Sonkran Festival is a water festival that is celebrated in Thailand.It is an annual festival that is celebrated to mark the New Year in Thailand. The festival takes place between 13th to 15thApril and is regarded as one of the largest water festivals in the world. The name Sonkran is derived from the Sanskrit word ‘amkranti’, which means passing or approaching.
The Festival
Basically the Songkran festival is related with the cleaning, purification and fresh starts. During this festival, people of Thailand clean their houses, the statutes of Buddha are gently washed with aromatic water and the elders are honored by gently pouring the water over their hands. If the water is sprinkled over the people, it signifies the washing away of bad thoughts and actions, eventually bringing them good luck during the time of a New Year, which mostly signifies a new starting.
Even though the festival is related with religious values, the festival has emerged over the years as a fun event. It is one of the top attraction of Thailand, as tourists from different parts of the world come to this place, to enjoy the festival, during the 13th to 15thApril. Splashing the strangers with water has become the chief highlight of this festival. The splashing of water is taken in a cheerful attitude as the festival is celebrated during the hottest of the year, in Thailand, i.e. April. So getting soaked is quite refreshing during this time of the year, in the country.
The tradition of splashing water has gradually modified over the years, as nowadays The Thai people walk on the streets to indulge in water fights, while using containers of water or fancy water guns. The people celebrating the event even add ice to their water to up the ante. There are also some who stand by the side of the roads with a hose and soak anyone who passes by the street. As the procession and formalities of the festival end, a large crowd of people gather in the streets to party, dance and splash each other with water.
During this festival, you may also get covered in chalk. It is a custom originated from the monks to mark blessings. This custom of combining chalk with water is identical to the celebrations of Holi, which is celebrated in India.
As mentioned earlier, Songkran is related with the cleaning and purification on physical and spiritual grounds, throwing away of old and useless items is associated with this festival. Thais also make New Year resolutions during this event, to make a fresh start in their lives.
Places, Where the Festival Is Celebrate in Thailand
The perfect place to celebrate the festival in the country is Chiang Mai, but you will also find large crowds in places like Bankok, Phuket and other tourist destinations. The smaller towns and provinces witnesses more traditional style of celebration of the event. The event is also celebrated in few other parts of Southeast Asia.
If you want to witness and enjoy the festive mood of Sonkran festival, you got to be in Chiang Mai. The place is hoarded with huge crowds with the people mostly seen around the old city moat. People use the moat to fill their buckets and water pistols to splash each other with water. Note that you got to arrive in advance to get accommodation within the old city area, as the place is visited by large number of tourists from all around the world to celebrate this unique festival.
Jogini falls is one of the major tourist attractions of Manali, located at a distance of about 5 km. The site is regarded as a must visit destination in Manali, due to the scenic as well as serene surroundings of the place. The Jogini falls is situated at the northern edge of Vashisht village and is regarded to be sacred, as it is believed that the goddess of Jogini Devi temple to be residing in the cascading waters of this falls. There is also a small shrine at a short distance below the falls, which is mostly left unnoticed by the visitors, but is regarded to be an important one among the locals.
The Trek to the Waterfall
After reaching a small bridge over the Beas River while coming from Manali, you got to trek to a tiny hamlet of Bhang. From here on, it is a steady climb to the ancient village of Vashisht, which is very much renowned for its sand stone temples and the natural springs, known for its medicinal values. From the Vashisht village, it will take you an hour to reach the glorious Jogini Falls.
Attraction
As you get to the falls, you will be spell-bounded with the scenic beauty of the falls. The falls beautifully cascades down from a small hill and is also a perfect spot for picnic. Stay for a while at this place and enjoy the splendor and tranquility of the place, with a warm sun above your head. The falls is beautiful located away from the hustle of the city life, surrounded by beauty and soothing sounds of nature. The small eateries surrounding this falls provide some excellent traditional food of the region, such as brown rice, kadi chawal, rajma and roti. After having your lunch, you can opt to take a causal walk along the close by pine trees or find a perfect place close to falls, where you can rest and enjoy the magnificence of the place.
Best Time to Visit
The best time to visit the falls is during the months of April to November.
Opening Time: The falls can be visited by the tourists from 9 am to 7 pm.
Accommodation
The best option for accommodation, while visiting the Jogini falls is Manali, which is dotted numerous budget and luxury class hotels as well as resorts. These and resorts are equipped with almost all the modern amenities making your stay at this place into a memorable one.
How to Reach
By Road: By road, the falls can be easily accessed by road from Manali, located at a distance of about 5 km. Tourists can opt to take a jeep or a cab from Manali and cross a small bridge over the Beas River, from where you got to trek for a short while to get to the falls. Manali has a very good network of roads that connects the place with various major parts within Himachal Pradesh and other neighboring states.
By Air: The nearest airport to Jogini falls is the Kullu Airport, located at a distance of about 31 km. The airport is well connected with several major parts within the state as well as with other parts in India.
By Train: The nearest major railway station to this site is Joginder Nagar Railway Station, located at a distance of about 150 km from Manali. Regular bus and taxi services are available from the station to Manali, from where you can head on towards the falls.
Within the horizon of splendid Andaman and Nicobarif someone provokes you to name the best sunset point then remember the site of Chidiya Tapu which is renowned for its magical location where an eternal sun have choose to set its tire for shiny tomorrow.
Renowned as Bird Island and Sunset point Chidiya Tapu can be considered as one of the celebrated destinations within the whole ambiance of Island territory. Located at a distance of 25 km from the southern tip of Port Blair it is silently settled at uttermost Southern tip of South Andaman Island and from Port Blair it will take approximately 45 minutes to reach here.
Evening glory when all the birds go back to their huts and bliss of solitude starts to nestle and that’s the moment when murky orange tint hits the surface of beach expressing the beauty of Mother Nature relates the colossal grandeur of Sun set.
Amplitude of serenity and divinity of ambiance where one can silently nurture the beach and its surrounding valley calls for a radiance and conventional moment of life. As the muse and the hue of the milieu turns into golden orange when the dying rays of sun hits the shore compliments and comprehend the venture and would made you feel like you are quite a distance away from the contemporary schedule of life.
Make sure to be here to witness the vibrant mangrove plantation and the bushes of thick forest that attracts the traveller from all across the site calls for natural symphony. For bird watcher Chidiya Tapu is very ideal and they can spend their whole day appreciating the site because here you will get to see vivid species of birds and along with the blossoms of springs like seasonal orchids adds more delight to the site.
What’s more exciting is boat trips are also available from the site which relates to adventure and many traveller looks to take a ride to enjoy the marine beauty which in turn would give you brilliant opportunity to have closer look of the background.
Attraction Nearby
Once you end up here to relish the instant of life make sure to see other exquisite wonders that surround the site of Beach and amongst them the Chidiya Tapu Biological Park, Chidiya Tapu Beach, Sylvan Sands and Munda Pahar beaches are some of the prime attractions and are allured by all the travellers from the world.
Things to Do
If you are planning to make your way here to witness the golden bow of sun set then make sure you have other plans to execute here and amongst that picnic could be an elementary one as the site is ideal for the same. So this time around plan it with perfection and capture the moment of your life. Beside that what more you can do is Snookering and boating which completes your adventure thirst.
Best Time to Visit
Between the months of October and April would be an ideal time for you to pay a visit here
How to Reach
By Air: Port Blair international airport is the nearest airport beside that one can take a ride of jetty to reach the site of Chidiya Tapu but the best we would recommend is by road.
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