Right from 6:30 am, delegates, members of the Festival Organizing Committee, the procession, the worshiping delegation, along with people and tourists gathered solemnly in front of the courtyard of Con Son Pagoda to prepare for the ceremony. In the sound of water music and the bustling sound of drums and gongs, the procession began to move from Con Son Pagoda towards Con Son Lake.
This year's procession has more than 1,500 participants, including dragons, flags, umbrellas, baguas, ambushes, palanquins of the Three Ancestral Masters of Truc Lam and delegations offering vegetarian offerings, savory offerings, incense, flowers and water vases. All create a festival atmosphere that is both solemn, sacred, and imbued with traditional cultural colors.
According to the Organizing Committee, the rituals are performed according to traditional rituals, adhering to the spirit of Buddhism, and at the same time preserving the beauty in the spiritual life of the people. The rituals also contribute to promoting the intangible cultural values at the Con Son - Kiep Bac relic site.
When the procession arrived at Con Son Lake, the water bottle was transferred to a dragon boat decorated with magnificent flags and flowers. The boat slowly advanced into the middle of the lake in a solemn space. Here, the monks burned incense, recited scriptures and performed the ritual of releasing birds and fish.
After that, delegates proceed to take sacred water from the "vitality ring" - a flower-like ring dropped into the water in the middle of the lake. Water is poured into a water bottle, then brought ashore, placed on a palanquin and carried back to Con Son Pagoda in a sacred atmosphere.
The water procession is one of the important rituals of the Con Son - Kiep Bac Spring Festival. The ritual has been restored since 2008 and maintained annually. The sacred water after being brought back will be used for worship in the Buddha hall and serve the Moc Duc ritual (statue bathing).
Besides the spiritual meaning, the water procession also expresses people's wishes for favorable weather, good harvests, and a peaceful and prosperous life. Maintaining the ritual contributes to creating a unique identity for the Con Son - Kiep Bac Spring Festival, and at the same time promoting the cultural values of the relic to a large number of tourists.
