Khmer people celebrate Sene Dolta festival

The leaders of Soc Trang province sent their congratulations to the dignitaries, monks, Buddhists, and all cadres, soldiers, and Khmer people in the province to celebrate the Sene Dolta festival in 2023 in a warm, happy, and peaceful manner.

Art performance at the Sene Dolta ceremony. (Source: VNA)

On October 14, at Sro Lon Pagoda (Chen Kieu Pagoda), Dai Tam Commune (My Xuyen District), the Provincial Party Committee and People's Committee of Soc Trang Province organized the Sene Dolta Festival 2023. Attending were Secretary of Soc Trang Provincial Party Committee Lam Van Man, leaders of the Provincial People's Committee, representatives of provincial departments, branches and sectors, monks of Khmer Theravada Buddhist pagodas and a large number of Khmer Buddhists.

Speaking at the ceremony, Ms. Ho Thi Cam Dao, Standing Deputy Secretary of the Soc Trang Provincial Party Committee, sent her congratulations to the dignitaries, monks, Buddhists, and all cadres, soldiers, and Khmer people in the province to celebrate the Sene Dolta festival in 2023 in a warm, happy, and peaceful manner; commended the achievements of the Khmer people, dignitaries, monks, cadres, and soldiers who have contributed to the construction and socio -economic development of the province.

Leaders of Soc Trang Provincial Party Committee presented congratulatory gifts to the abbot of Sro Lon Pagoda on the occasion of Sene Dolta festival. (Source: VNA)

Ms. Ho Thi Cam Dao informed that in recent times, the Provincial Party Committee and the Provincial People's Committee have always paid attention to directing departments and branches to resolutely implement ethnic policies and guidelines for the Khmer ethnic people in the area. In the past 5 years, the province has supported nearly 26,900 poor ethnic minority households to develop their economy, provided distributed domestic water to over 2,800 households; mobilized social resources to build 3,496 houses for poor households, of which over 1,200 houses were for the Khmer ethnic people.

The socio-economic situation of the Khmer ethnic minority has had many positive changes. The material and spiritual life of the people has been constantly improved. The poverty rate of the Khmer ethnic minority has decreased by over 4.5%/year.

The Standing Deputy Secretary of the Provincial Party Committee hopes that dignitaries, monks, cadres, soldiers and all Khmer people in the province will continue to promote the tradition of patriotism, the spirit of great solidarity, and strictly implement the Party's guidelines and policies and the State's laws. At the same time, preserve and promote the traditional cultural identity of the nation, actively respond to patriotic emulation movements, and together with the Party Committee and the government, build the homeland of Soc Trang more prosperous and beautiful.

Expressing gratitude to the Party and State for their care and concern for the Khmer people, Venerable Kim Hoang Hung, abbot of Sro Lon Pagoda (Chua Kieu Pagoda), informed that the Khmer people in Dai Tam commune have always received attention and support from the local government. Up to now, their material and spiritual life has gradually improved, and the village has become more and more innovative and beautiful.

Presenting gifts to poor and studious students at the ceremony. (Source: VNA)

Mr. Lam Son Hien, Deputy Secretary of the Party Committee of Dai Tam Commune (My Xuyen District) said that the whole commune has over 20,000 people, of which over 85% are Khmer ethnic people. Thanks to the attention of the Party and the State in implementing support policies to help the Khmer ethnic people here have more conditions to develop the economy and increase their income. Currently, the rate of poor households in the whole commune has decreased to 1.6%, and the rate of near-poor households has decreased to 1% compared to the total population of the whole commune.

At the ceremony, leaders of the Provincial Party Committee, Provincial People's Committee, provincial departments and branches presented many gifts to Sro Lon Pagoda (a cup-shaped pagoda), symbolically presented 10 solidarity houses to poor households with housing concerns (Dai Tam commune), 20 gifts to Khmer households (Dai Tam commune and Tham Don commune), 50 scholarships and 20 bicycles to poor students who overcame difficulties to study well.

Soc Trang currently has over 400,000 Khmer people, accounting for over 30% of the province's population. This is also the place with the largest Khmer population in the country.

Sene Dolta Festival, held from October 13-15, is one of the three major festivals of the Khmer people in the year. Life is increasingly modern, but the Khmer people's Sene Dolta Festival has always been preserved and promoted its spiritual value through many generations to remind people of filial piety to grandparents, parents, and gratitude to ancestors. Blending with the flow of national culture, Sene Dolta Festival is a unique beauty of the Khmer people in the South, contributing to the diversity and uniqueness of Vietnamese culture.

Source: https://baoquocte.vn/soc-trang-dong-bao-dan-toc-khmer-ron-rang-don-le-sene-dolta-246137.html