Bhubaneswar: Not known to many, Thailand has its version of Odisha’s Boita Bandana. The festival celebrates Odisha’s rich maritime glory. People come to Bindusagar in the Odisha capital and perform rituals with boats made out of banana stem, paper and thermocol.
In Thailand, it is called Loy Krathong. People gather around water bodies and pray to the Water Goddess. They set afloat beautiful rafts in the shape of lotus flowers. These are decorated with candles, incense and flowers. The flickering light of the candles creates magic in the water.
Apart from being an apology for polluting the water bodies, the festival signifies the end of the harvest season and is a thanksgiving ritual for abundant supply throughout the year.
There is also a belief that it signifies forgetting grudges and anger. If your candle remains lit until the Krathong (boat) disappears out of sight, all the luck is yours.
