Lampang Luang - Tan Lua Hing Prajao and other Thailand Local Custom Tips

Visiting the well known Wat Phra That Lampang Luang we run into a local tradition. Thai were bringing bundles of sticks into the temple grounds making piles of it. We were very curious about the meaning of it, but we couldn’t find anybody who spoke English or was able to explain it to us.

Thanks to VT-friend Patt from Thailand we found out more about this local custom, which is named: ‘Tan Lua Hing Prajao’. Prajao = Buddha and also Buddha image.

It means a donation of firewood for Buddha. This activity takes place around January, when it is the middle of the lunar month of the 4th month of Lanna (we visited on January 28th of 2006). Locals always give firewood to be burned to make warmth for Buddha, because they believe that Buddha image is Buddha, who has the feeling of a human. So Buddha feels cold and hot as a human and the local people should give warmth during a cold season.
For firewood locals usually collect branches to be peeled, dried with sunlight and brought to the temple. Each pile exists of 80 branches, which is the age of Buddha. After that the monks will come to burn them for Buddha at 4.00 am.

This tradition also gave warmth for monks, especially in the past time, when they didn’t have electricity. Nowadays just some temples still have this tradition; most of them are in Chiang Mai and Lampang.
We were very lucky: right time, right place !!

Thanks a lot Patt for your research.

Wat Phra That Lampang Luang is 20 km's south of Lampang.

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I think we have never seen so much activity on and along the roads as in Thailand. It doesn’t matter if you are walking in Bangkok or driving along a motorway in the northern part of the country, everywhere are booths and stalls.

Of course there are a numerous number of markets in Bangkok, but also on ‘every corner’ and ‘between these corners’ street vendors are selling delicious and very cheap food. Or, as we did on several occasions, take a fresh squeezed glass of orange juice.

Along the main roads we also saw very often booths, selling all kinds of fruit or gifts. To be honest never saw any customer. In the small villages we passed, there were always simmering or boiling pots and barbecues in front of houses.

But we met the most remarkable street vendors in Khon Kaen, some were selling beds and other furniture along the road and on other places we saw people repairing clothes behind ‘old fashioned’ sewing machines.

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