Sawadee Khrap
Tomorrow (Sunday) is Asalabucha Day, when Thai’s celebrate the day that the Buddha gave his first sermon to his disciples. 
I went down this morning to see 
what activity was at the Wat Montien Temple– just 3 blocks away from our Condo – today the monks clean it and the candle and merit ceremony will be on Sunday, then on Monday and Tuesday is the start of the Buddhist Lent and the monks retire to the Temples for the rainy season. They used to fully confine themselves to the temple area because. as custom has it, they did not want to kill by stepping on any animal as they walked in the 
rainy season – puddles could hide animals and they would step on
them without knowing. The monks are also preparing circular amulets of the Buddha to sell to the people tomorrow as fund raising for the Temple. As you can see they have a large variety of colors available, and this only shows about a quarter of the ones laid out to dry in the Temple.
I was very fortunate to meet a Novice Monk (Van) 
who showed me around the Temple grounds and told me the story of the celebration. He is from Lao, living at this temple while studying here in Chiang Mai at Wat Suan Dok – a very beautiful Temple nearby and the nearest Monk Novice School.
Van is studying English Language as well as the standard Buddhist classes. It was a lot of fun talking to him and what a beautiful young man. He says it will take him about 9 years to graduate from Novice class to a full Monk. After he graduates from school he plans on returning to Lao and his Temple.
He also offered to give me a personal tour of Wat Suan Dok on Wednesday and that I would never refuse – so I will should have some great shots to show you then.
Ciao
Hi how are you today? today i come to see your website and i want to tell you about buddhist festival Loy Ka tong on twenty five this month because it is very important festival and in my temple we have extivity , we make tree gate in my temple like now we are making it ,on that day we will to do candle light ceremony .
Hello Van, Thank you for your comment – I will be at your temple, Wat Montien, to see and photograph the “tree gate”. Thank you for inviting me. I hope to have pictures for my blog and for the world to see how Buddhist celebrate Loy Katong festival, fire baloons, floating katongs on the moat and Ping River. See you at Monk Chat too.
this temple very important in Chiang Mai and this temple 567 years old and very buaetifull temple . You are good person and today i come to see your website oh very nice , have a lucky for you .
Thank you very much Van – It was my honor to photograph your beautiful temple – and I am very excited to have been asked by your Abbot to do a more extensive photo shoot of the temple grounds for his new brochure this coming Saturday. And thank you very much for taking me around the temple –
Great pics Frank, that is one thing that facinated me in China were the temples. Surely not an easy task to build but the dedicated and talented workers makes them look perfect.
And I agree, Van is a very handsome young man.
Isn’t he !! – In Chiang Mai City alone there are about 300 Chedis and/or Temples. And the northern area of Thailand is the “” Spiritual”” – Buddhist/Hindu part of the country. I am going to start visiting more of them and will add images showing the differences and hopefully a little history.