Vietnam whale worship festival begins
18:26 04/03/2009

      Binh Thuan province in central Vietnam opened Wednesday evening the Cau Ngu festival in honor of the ocean’s largest creature.

Thousands of people from fishing villages across the province attended the opening ceremony at the Van Thuy Tu or Thuy Tu Temple, a national cultural heritage site which stores over 100 sets of whalebones.

Cau Ngu (Praying for Fish) is held to worship Ong Nam Hai, or Mr. Whale, a friendly animal that is believed to help fishermen in danger at sea.

It is a time when fisher­men pray for smooth and calm seas, an abundant yield, and peace for every one. Thus, it often features both religious and social ceremonies.

The highlights of this year’s festival, due to wrap up Saturday, include Nghinh lenh Than Nam Hai, a long-established ritual in which hun­dreds of large and small boats take part.

Fishermen in traditional costumes will parade in their boats, inviting the whale to come to their villages, receive offerings, and bestow them a wealthy and easy life.

The festival will also feature a ceremony in which some 5,000 flower gar­lands and colored lanterns are floated on the Ca Ty River. The light of the lanterns represents the fishermen's sincere respect for the God of the Sea.

There will be custom­ary events like boat and coracle races as the fishermen compete with each other to demonstrate their strength and endurance.

Reported by Quoc Hanh – Compiled by Thu Thuy

Source : thanhniennews.com