Baci Ceremony
Writes Indagare member Pamela Murdock:
We participated in a very moving ceremony known as Su Khouan (Calling of the Soul), at the Amantaka just before sunset. We were met by one of the village elders accompanied by five older ladies who were all seated on the ground around a Pah Khouan (a beautiful vertical tower of offering trays). After paying our respects, we touched the Pah Khouan as the mo pohn (village elder) chanted a mantra calling upon the wandering Khouan to return and inhabit our bodies. “The Khouan are 32 spirits believed to watch over the human body’s 32 organs which are thought to constitute a person’s spiritual essence”. When he finished the invocation, he placed some symbolic food into our upturned hands and then took a white cotton thread from the Pha Khouan and tied it around each of our wrists to bind the Khouan in place. Two other women also tied a thread. Afterwards, he chanted a shorter version of the invocation to strengthen the power of the blessings. The ceremony ended with all of us touching the Pah Khouan again.
Tip: If you want your wishes to come true, keep the strings tied around your wrist(s) for at least three days but it’s best to let them fall off naturally. If you want to remove them after three days, untie the strings instead of cutting them as the good wishes might be severed.
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Tak Bat
Writes Indagare member Pamela Murdock:
“Every morning around 5.30 to 6 a.m. is the Tak Bat, where the monks and novices of the 30-plus temples accept alms (sticky rice) from the locals. It’s still cold, dark and quiet and then suddenly, all one hears is the sound of walking and they appear out of the fog in single file. It’s a beautiful and humbling sight.”
Indagare Tip: While a lot of vendors will offer you baskets of sticky rice to buy and present to the monks, it’s best to just stand back and observe Tak Bat as a tourist. First of all, the quality of the sticky rice varies (some monks have gotten sick from badly made rice brought by tourists) and this daily tradition is really one specific to Luang Prabang locals. Also, while photography is not forbidden, be respectful of the procession. Do not use your flash and don’t walk up too close to the monks. Their daily ritual is already one of the most observed and documented in Luang Prabang.
A good spot to witness the procession is close to the 3 Nagas hotel, as the main stretch of Sisavangvung is crammed with camera-toting tourists. After seeing the saffron-colored procession, have a coffee at Le Benetton. Afterwards, it’s a great time to visit the local fresh market, which is in full gear by that time.
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