The Kingdom of Thailand sees continuous arrivals of countless tourists to its land each year and its capital, Bangkok it a bustling city teeming with locals and foreigners alike. Yet, as you drive into the countryside, you will encounter quiet villages surrounded by mountains and forests. Chiang Mai is one of these and is located towards the northern side of Thailand. Being an ancient city with many reputed Buddhist temples, it is best known for cultural and religious tours. The natural waterfalls add to the beauty of the green mountains.

Chiang Mai is known for the Ping River that runs deep here. The river is one of the main sources of the Chao Prihiya River. At present, the roads and houses are modernized and well developed. Some of the buildings and hotels in Chiang Mai such as the Anantara Chiang Mai Resort are built on the river bank itself.

The river is very similar to the Indian river, Ganga. It is believed to have the holy presence of the Goddess Ganga. According to the lunar calendar of Thailand, on a full moon day of the 12th month, people gather at the river bank. This is to worship the water spirits as an act of receiving forgiveness for littering the river throughout the year. The festival is termed as “Loy Krathong” and the surrounding area is lit up with candles hanging on trees, lanterns floating in the sky and lamps floating on the river. Baskets made out of banana stems are set afloat on the river by people. These baskets consist of incense, coins and flowers as an offering to the water spirits. Children swim and play happily in the water while their parents hang out with relatives and friends. This is truly a joyous event.

Roland Lefevre is a travel writer who specializes in creating features on leisure as well as business travel destinations across the globe.

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