WatPhu Festival
WatPhu Festival is organized annually in Champasak in the full moon of the third month of lunar calendar, on the grounds of the enchanting pre-Angkorian, WatPhou temple. The temple is situated at the food of a sacred mountain called Phou Kao. According to historians, WatPhou is the oldest temple in Laos, the center of Hinduism.
There is a lagend about sacrifice at WatPhou. Phan princess, the daughter of Lord MuongChampaNakhon was captivated by a man but then he left her forever. Because of this suffering, she made a curse: the girls who are captivated to be pregnant like her have to worship God an ox to hear Confessions. If not, crops will be destroyed.
However, sins still happened everywhere. Many girls still made wrong choices. So the baptism took placed annually. Besides, this festival is also an opportunities for the couples to forget sins and wish happiness.
Nowadays, WatPhou ceremony is a Buddhist festival of South Laos, one of the biggest festivals in Laos, held continuously for three days of the lunar full moon in March.
Laotians and people from the neighboring provinces of Northeastern Thailand pilgrimage here. NoongVieng Lake in front of the ancient temple is the center of this festival. Here are elephants racing, buffaloes fighting, cocks fighting and performances of Lao traditional music and dance. The trade fair showcasing the products from the southern province of Laos, Thailand, Cambodia and Vietnam is also held.
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