Karnataka: Songkran, Thailand’s water festival is a great time to make a trip. It is, simply put, a huge water fight, most people never leave home without their large, colourful waterguns and you can get sprayed anywhere, anytime! Songkran marks the start of the New Year and the word is derived from the Sanksrit ‘Sankranti’, which means astrological passage.
Our trip, organised by the Tourism Authority of Thailand and Absolutely Fantastic Holidays, took us through the five-day celebration, from the dancing elephants in Ayuthayya, to the crazy revelry on Khao San Road, Bangkok.
Our guide Tim (her name is Umatip, but the Thais are big on nicknames), had an absolutely delectable lunch planned, a great way to begin a holiday! Methavalai is one of the oldest restaurants in Bangkok and what it lacks in a certain refinement, it makes up with authenticity and gastronomic splendour.
As we made our way to The Grand Palace, the heart of the religious celebrations, the city itself seeemed strangely empty. Shutters were pulled down on most of the shops and the streets were noticeably deserted. This is because most people head out of Bangkok to spend time with their friends and family back home. Songkran is the time for family reunions, temple visits and spring cleaning.
The Grand Palace thronged with people, even on that sweltering afternoon. The Wat Phra Kaew, at the heart of the palace, contains the famed Emerald Buddha that dates back to the 14th century. Outside the Wat Phra Kaew is a large silver tureen full of water scented by flower petals and holy oils. Buddhists pay homage by pouring a handful of the water on the Buddha statue placed beside it.
The party really began in Ayuthayya (derived from Ayodhya), the second largest city in Thailand. A stream of pickup trucks sails by, laughing teens armed with massive water guns hanging out , spraying everything in sight. As we turned the corner, we saw the elephants, half a dozen of them, towering over the street, stopping cars and spraying them with bellows of water from their trunks.
Most commuters good naturedly put their windows down to hand them money, of course, for giving is an important part of Songkran. A live band performs Thai Top 40 hits, blaring from a pair of giant speakers as people rush around, getting each other drenched and smearing faces with flour. The elephants danced too, with surprising flair! One baby elephant, not five feet tall, quickly became everybody’s darling!
Back in Bangkok, the celebrations take a different turn, for Khao San Road is the backpacker’s paradise, lined with budget hotels and bars. The road is packed beyond belief and tradesman stand a few feet apart, beside vats filled with icy water. Iced water is used to up the ante and the people selling it make a killing. This was less to my taste, for the crowd often teetered on the edge of turning into a mob and I couldn’t agree with the logic of having hawkers selling food in the watery melee, hygiene-wise. Beer companies actually buy up different sections of the road and people stand on podiums hoses in hand, sending jets of water down on the passersby. Make arrangements to meet somewhere afterward, because you will most likely be separated from your companions. At one point, the crowd by the Carlsberg stand was so dense that I found myself lifted off my feet and carried by the tidal wave of people.
The more authentic celebrations are an absolute delight, however. This is mostly because Thai people are a warm, friendly, hospitable lot and will not let a linguistic difference stand in the way of their making you feel welcome and inviting you to share in their excitement.
The writer was on a promotional trip to Thailand arranged by the Tourism Authority of Thailand and Absolutely Fantastic Holidays.
