By Adeel Gilani for theIsmaili.org – Earlier this year, Ismaili youth from the Far East came together in Songkhla city in the Hat Yai province of Thailand to take in Songkran, the Thai new year festival. Known also as the “water festival” it is not only a highly cultural and unifying event, but is also one of the most anticipated times of the year in Thailand.
Celebrated in mid-April, Songkran symbolises a new beginning, in which the splashing of water is seen to wash away all of the bad karma of the past year. In essence, the ritual represents cleansing and renewal; a feature shared with many cultures where water is synonymous with purification.
Over the years, the water festival has drawn a growing number of international visitors interested in immersing themselves in Thai culture. As a local in Thailand and having celebrated this festival annually, it was exciting to have other young Ismailis from Malaysia, Singapore and elsewhere in Thailand come together to share this experience with me.
More The Ismaili: Far East youth partake in a splash of Thai culture.
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