Pilgrims stretch curtains and hang hammocks waiting to attend the Yaochi Palace Banquet.

On the night of September 28, thousands of Cao Dai followers from all over the provinces and cities flocked to the Tay Ninh Holy See to participate in the 2023 Dieu Tri Palace Banquet Festival.

The Dieu Tri Palace Banquet is the biggest festival of the year of the Cao Dai religion in Vietnam, this year it is expected to have the participation of about 100,000-200,000 people.

Like every year, Cao Dai followers from provinces and cities will make a pilgrimage to the inner city of Tay Ninh Holy See a week in advance.

According to Dan Tri reporters' records on the evening of September 28, a few hours before preparing for the Small Altar ceremony at the Holy Temple at the hour of Ty (00:00 on September 29), many people from everywhere continued to make pilgrimages and flock to the Holy See grounds.

Everyone was "carrying" their luggage for a whole week of pilgrimage to attend the Dieu Tri Palace Banquet. Ms. Nguyen Thi Hoa ( Quang Nam ) said she had prepared her belongings and taken a bus from her hometown to Tay Ninh 2 days ago to attend the Grand Ceremony.

"It's been several years since I've had the opportunity to make a pilgrimage here to participate in the Great Festival. Although it was difficult, I feel lucky to be here. I hope that in the coming years I will have enough health and conditions to continue to come here to participate in the Great Festival," said Ms. Hoa.

Many Cao Dai followers arrived early, even a few days before. Many people could not afford to rent a place to stay, so they had to sleep temporarily in the covered area inside the Holy See grounds.

People hang mosquito nets, hammocks, and spread out tarps to sleep overnight while waiting for the ceremony day.

At 00:00 on September 29, the Small Altar worship ceremony at the Holy Temple is about to take place, this is the first worship ceremony in the 2023 Yao Chi Palace Banquet Festival. The believers start wearing white ao dai and turban to prepare for the ceremony.

Tens of thousands of believers wearing white ao dai and black turbans lined up around the inner area of ​​the Holy See.

This year, the festival will be held on September 29-30 (15th and 16th of the 8th lunar month). The organizers said that on the occasion of the festival, Cao Dai followers will also display 117 booths of gifts, cakes, candies, and decorative lights and flowers...

Cao Dai followers from young to old wear the same clothes and perform the ceremony together in front of the Holy Temple.

Inside the Holy Temple (Tay Ninh Holy See) is splendidly decorated, preparations for the 2023 Dieu Tri Palace Banquet are ready. People without official duties and without white ao dai are not allowed to enter the ceremony inside.

At exactly the hour of Ty, the Tieu Dan worship ceremony began and took place solemnly in the Holy Temple.

The Dieu Tri Palace Banquet Festival is not only a big festival for Cao Dai followers, but people and tourists from all over can also come to participate, immerse themselves in the atmosphere of the festival, and witness traditional rituals imbued with Tay Ninh culture.

A large number of people, Cao Dai followers, were present in front of the Holy Temple to watch the Tieu Dan worship ceremony.

Some people worshiped from afar in front of the Temple, others took a nap because of the long and arduous pilgrimage to attend the Great Festival.

The symbol of Caodaism is an eye in a triangle, symbolizing God. In addition, the religion also worships Buddha, Jesus, Confucius, Lao Tzu, and Guan Yin.

Tay Ninh Holy See is considered the ancestral temple - the central worship facility of Cao Dai religion.

The Holy See is the largest religious structure of the Cao Dai religion, located in Hoa Thanh town, about 4km from Tay Ninh city. The Holy See campus is more than one square kilometer wide with large surrounding roads connecting the structures together.

Source link: https://dantri.com.vn/van-hoa/nguoi-hanh-huong-cang-man-mac-vong-cho-du-hoi-yen-dieu-tri-cung-20230929044215449.htm