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Thai Songkran History

Songkran is considered the Thai New Year. The word Songkran comes from Sansakrit language which means passing or moving. It is the moving of the sun to Aries.

History
Once upon a time before Buddhist Era, there is a millionaire family that suffered due to they have no sun to extend the family. There was a man next door who always drunken said to the millionaire that his life is better than the millionaire event he has no money but he has a children to extend his family. Since then, the millionaire started praying to the sun and the moon to ask for a sun. but three year passed by, it was no result.

One day, it is the Songkran day. The millionaire went to a big banyan tree. He ordered his followers to wash rice with clean water 7 times, and cooked the rice to sacrifice the gods who dwelled there. The gods felt pity of his suffer. So they went to meet the Indra god to ask for help. Indra god ordered a god named “Thammaban” to born in the millionaire family.
Prince Dhammaban was very genius. The fame of his genius reached to a god name “King Kabilaprom”. The king would like to test his intelligent by asking three questions:
1. Where is human’s splendor (good signs) in the morning?
2. Where is human’s splendor in the midday?
3. Where is human’s splendor in the night?
The condition was he willing to sacrifice his head if the answer correct, meanwhile if the prince Thammaban gave the wrong answer, he must die as well.The prince could not answer immediately. So he negotiated to answer the question within seven days. After six days, the prince still could not get the answer. He left out from his palace to jungle.
He was tried and lied down under a big tree. In the tree, there was a bird family in a nest.

A female bird asked the husband where to search for food tomorrow. The male bird said no need to search for food tomorrow as they would eat the prince Thammaban meat after he was killed. The female bird asked for the story, and the male bird told her the entire story and said that he knew the answers were:
1. The human’s splendor (good signs) is in the face in the morning. That’s why people wash their face in the morning.
2. The human’s splendor is in the chest in the midday. That’s why people paint their chest with perfume in the midday.
3. The human’s splendor is in the foot in the night. That’s why people wash their foot before go to bed.
The prince knew the bird language. He went back to palace and correct answers the question in the day after. The king needed to cut his head as promised. He then called his seven daughters; Tungsatevee, Korakatevee, Ragsotevee, Montatevee, Kirineetevee, Kimitatevee, and Mahotorntevee to assign the duty to carry his head after it was cut because his head was very powerful. If his head touch the earth, the world would be on fire. If the head touch the ocean, it would be drought. And there would be no rain and a serious drought would also occurred if his head was thrown to the sky.
The seven daughters needed to carry the head of the king clockwise around the mountain called Phra Sumane. Once Songkran day (13 of April), falls on any day, that year would be honored by that Nang Songkran. This year 2009 (BE 2543) 13 April is match to Monday. So, we have Korakatevee to be Nag Sonkran. She wears yellow dress with pearl ornaments, preferred butter oil, dagger in the right hand, walking cane in the left hand, tiger as the vehicle.
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