Amid swaying phasats and the sound of Lao traditional music and dancing, the religious component of the That Luang festival played out across Vientiane during the week 5 November.

This year’s festival was the biggest ever organized in Laos and marked the 20th anniversary of the People’s Democratic Republic and the 75th birthday of the late President Kaysone Phomvihane. Festivities began on Sunday with the ceremonial offering in homage to Lak Muong, the city pillar which stands in the sim of Vat (temple) Simuong. Celebrations continued in the evening with the traditional Vat Simuong festival and phasat procession and continued for three days, culminating on Tuesday evening’s candle-lit procession and spectacular fireworks at the That Luang’s esplanade.

Namatsakarn Pha That Luang, the largest festival in the country held on the full moon of the 12th month, marks the end of religious celebrations for the year. Hundreds of people descended on Vat Simoung - the most popular Vat in Vientiane - as the sun set on Sunday evening. Devotees converged on the vat with their traditional phasat - castles made from banana stems decorated with wax flowers, money and offerings.

One of Vientiane’s loudest and more colourful bouns, the festival attracted hundreds of devotees carrying phasat, candles, incense and flowers, beating drums and cymbals and singing as they walked in procession around the Vat three times to honour the guardian of the city and to gain merit.

As the home of the city’s founding pillar, the Vat is considered one of the most important in Vientiane. According to legend, when the pillar was laid, a pregnant woman, Nang Si inspired by supernatural forces, threw herself to death under the pillar as it was being dropped into position. Nang Si is now seen as the guardian of the city and every year homage is paid to her and Lord Buddha during the festival.

The Vat Simoung festival is perhaps the most spontaneous of Vientiane’s bouns evoking a joyous celebration of Buddhism and the on going prosperity of Vientiane. The evening ended with a homage of fire to Buddha in the form of fireworks. A series of ‘roman candle’ rockets was launched around the Vat sending fire and sparks more than 20 metres into the sky. Other rockets, including bang fai dork, flower of fire - representing huge dancing trees of fire - bang fai xang, the elephant rocket - which gave an elephant like bellow - added to the festive atmosphere.

The celebrations at the That Luang began on Monday with a similar phasat procession from Vat Nongbone to the stupa beginning at 3.30 pm. One of the largest on record, the procession wound its way the short distance across That Luang’s esplanade, and at one stage the leading revelers had completed the course before the last participants had begun.

More solemn than its Vat Simoung counterpart, the That Luang procession this year saw many people - including a greater number of men in traditional costume. Men wearing pha han nyao (sampot) and high collared jacket and phabiang, though not as numerous as the women in their sin and phaekhit (sash), were a fine sight. Similarly, an increased number of children dressed in traditional finery perhaps suggests a renaissance of interest and pride in Lao culture.

Throughout the procession, hundreds of phasats, covered with offerings of money and flowers, swayed above the crowd. In Lao and minority costumes, traditional dancers and a traditional orchestra accompanied the procession on its three laps around the stupa. After the third circuit, devotees recited the prayers to the That and offered the phasats to the monks.

The celebrations continued on Tuesday with a traditional takbat beginning at 7am in the grounds of the That Luang. Crowds began arriving at the stupa before 5 O’Clock to secure the best positions inside the cloister, to pray and prepare their offerings. Both inside and outside the cloister, That Luang’s esplanade was a cascade of saffron robes as the country’s monks assembled to receive their offerings.

President Nouhak Phoumsavanh, the President of the National Assembly, SamaneVientiane, Bounyang Volachit and members of the government attended the ceremony which included a special prayer to That Luang, acceptance of the five percepts, a sermon and the placing of rice and other offerings in the monks’ alms bowls.

During the takbat ritual inside the cloister and on the esplanade outside, the sheen of women’s multi-coloured silk dresses and the glint of silver bowls in the early morning sunshine created a rich ritualistic tapestry.

A traditional picnic followed, a time for families and friends to share a meal and catch up on developments over the past year.

In the afternoon, a game of tikhee, a form of hockey played with bamboo-root sticks and a bamboo root ball, took place on the esplanade. A ritual game, tikhee used to be played by two opposing groups, one symbolizing the people and the other the establishment. Nowadays, it is considered a more light-hearted sporting event between two teams of the Vientiane municipality. Nevertheless, the procession to accompany the ball (louk khee) from the stupa to the grounds and back is a display of spectacular pageantry with musicians and dancers presided over by the city authorities.

In the evening, ‘vien thien’, a candle-lit procession was held three times around the stupa participated in by thousands of monks and devotees.

The That Luang Fair, which continued until 15 November, was the backdrop to the final homage to Buddha and the That on Tuesday night as hundreds of fireworks lit the sky over That Luang in a stunning display of colour and sound.