FROM OUR CORRESPONDENT
Itagar, April 12: The Theravada Buddhist Community (TBC) residing in the capital complex will join the rest of state particularly msai and Changlang district to celebrate the splashy and popular Sangken Festival (water festival) from April 14 to 16 next.
The celebration of the festival in capital complex will be special for the Theravada Buddhist Society as Chief Minister bam Tuki has consented to be the chief guest and iugurate the festival on April 14 here at Theravada Buddhist Kyong in Vivek Vihar. For TBC, Sangken is a time for purification as houses are cleaned and Buddha statues washed, while younger folk pay their respects to their seniors by respectfully pouring scented water on their hands.
This tradition washes away bad thoughts and actions, especially when words of blessing are uttered, informed a communiqué.
The festival a three day affair is a celebration of life and as per the Astrological Sangken Calender of the TBC, this is the Sakkarit 1376 year, on the 26th day of the 5th month, which is Tuesday April 14 in English calendar, the spirit of the planet Sunday "Phanu Racha" adorned in red with one hand holding a sickle will come out from northern corner.
He will directly go out by the south eastern direction. And so the images of Lord Buddha will have to be shifted to temporary shrine from main temple in the evening of April 14 at exactly 04:31 pm and 15 seconds placing the Buddha facing directly to the Southeast direction.
The images of Lord Buddha will than remain at the makeshift shrine for three days before filly shifting images of Lord Buddha to main temple on the night of April 16 exactly at 08:35 pm and 57 seconds. From Friday, it will be the first day of the New Year and the new month and the Sakkarit year 1377 will have arrived. As per the Astrological Sangken Calendar, the rain at the beginning of the year will be less, but in the middle and late of the year will be good.
The people of the country will be suffering from diseases as there will be many mosquitoes and rise of accidents while the prices of articles will go up and come down.
Political instability and tural disasters are other things to occur as per this astrological calendar.
In the 4th month, the sound of the rain will be heard and in the 6th month it will be finished. There will be cold weather. For the TBC's the auspicious day would be Wednesday and iuspicious will be Friday, added the communiqué.