Candle craftsmen at temples in Korat are rushing to carve candle trees for the Buddhist Lent and decorate the candle procession in an extravagant way, preparing to participate in this year's candle procession tradition. Candle carvers of Wat Derm, Tambon Nai Mueang, Amphoe Phimai, Nakhon Ratchasima Province are rushing to carve candle trees into Thai patterns and decorate the candle procession intricately and beautifully to be included in the traditional candle procession of Nakhon Ratchasima Province under the name 'Candlelight of Dharma, the beauty of the city of Ya, 72nd Anniversary of the Great King' at the Thao Suranaree (Ya Mo) Monument, Mueang Nakhon Ratchasima District, Nakhon Ratchasima Province, which will be held from July 20-21, 2024 to promote and conserve the beautiful arts, culture and traditions of Thailand, as well as to promote tourism and stimulate the economy. Within the event, there will be a contest for candle trees in 3 categories: Category A, Category B and Category C, along with a contest for the 9th candle procession, a light and sound show, a cultural music performance and a celebration performance. Various temples in Nakhon Ratchasima Province that have participated in the event each year are rushing to carve and decorate the candle trees in preparation for the event. This year, the procession of the candle tree of the original temple will be led by the Garuda, which represents great power and prosperity. Next will be the story of the life of the Buddha, the teachings of the four divine states of mind, and there will also be many angels, fairies, and Himmapan animals joining in to see him off. Mr. Kiatsak Duangthong, 25 years old, a candle craftsman at Wat Derm, said that this year, 8 tons of candles were used, costing more than 300,000 baht, to mold and carve the candle procession, which is 5 meters high and 19 meters long. It took about 90 days to carve and decorate it in order to make it the grandest and most spectacular candle procession before it is paraded to show off to the people of Korat and tourists in the annual Candle Procession Festival in Nakhon Ratchasima Province in 2024. Source: Thai News Agency