Author:
Publication: The Associated Press
Date: April 20, 2002
Bangkok authorities will distribute
100,000 vials of 100-year-old holy water from a Hindu temple to celebrate
the city's 220th anniversary this weekend, a religious leader said Saturday.
The distribution of the holy water
at a ceremony Sunday is intended to recreate a ritual performed at the
city's founding, when religious figures spread holy water to bless and
protect the city.
The water had been stored at Thailand's
national Brahmin temple in Bangkok for more than 100 years, said Pra Rachakru
Varmthepmuni, a Hindu priest who will supervise the ceremony.
City officials will issue 100,000
tickets that can be exchanged for the vials of holy water at the City Pillar
shrine, in the historic Sanam Luang area of central Bangkok.
During the ceremony, Hindu priests
and Buddhist monks are expected to read out ancient verses believed to
bring good fortune to the city and its dwellers.
Several major avenues in central
Bangkok will be closed for parades.
More than 90 percent of Thailand's
62 million inhabitants are Buddhists. However, Thai Buddhism has strong
elements of Hinduism, and many Thais believe in Hindu gods.