Nakon Phanom: An Offering to the Naga

17 October 2010

Nothing quite like kicking back on the boardwalk in the cool of the evening with a frosty Leo beer in one hand and a still sizzling kebab in the other watching thousands of flickering little lights float lazily down the river.

Jean and I arrived in the quaint provincial capital Nakon Phanom yesterday afternoon and checked in at the Grand Hotel (Grand being somewhat of a misnomer). Eating dinner at a little street cafe we were startled by the peal of a cannon shot shattered the the quiet hum of town. All activity on the street seemed to freeze as eyes trained heavenward in unison to catch the first star burst fill the night sky.

At the conclusion of the fireworks show, the plump cafe proprietor informed us that it was the opening day of the Illuminated Procession Festival. She inquired as to how long we'd be in Nakhon Phanom. My answer of two days met with a “harumph” and a shake of the head.

We finished our meal and strolled through the quiet streets toward the riverfront. It wasn't until we were about a block away that we caught the first buzz of activity in the air. Emerging from a deserted side street we found ourselves in a gaudily festooned market with stands hawking all manner of clothing and knickknacks. We passed through the market coming to a street lined with food vendors as far as I could see. Froggering our way across the busy street we stepped on to the wide promenade. It was electric with activity. Families were having picnics. People were laughing and dancing. From a stage to our left a group in traditional dress were belting out Thai folk tunes.

Easing our way through the crowds, I noticed several bright specks that appeared to be in the river. Moving closer I discovered that the river was full of these small, flickering lights. It was all making sense now.

The Illuminated Boat Procession coincides with the end of Buddhist lent and originates from the old tradition of floating offerings to the Mekong naga. The naga is a mythical, multi-headed serpent that made its first appearance in the churning of the sea of milk, the Hindu creation story (More on the sea of milk later). The naga has also become prevalent in Buddhist art. Buddha is often depicted in meditation under the protection of the hood a five or seven headed serpent.

Tonight we skipped the street cafe and got dinner from the street vendors. Veg fried noodles and rice, a skewer of meat, and some fruit pastries. Another musical act is up zithering out folk tunes while A huge float, brilliantly illuminated, eases down the river amidst the myriad of glowing points. The festival goes on like this for another week until the rise of the full moon when its most common for the Mekong to emit small, inexplicable blooms of light. Commonly called “Naga Fireballs” legend has it that it's just the local naga saying “hello.”


Can't say we'll here for a week but we may have to stick around here longer than planned. I posted video of  the festivities on youtube here and here.