Thai-Mon communities gathered in Uthai Thani province to celebrate one of the most significant Mon holidays commemorating the founding of the old Mon capitol, Hongsawatoi.
The ceremony and festival, celebrated on January 24th, drew an estimated 6,000 members of the Thai-Mon community from over 20 provincial areas in Thailand. The attendees arrived by large buses as well as a variety of smaller vehicles from outlying areas, to celebrate what is now the 63rd anniversary of Mon National Day. The ceremony and festival included performance arts, a food fair, a cloth fair, a musical performance and speeches focusing on the remembrance of the previous centuries during the reign of the Mon kingdom when Mon culture flourished and its people lived in an independent state.
According to Thai-Mon families in attendance, the gathering was held in Parchar Mon village, in Nong-chang District of Uthai-thani. Where the gathering was held in the compound of the village monastery. There are over 8,000 Mon in the whole district, and are separated into over 10 villages, where communities still practice Mon traditions and customs, explained a local community leader, Nai Samarn Pongparam.
Local people from Uthai Thani welcomed Mon National Day attendees with a local dance performance and tradional foods. The ceremony opened at about 8: 30 a.m, in the morning after Mon representatives from the different communities arrived. The Mon Youth Community – Bangkok are accredited with organized the ceremony.
“Whenever the Mon people in Monland had trouble in the past and fled to Thailand, Thai kings always welcomed us and took care us. We always served with gratitude the Thai kings…,” stated Dr. Rudee Pongbankadee, Chairwoman of Mon Youth Community, in a speech at the celebration. “Nowadays, although we lost our country, we never lost our national identity …. Please be proud and preserve our culture and literature.”
After a short ceremonial speech, people shared foods, danced to music and talked together throughout the festival grounds. The elderly people who also participated, gave alms to the temples monks, who prayed for the lives and well-being of Mon ancestors, one attendee said.
At the festival, Mi (Ms.) Pakama from Pathom Thani, sung a song of remembrance about past flourishing Mon Kingdoms, and the suffering of the Mon people after their kingdom was annexed and destroyed by the Burman king – Alaung-phaya also known as, U Aung Ze Ya. Hongsawatoi was the Mon kingdom, which was annexed and destroyed by Burma in 1757.
Ms. Thongraw Pekhao, a descendent of Banya Dalae, the last Mon king of Hongsawatoi, said that their village and monastery were founded from the resettlement of Banya Dalae’s decedents who took asylum in the area during late 18th century.
The Mon Youth Community – Bangkok, plans to hold next year’s 64th Anniversary of Mon National Day (MND) in Prapadeang District near Bangkok.
At the end of the ceremony, leaders of the Mon Youth Community offered a Mon National Day flag to the Prapadaeng Mon community. According to a member of the Prapadaeng community, the community intends to hold an even larger ceremony next year. Prapadaeng is the largest Mon community near Bangkok.
