One of the most vivid memories I have from Thailand is of the festival called ‘Songkran’ which signifies the Thai New Year. Songkran coincides with the harvest festivals celebrated across several cultures in South Asia and South-East Asia. In India, it is celebrated in different regions around the same time and goes by the names Ugadi, Vishu, Baisakhi etc. What sets the celebration apart, however, is that it has become a tourist attraction seeing participation of both natives and foreigners in large numbers.
Songkran celebrations begins with merit-making. The devout Thais visit local temples to make their offerings. Lord Buddha’s statues are bathed in water as a means of purification. But the celebration doesn’t end with such solemn rituals. People throng the streets and celebrate their hearts out, splashing water on each other.
The ‘water-splashing’ event happens at every nook and corner of Thailand. However in Bangkok, the celebrations at Silom Road used to be popular and most people flock here. Armed with water guns, we are at liberty to ‘fire’ water at anybody that we find on the street. Indeed, everyone on the street that day is also armed with water guns and they will gladly return the greeting. Certain guns are devastatingly powerful to bear with and it makes you run once you realise you hit the wrong target. The rules of the game completely changes, when you see the water cannons which entertains only a one-way greeting!
The celebration of Songkran cuts across genders and ages. Everyone participates in it and this opens one up to an experience where people from different cultures, complete strangers, sharing in the joy and fun. Being new to Bangkok myself, I remember the experience of my first Songkran back in 2013 as the city’s own way of welcoming me to its fold.
In the present COVID era where we are forced to adapt to the virtual world, such memories constantly remind me of the significance of real world interactions. The profound impressions left by such festivals and celebrations is what builds human connections, knitting people up into communities. With the pandemic’s end not in sight soon, perhaps reliving such wonderful experiences from the past is one of the many ways to tide over our diminishing sense of belonging.
Mahesh MS 