Ubon Candles Festival
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Tradition holds that in an era long before electricity, lay people brought candles to local temples during the period of Buddhist retreat to assist the monks in their nightly study of scripture, or perhaps simply to help dispel the general gloom of the rainy season.
Whatever the origins, in Ubon Ratchathani the tradition has evolved into a festival in which groups of lay people, young and old, engage in merit-making activities by creating elaborate floats with beeswax figures depicting heroic episodes of Buddhist and Hindu origin.
The floats are assembled on behalf of the local temples and compete for cash prizes, which are awarded to the temples with the winning entries.
The beeswax figures are created following one of two basic methods. Both begin by constructing an armature over which the wax is applied. This is done using a variety of materials. Plywood serves as the base for some figures, to which split coconut husks are attached to begin to build up the three-dimensional form.
Over the built-up structure, plaster of Paris serves to complete the basic modeling. Other figures are given form by applying the plaster of Paris to mesh screens or pieces of cloth, which are supported by open, three-dimensional metal frames.
A zinc coating is then applied, which enables the wax to adhere to the plaster of Paris base. In one of the two basic methods, the wax is then expertly carved to create the final forms and their highly decorative surfaces.
In the other method of finishing, instead of the decorative details being carved into the final surface, the surface is covered with a staggering number of small, decorative, thin wax cutouts. They are the product of painstaking efforts on the part of a team or teams of volunteers, who work diligently to create and then apply these tiny decorative elements.
A parade through downtown Ubon Ratchathani showcases the floats created for the candle festival. They are accompanied by dancers from local schools and civic groups, who perform in traditional Isaan attire.
Many of the floats display figures from ancient Hindu mythology, such as the part-human part-bird garuda seen here kneeling between two naga. The latter are serpentlike creatures who serve as the guardians of the earth's waters.
A fantastical creature in the form of a winged elephant with feline limbs and claws
This is Garuda, part-human part-bird mount of Brahma.
The Hindu god Indra leads his warriors into battle astride his traditional mount, the multi-headed elephant Erawan.
A reclining Buddha and attendants
As the festivities begin to draw to a close, dancers perform as a preliminary to the awards ceremony.
The trophy for the best float is readied for presentation.
And a final look at a few details from more of the floats. . . .
