Songkran Festival, April 12-15, is the traditional Thai New Year. This is the time for Thais to pay homage to Buddha images, clean their houses, and sprinkle water on their elders in a show of respect. Anyone who ventures out on the streets is likely to get a thorough dousing of water, all in good fun, but also quite welcome at the peak of the hot season.
kinnaree
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According to Indian legend, the Kinnaree is a human being from the "Himmawatpradhes" known in Thai as the "Himmaphan Forest". Kinnaree is the name given to female figures, while the male figures are called "Kinnon". The Kinnaree in Thai literature originates from India, but was modified to fit in with the Thai way of thinking. The Thai Kinnaree is therefore depicted as a young woman of sublime beauty wearing an angel-like costume. The lower part of the body is similar to a bird, enabling her to fly wherever she wants, and to travel back and forth between the human and the mythical worlds. When swimming, she shed her wings and tail, and she then possesses a figure of an ordinary beautiful young woman. The Kinnaree is renowned for her speed of flight, which enables her to reach to many mysterious destinations where ordinary human beings can't go.
The most famous Kinnaree in Thailand is the figure known as "Menorah" in a Thai tone entitled "Panyasachadok". The dance called "Manorah-Buchayan", featured as an integral part of this literature is one of the most esoteric among the high classical dances of Thailand.
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