Nang Kradan: A Hindu festival celebrated during Songkran in southern Thailand

The Nang Kradan festival, celebrated in southern Thailand's Nakhon Si Thammarat, commemorates the cultural heritage shared with Hindu communities.

Songkran, the Thai New Year, is one of the biggest festivals in Southeast Asia.

It is celebrated from April 13 to 15 every year in Thailand.

See: Thai New Year, Songkran 2023

While the water fights are the most well-known attraction for travelers, acquiring merit by bathing Buddha images in water is a central Songkran ceremony.

Practicing Buddhists pour scented water over a Buddha statue during Songkran.

But only in the city of Nakhon Si Thammarat do locals honor the Hindu god Shiva, who brought peace and happiness to the kingdom, by celebrating the Nang Kradan festival.

This unique Hindu festival is organized by the predominantly Buddhist population to commemorate the cultural heritage shared with the dwindling Hindu communities.

Since the early centuries AD, ships plying the maritime trade routes connecting the Mediterranean, Arabia, India, and China have brought traders to southern Thailand.

Along with Indian traders, the ships brought Indian artisans, Buddhist monks, and Hindu Brahmin priests.

They came mainly from South India and spoke Tamil.

From India, they brought knowledge of language, art, religion, state, Ayurveda, tool making and agriculture, which transformed societies.

Several stone inscriptions in Pallava script and Hindu deities found in Nakhon Si Thammarat suggest that Indians began settling in southern Thailand in the seventh century AD or earlier.

The artistic styles of many iconic Buddhist and Hindu objects from southern Thailand clearly attest to their links with Indian artistic styles of the Pallava and Chola periods.

In the cultural fabric of southern Thailand, Hindu practices have been passed down from generation to generation, and Thai kings were known to entrust certain ceremonies to Brahmin priests.

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Even today, during Thai festivals, an ordained Brahmin priest is easily recognizable by his bun, long-sleeved white shirt, Thai pants, white stockings, and white shoes.

Only a handful of Brahmin families remained in Nakhon Si Thammarat, while others moved to Bangkok to serve the kingdom's royal court.

On the morning of the Nang Kradan festival, Ho Phra Isuan, a renovated Shaivite shrine from the Ayutthaya period, where many Hindu artifacts have been discovered, becomes the place of worship for members of Brahmin families from across the province.

At dusk, the base of Phra Sayom, the ancient Shiva shrine, is where the Nang Kradan parade begins before heading to Sanam Na Muang Park for the evening open-air cultural show that attracts thousands of spectators.

Nang Kradan refers to three carved and painted wooden boards representing the sun (Phra Surya), the moon (Phra Ratchaneekron), the earth goddess (Phra Thoranee) and the river goddess (Phra Kangka / Ganges).

They are blessed at the ancient Shiva shrine, Phra Sayom, and then carried in palanquins amidst traditional music and a candlelit procession.

For the evening gala, local performers dress in traditional Thai outfits and jewelry to perform various dance performances.

A short film presents the glorious history of Nakhon Si Thammarat and its place in Thai history.

The evening ends with a spectacular sound and light show that depicts Shiva's visit to earth and in which a giant swing plays an important role that has its origins in the Triyampavai-Tripavai swing ceremony of the past.

The Nakhon Si Thammarat Tourism Department, officials, artists and volunteers deserve thanks for their support and participation in maintaining this centuries-old tradition.

Video of the Nang Kradan Festival 2015

Source: Deccan Herald