The Poson Festival natively referred to as Poson Poya in Sri Lanka celebrates the introduction of Buddhism to the country during the third century BC. It is a significant historical event to the country where majority of people practices Buddhism as their religion. The Mihintale rock plays a significant role during the Poson Festival which is held during the month of June, since it is said that it was in Mihintale where King Devanampiyatissa of Sri Lanka was converted to Buddhism by the Arahat Mahinda who came from India. With this legend Mihintale has become the main site for festive activities during Poson and many locals and foreigners visit Mihintale during this season to perform religious rites as well as for leisure. There are many …

Marking the traditional beginning of the rice growing season, the Royal Ploughing Ceremony also known as Lehtun Mingala or the Mingala Ledaw is a grand affair indeed. Accommodation Bangkok would not be much of a hassle during this season as Somerset Sukhumvit Thonglor Bangkok conveniently located amidst all the acitivity harbours some of the most sought after Sukhumvit apartments located within the city. The festival is celebrated in both Cambia and Thailand and traditionally takes place at the beginning of the Buddhist lent in the Burmese month of Waso which usually falls on the 11th of May. On the day of t6he ceremony, two sacred oxen are tied to a wooden plough after which they are made to plough on a ceremonial ground. After the ploughing, rice seeds are …

Say sawatdi pi mai! at the Songkran Festival at Thailand this year! The Songkran Festival, also known as the Thai traditional New Year is celebrated between the 13 to 16 April every year. Beach Hotels Hua Hin Thailand are quite abuzz during these days, actively participating in all the festivities. Anantara Hua Hin Thailand Resort is one of the Hua Hin hotels that are known to delve into the very depth of the festival and celebrate the Songkran in style. The most remarkable feature of this festival is perhaps the good natured water throwing that takes place in the streets during this period so be prepared to be drenched to the bone if planning to take part in the New Year. Buddha statues are paraded through the cities on …

Vietnam is a country which has a vibrant culture and a combination of very friendly and hospitable people. The amount of places and festivals with a cultural value are wide and varied. One of the major festivals celebrated in the country is the Mid Autumn Festival. This festival is celebrated by both Chinese and Vietnamese people, but the celebrations are not exactly similar in both cultures. Normally the fifteenth day of the eighth month in the lunar calendar is the day that the celebration takes part. This is grandly celebrated in Vietnam by families as a tradition. Folklore from Vietnam mentions that the adults in the community were very busy with the harvesting process and the children had to play alone. So to make up …

An administrative district of the People’s Republic of China, the global business hub of Hong Kong celebrates the onset of summer in a sizzling fashion. An annually held event, the 2012 production saw the celebrations take on even greater spirits with shopping promotions, live music and all in all, a truly fun weekend. Last year, visitors to the Summer Spectacular were treated to a shopping extravaganza like no other with beautiful clothing items being sold at amazingly low prices. To add to the frenzy, a Visa sponsored draw was made with the winner receiving a stunning HK$200,000 and spending credit were given to ten additional shoppers. As if this wasn’t a good enough reason to embark on a great shopping expedition, Visa also rewarded their …

Vesak is a holy day for millions of Buddhist around the world as it commemorates Gautama Buddha’s birth, enlightenment and ‘parinirvana’ or passing away. The exact day of the festival varies according to the lunar calendars of various cultures but in Theravada Buddhist countries following the Buddhist Calendar it generally falls on a full moon day on the 6th lunar month which is usually in May. The name Vesak itself is a derivative of the name for the lunar month occurring from April to May. Although festivals to mark Vesak had been taking place for several centuries, the decision to celebrate Vesak worldwide as Buddha’s birthday was taken at the first conference of the World Fellowship of Buddhists held in Sri Lanka in 1950. The …