SPECTACULAR LEAP OF FAITH
When Yasothon natives reach for the skies during the Bun Bang Fai Festival, the explosive results draw spectators from far and wide
By: Story and photos JETJARAS NA RANONG
Published: 21/05/2009 at 12:00 AM
Newspaper section: Horizons
Every year, in or around the second week of May, Yasothon, normally a sleepy provincial capital 531km northeast of Bangkok, is thronged with farmers from outlying districts and visitors from other parts of the country and overseas _ all gathered for a red-letter event on the cultural calendar in these parts: the famous Rocket Festival, known as Bun bang fai in the local dialect.
Once a year in Yasthon province, locals celebrate the Yasothon Rocket Festival. The festival is traditionally a merit-making ceremony, involves music, dance, parades and the much anticipated home-made rocket competition. — by Jetjaras Na Ranong.
A tradition cherished for centuries by natives of Yasothon and people from all over the Northeast (Isan), this ritual is normally held in the sixth lunar month to propitiate Phaya Thaen, the animist god of rainfall, and ask him for a sufficiently bountiful monsoon to irrigate farmland and ensure a good harvest.
The mock-up of a huge toad being paraded through the streets of Yasothon town (see main picture) is a reference to an ancient folk tale. The story goes that a kindly toad once helped human beings subdue a deity who had cursed Earth with a drought that lasted for 7 years, 7 months and 7 days. In the aftermath of this epic struggle, the deity, Phaya Thaen, agreed that, henceforth, every time people launched rockets (bang fai) into the skies, he would respond by making it rain. The setting off of these rockets _ actually giant fireworks fashioned by stuffing explosive material into casings made from bamboo or PVC _ is the highlight of festivals held all over Isan at the end of the dry season, a timely reminder to the heavens that farmers are waiting for rain.
This year's festival in Yasothon was held over five days (May 9-13). There was also the usual colourful parade through town plus contests to find the most ornately decorated rocket and the most powerful one. A great excuse for partying in the streets, this fun-filled event is well worth witnessing at least once in a lifetime.
This gloriously decorated float is composed almost entirely of rockets. They will not be lit, however, since this display is one of the entrants in a contest to find the most ornate bang fai. Traditional Isan or Thai designs are the most popular, with the head of a rocket usually shaped to resemble that of the mythical, serpent-like Naga.
A weighty projectile is manhandled onto a platform prior to launch.
Judges observe a bang fai contest from behind sandbags in an improvised bunker meant to shield them from explosions. Although rocket launch sites were fenced off with wire and ‘danger’ signs, many people ignored the warnings and wandered wherever they wished.
In most parts of Isan, rocket casings are now made from PVC piping rather than the traditional bamboo. The rockets themselves are categorised according to size. Bang fai noi is the general term for any small projectile while a bang fai roi contains less than 12kg of gunpowder and is the type mainly used in competitions. There’s also a bang fai meun, which contains between 12 and 119kg of gunpowder, and a bang fai saen (anything in excess of 120kg). It takes several strong men to lift one of the latter, of which a total of 16 were launched at this year’s festivities in Muang district.
Decked out in regional attire, a Canadian exchange student from one of the universities in Yasothon tries her hand at a traditional Isan dance. Elsewhere in the parade, a boy takes the cymbals very seriously, an old man plays the khaen (bamboo panpipes) and an uninhibited, garland-bedecked senior gets into the swing of things. People taking part in the parade often dress up in bright colours to attract attention. This year’s festival had a more international flavour than usual with several visitors from Vietnam joining the parade.
A man prepares to set off a line of bang fai noi preparatory to the launch of a much bigger bang fai saen. Typically, firework displays like this are put on to crank up the tension prior to a major lift-off. The photo on the right shows a pair of jaruad which resemble rockets.
If a rocket fails to launch or should it disintegrate shortly after take off, its creators are punished by being thrown into a muddy ditch. The guy in the green top in the photo on the right is raising his arms and jumping around to celebrate the successful launch of his projectile
Bang fai noi of all shapes and sizes were on sale all over town for prices ranging from as little as one baht all the way up to 100 baht. I saw one foolhardy (or drunk) guy lighting a small rocket with his bare hands; he looked old enough to know that he could easily have lost a limb!
These garishly hued, synthetic wigs cost a mere 199 baht each and proved very popular at the festival. Apart from providing welcome shade from the sun, they were sometimes set alight by their owners in an excess of enthusiasm prior to a major rocket launch! Balloons in various colours and shaped like well-known cartoon characters were on sale for only 40 baht apiece.
These folks are placing bets on whether a particular rocket will remain in the air for more than 300 seconds. Since that rarely happens, most of these guys will probably go home with empty pockets!
Talai, a firework seen in this man’s hand, spins into the air when lit.
The biggest, best patronisedbun bang fai event takes place in Muang district, but bang fai festivals are organised in villages all over Yasothon. The provincial capital can be reached by public bus. The nearest train station and airport is at Ubon Ratchathani. Getting around the town itself is easy: flag down a tuk-tuk or, if you’re staying for a few days, rent a motorbike. Places of interest in the vicinity include the 18th-century temple of Wat Phra Sri Mahathat, the archaeological site of Ban Song Puey, the ancient chedi of Phra That Kong Khao Noi (in Tambon Tat Thong on the road to Udon Thani) and the village of Ban Si Than (for handicrafts). For more details, phone the Yasothon Municipality on 045-720-951 (ext 306), the local Tourism Authority of Thailand office on 045-243770 or 045-250-714 or the Yasothon Provincial Office on 045-715-523 (or visit the web site, http://www.yasothon.go.th/)..
readmore http://www.bangkokpost.com/travel/travelnews/17065/spectacular-leap-of-faith
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