Decorated arches at mosque entrances enliven Aidilfitri celebrations in Southern Thailand

By Tuwaedaniya Meringing

NARATHIWAT (Southern Thailand), May 3 (Bernama) -- The decorated arches at the entrances of  mosques enlivened the Hari Raya Aidilfitri celebrations in the four southern provinces of Thailand- Narathiwat, Pattani, Yala and Songkhla.

The arches at the mosques, built and decorated with lamps and LED lights, are now a unique attraction in conjunction with Syawal.

On the first day, the villagers, dressed in baju Melayu and matching coloured baju kurung, were seen taking pictures at the arch that was built and decorated by the villagers during the month of Ramadan.

For the past three years, during Ramadan, villagers in the four southern provinces where the majority of the population is Muslim regardless of young or old enthusiastically decorated the arches by highlighting their respective creative ideas to liven up the atmosphere in conjunction with Hari Raya Aidilfitri.

Locals decorate the arches using various materials such as wood, bamboo, lamps and LEDs.

Civil Society Assembly for Peace (CAP) Secretary Hasan Mohd Tola said this year, about 800 mosques had participated in the competition compared to about 350 mosques last year.

“Decorating the arches not only livens up the cheerful and lively atmosphere in conjunction with Aidilfitri but it can also foster the spirit of unity and strengthen friendship among the locals.

"Besides that, the burst of creative ideas among the residents can further highlight the uniqueness of traditional Malay architecture," he told Bernama.

Among the conditions of the competition the arch must have the symbol of Islamic architecture and Malay sculpture.

The competition, organised by CAP, a non-governmental organisation, offered 10,000 baht cash and tour packages to this year’s winners of the competition.

-- BERNAMA