official religion of the country. Theravada Buddhism has been the Cambodian state religion since the 13th century. As of 2019 it was estimated that 97. 1 percent of the population are Buddhists.
Siem Reap is the second-largest city of Cambodia, as well as the capital and largest city of Siem Reap Province in northwestern Cambodia.
A popil or babil is an ancient type of candle holder that plays an important role in Khmer beliefs in both Hindu and Buddhist ceremonies.
Māgha Pūjā is a Buddhist festival celebrated on the full moon day of the third lunar month in Cambodia, Laos, Thailand, Sri Lanka and on the full moon day of Tabaung in Myanmar. It is the second most important Buddhist festival after Vesak; it celebrates a gathering that was held between the Buddha and 1,250 of his first disciples, which, according to tradition, preceded the custom of periodic recitation of discipline by monks. On the day, Buddhists celebrate the creation of an ideal and exemplary community, which is why it is sometimes called Saṅgha Day, the Saṅgha referring to the Buddhist community, and for some Buddhist schools this is specifically the monastic community. In Thailand, the Pāli term Māgha-pūraṇamī is also used for the celebration, meaning 'to honor on the full moon of the third lunar month'. Finally, some authors referred to the day as the Buddhist All Saints Day.
Theravada Buddhism is the state religion of Cambodia, which has been present since at least the 5th century.
A wat is a type of Buddhist temple and Hindu temple in Cambodia, Laos, East Shan State, Yunnan, the Southern Province of Sri Lanka and Thailand. The word wat is a Thai word that was borrowed from Sanskrit vāṭa, meaning 'enclosure'. The term has varying meanings in each region, sometimes referring to a specific type of government-recognised or large temple, other times referring to any Buddhist or Hindu temple.
Khao tom and khao tom mat are a popular Laotian and Thai dessert made of sticky rice, ripe banana, coconut milk, all wrapped and steamed-cooked in banana leaves. A similar dessert is enjoyed throughout Southeast Asian countries where it is known as Num ansom in Khmer, lepet in Indonesian, suman in Filipino, and, bánh tét and Bánh chưng in Vietnamese.
Sticky rice in bamboo is a common Southeast Asian dish consisting of sticky rice roasted inside specially prepared bamboo sections of different diameters and lengths. It is consumed both as a savory food and as a sweet dessert.
The Tazaungdaing Festival, held on the full moon day of Tazaungmon, the eighth month of the Burmese calendar, is celebrated as a national holiday in Myanmar and marks the end of the rainy season. It also marks the beginning of the Kathina season, during which monks are offered new robes and alms.
The Thadingyut Festival, also known as the Lighting Festival of Myanmar, is held on the full moon day of the Burmese lunar month of Thadingyut. As a custom, it is held at the end of the Buddhist sabbath (Vassa) and is the second most popular festival in Myanmar after Thingyan Festival. Thadingyut festival is the celebration to welcome the Buddha’s descent from the heaven after he preached the Abhidhamma to his mother, Maya, who was reborn in the heaven.
The Festival of Floral Offerings or Tak Bat Dokmai is a traditional merit making ceremony where takes place at Wat Phra Phuttabat in Saraburi province.
Tak Bat Devo is a Buddhist festival that is celebrated annually in Central Thailand a day after Wan Ok Phansa, the first day of the 11th waning moon. This is the celebration in order of Buddha's return to Earth after delivering a sermon to his dead mother in heaven.
An achar or achar wat is a lay Buddhist upāsaka who becomes a ritual specialist and takes on the role of master of ceremonies in various religious rites in Cambodia.
Wat Domnak is a famous Buddhist pagoda and one of the teaching monasteries in the city of Siem Reap, Cambodia.
Wat Vihear Suor is a Theravada Buddhist temple located in Kandal Province, Cambodia. It was built on an older pre-Buddhist cult site belonging to the Angkor era.
Wat Woranat Banphot also colloquially known as Wat Khao Kob (วัดเขากบ) is an ancient Buddhist temple in Mahā Nikāya sect, regarded as one of the famous and well-known temples of Nakhon Sawan Province.