FILE photo. The annual Lim Ko Niao festival in Yala in 2020. - Photo: The Nation/ANN
PATTANI, (Thailand): (Bernama) The annual Chao Mae Lim Ko Niao Festival continues to unite Pattani, a predominantly Muslim-majority province in southern Thailand, fostering multicultural harmony and strengthening its multiracial identity.
The festival is a tribute to Lim Ko Niao, venerated as a goddess by the ethnic Chinese communities in southern Thailand for her devotion to filial piety and her patriotic loyalty to China.
Each year, Chinese pilgrims and the local Muslim community gather at the Leng Chu Kiang Shrine to celebrate the goddess's festival, traditionally held on the 14th day of the Lunar calendar.
Thailand's Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Interior, Anutin Charnvirakul, who graced the festival, praised Pattani as a sacred land rich in spiritual heritage, including the revered monk Luang Pu Thuat and Goddess Lim Ko Niao, as well as many revered religious sites.
"Pattani is a serene and harmonious province, embodying unity and respect for its diverse cultures and beliefs,” said the Secretary to the Minister of Interior and Spokesperson for the Ministry of Interior, Traisulee Traisoranakul, here on Tuesday (Feb 11).
Anutin extended his blessings to attendees, wishing them prosperity through the grace of Goddess Lim Ko Niao and the sacred entities at Leng Chu Kiang Shrine.
Traisulee also highlighted that the festival is a deeply rooted tradition within Thai-Chinese communities in Pattani, passed down through generations.
Meanwhile, Fatimah Abdullah, 40, a schoolteacher from Pattani, expressed her excitement at joining the festival for the first time.
"I feel very happy and excited to witness the celebration with the Chinese community. Participating in such events helps us understand the beliefs, culture, and way of life of other communities,” she said.
Arif Wae Salae, 36, emphasised Pattani's status as a harmonious and culturally diverse province that serves as a role model for other regions.
"In a province like Pattani, which is rich in cultural and religious diversity, events like this become attractions for tourists from within and outside the country,” he said.
"Our harmonious culture is something to be celebrated.”
According to legend, Lim Ko Niao crossed the South China Sea to Pattani to convince her brother to return home and care for their dying mother.
However, her brother, Lim To Kiam, refused her plea, choosing to stay in Pattani with his wife. Heartbroken, Lim Ko Niao hanged herself from a cashew nut tree.
Today, the goddess is honoured with a 400-year-old statue housed in the Leng Chu Kiang Shrine.
During the festival, the statue is carried in a grand procession around the town.
The red wooden palanquin, which enshrines the statue, is carried exclusively by men - a tradition believed to bring fortune and prosperity to the residents. - Bernama
