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N
am Phu Festival is held every
five years for three days from
the 14th to the 16th of the
third Lunar month. The festival
attracts thousands of Buddhist monks,
pilgrims, villagers and tourists from
around the country. They arrive to pray
for a prosperous and healthy future.
The festival is dedicated to the su-
perpower gods, who can protect and
help the village. The worshipping of
such gods helps the villagers unite and
keeps their customs alive.
The highlight of the Nam Phu Festi-
val is the water procession; a special holy
ritual reflecting the belief in the power
of prayer for water. This involves wor-
shipping a river god, a practice held dear
by those living on wet rice cultivation.
The water procession is preceded
by two 20-meter-long dragons, two li-
ons, water palanquins and hundreds of
offerings. Twenty strong, young men
carry the dragons and dance to the
rhythm of drumbeats and traditional
music. This is followed by two rows
of women in colourful dresses holding
flags, gongs and drums, parasols and
offerings. Young boys and girls carry
palanquins. Notable men and ladies in
traditional costumes bring up the rear,
while master monks from local pagodas
head the entourage.
The procession makes its way
around the area, up and down the river,
before boarding boats to row to the mid-
dle of the river to fetch the purest water.
Under the Ly Dynasty thousands
of years ago there were two twin
princess nuns in the area. They taught
the locals good behaviour and how to
grow rice and make handicrafts. They
also built three local pagodas: Hung
Phuc, Hung Long, and Pho Quang.
After they died the two were hon-
oured as Bodhisattvas and they have
been worshipped in these pagodas
ever since.
After the water palanquins are pa-
raded through the temples, royal tombs
and pagodas, they are placed in the
courtyard of a pagoda before a dragon
dancing group takes centre stage.
During the three days of the fes-
tival various games and activities are
organised, such as wrestling and tradi-
tional and religious dances.
The Superpower god palanquin is carried
by boys and girls to Hung Phuc Pagoda
Water palanquins are paraded from through
the temples, pagodas and around ritual sites
The Master Monk scoops water from the middle
of the river to pour into the sarced jar
Master Monks offer flowers, votive papers
and other offerings to the gods of water