Chak Phra
Chak Phra (Thai: ชักพระ, pronounced [t͡ɕʰák pʰráʔ]) is a Buddhist festival that is celebrated annually in Southern Thailand and Northern Malaysia. The name "Chak Phra" could be translated as “Pulling the Buddha”, “pulling of the Buddhist monks”, or “pulling of ceremonial Buddha image carriages”.
| Chak Phra | |
|---|---|
| Official name | Thai: ชักพระ |
| Observed by | Thai Buddhists, Malaysian Siamese |
| Type | Buddhist |
| Significance | Celebrates Buddha’s symbolic return to earth at the end of Buddhist Lent |
| Date | 1st waning moon of the 11th lunar month of the Thai lunar calendar |
| Frequency | Annual |
| Related to | Tak Bat Devo, Wan Ok Phansa |
Chak Phra takes place in the eleventh lunar month of the traditional Thai lunar calendar on the first day of the waning moon. In the western calendar it usually falls in the month of October. Because the festival is based on a lunar calendar, the exact dates when it takes place change every year.
The largest celebration takes place in Mueang Surat Thani, along the Tapi River. This festival lasts nine days and nine nights. Smaller celebrations also take place throughout the south including: Nakhon Si Thammarat, Phatthalung, Pattani, and Ko Samui.