Tay Ninh is expected to continue to be a pilgrimage destination attracting hundreds of thousands of followers nationwide to attend the Cao Dai religion's Duc Chi Ton festival, the Than Tai festival and the Lantern Festival on January 8-10.
January 8 - 9: Great Feast of the Supreme Being at the Holy See
Along with the Dieu Tri Palace Banquet on the 15th day of the 8th lunar month, the Great Festival of the Supreme Being taking place on the 8th and 9th of the 1st lunar month at the Holy See is considered the most important festival of the year for Cao Dai followers.
According to the Cao Dai religion, God is the creator, giving birth to all things in the universe. Therefore, on the occasion of the great festival of God, thousands of Cao Dai followers from all over the country flock to the inner area of the Holy See to pay their respects and pray for national peace and prosperity, favorable weather, and happiness and prosperity for every family.
Cao Dai festivals are always crowded and bustling. Besides the incense offering and prayer ceremonies, a sea of people flock to see the models displayed by the religious groups in Tay Ninh province and the provinces of Ben Tre, Dong Thap, Dong Nai, Kien Giang, etc. The models on display recreate the origin stories such as the story of betel and areca, Mai An Tiem, Lac Long Quan and Au Co, Hai Ba Trung, etc.; at the same time, many unique, elaborate and sophisticated models of ornamental plants, musical instruments, etc. are also displayed.
In particular, in the evening there will be Long Ma dance, Tu Linh dance, ethnic music performance in front of the holy temple and Bao An Tu, the Incense Dragon team with bustling drums..., all creating a lively and exciting festival.
January 10: Praying to the God of Wealth on the sacred mountain top
According to folk beliefs, the God of Wealth’s day on the 10th of January is an important holiday for people to pray for luck and fortune in the new year, especially for business people. Not only do they prepare offerings at home, many people also go to temples and places of worship to pray for fortune on this day.
On this occasion, many people also choose to go to Ba Den Mountain (Tay Ninh) to pray for fortune in front of Linh Son Thanh Mau at the 300-year-old Ba Pagoda system.
In particular, the top of Ba Den Mountain is also home to the statue of Maitreya Bodhisattva, the embodiment of joy and the future. For many people, January and especially the day of the God of Wealth is an occasion to pay homage and make offerings to Maitreya Bodhisattva at the top of the sacred mountain, praying for a happy and prosperous new year. According to folk beliefs, early spring is the best time to invite Maitreya, to receive positive energy from the Bodhisattva who represents joy and forgiveness and puts faith in the future.
Full moon of January: Enjoy the Lantern Festival at the foot of Ba Mountain
In Buddhist culture, the full moon day of the first lunar month is the day when Buddha descends to pagodas to witness the sincerity of believers. There is a saying: "Worshiping Buddha all year round is not as good as going to the full moon day of the first lunar month", and going to the full moon day has become an important ritual of people on this day.
In the days near the full moon of January, the sacred Ba Den mountain is always crowded with pilgrims, worshipers day and night, "camping" and enjoying the Lantern Festival for several days. From early morning to late at night, people flock to spread mats, canvas, carpets, sleeping bags... around the foot of the mountain. For many people, this is a way to receive the peaceful energy from the sacred mountain in the first days of the new year.
This is also the biggest spring festival of the year for the people of Tay Ninh and neighboring provinces such as Long An, Binh Duong, Binh Phuoc, Tien Giang... and provinces bordering Cambodia. Stretching from the area in front of the cable car station square to the Trung pagoda area, the monument area, Thuy Duong lake, the area behind Ba Den station..., people are everywhere spreading mats, gathering to chat, eat, sing, have fun and sleep overnight. The next morning, groups of people go up the mountain to worship Ba to pray for peace and prosperity in the new year, immersing themselves in the jubilant spring festival atmosphere on the mountain top with many cultural and artistic experiences imbued with Tay Ninh identity. In particular, on the evening of the 15th day of the first lunar month, the lantern offering ceremony to celebrate the Lantern Festival will be held on a large scale on the mountain top.
With many large spiritual festivals taking place continuously, Tay Ninh is still a "hot spot" attracting tourists during the spring festival season.
Le Thanh
Source: https://vietnamnet.vn/tay-ninh-hut-khach-voi-loat-le-hoi-lon-tai-nui-ba-den-va-toa-thanh-2368784.html
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