A Kathina (robe offering) ceremony was jointly hosted by the Thai Embassy in Vietnam, the Thai Consulate General in Ho Chi Minh City and the Vietnam Buddhist Sangha (VBS) at Hoang An pagoda in Hanoi on October 21.

The offerings were made by Thai King Maha Vajiralongkorn Phra Vajiraklaochaoyuhua.

President and General Director of Thai Beverage Public Company Limited Thapana Sirivadhanabhakdi, who represented the Thai Royal Family at the event, and representatives of the Thai royal family handed over the offerings to monks of the pagoda.

They also presented a donation package worth 600 million VND (25,854 USD) from the Thai King and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Thailand to the pagoda.

Speaking at the event, Thapana Sirivadhanabhakdi affirmed the ceremony, held annually abroad, helps enhance the people-to-people exchanges between Thailand and other countries.

Kathina ceremony is one of the long-lasting traditional rituals of Therevada Buddhism in which followers donate new robes to monks with the hope that both monks and devotees at the ceremony will gain merits.

This is the 15th event of this kind held in Vietnam, reflecting the fine relations between the governments and peoples of the two countries./.  

Source: english.vov.vn