Sweet
tamarind is grown mostly in Phetchabun. Sweet Tamarind Fair
is thus organised in Phetchabun to celebrate the harvest of
this fruit. This day is also called Phetchabun’s
Agricultural Day. During the festival, farmers bring their
sweet tamarind to sell at reasonable price at Phetchabun’s
provincial athletic field where contests of sweet tamarind
and other crops are held. Besides this, there are other
agricultural exhibitions and entertainment organised during
the event.
Um Phra Dam Nam
This
religious ceremony means the bathing of an Buddha image.
This event is annually held on the fifteenth day of the
waning moon in the 10th lunar month or during the Sat Thai
period, in September. Phra Buddha Mahadhamaracha is a highly
revered ancient Buddha image of Phetchabun. The image was
found in the Pasak River by a group of farmers four hundred
years ago and it was then taken to be housed in Wat Trai
Phum. According to a legend, the Buddha image was
disappeared twice from the temple and was later found in
water. It was said that the Buddha image itself had wandered
out of the temple. Therefore, the ritual bathing ceremony is
held. The ceremony starts at 1 p.m. The image is carried
around town and put under a tent in Wat Trai Phum, so
Buddhists can pay respect to it and stick gold leaf on its
body. In the evening, prayers are chanted. At night, there
are various kinds of entertainment. The next morning, people
make merit as it is Sat Thai Day. Foods, including Krayasat,
and other necessities are given to monks. The Buddha image
is then taken to be immersed in the Pasak River by the
governor of Phetchabun and traditional dances are performed
to show respect to it. After the ceremony, the water in the
river is regarded as sacred. As a result, plople swim in it
or take the water to drink before the boat racing begins.
