Amphoe Bang Pahan, Phranakhon si Ayutthaya Province
Villagers in Amphoe Bang Pahan have held the ceremony called “Guan Khao Thip” (rice candy made ceremonially once a year) on Buddhist Day in the Middle of the 6 th lunar month. Any year has 8 th month twice, the ceremony will be postponed in mid 7 th of the lunar month. Every temple in Amphoe Bang Pahan has held the ceremony.
The 14 th day of the period of the waxing moon, called “Wan Gon”, is the preparation day. Sometimes people call it Wan Suk Dib. Most people take all the food they have prepared to the temple such as popped rice, unripe rice kernels roasted and pounded flat for eating or "Khao Mao" in Thai, plus flowers, milk, butter and all kinds of fruits like jackfruit, durian, mangos, pineapples, coconuts etc.
People build a small temporary shed in the temple area. There are at least therr monks. The monks pray at the beginning of the ceremony and walk around the shed three times, starting from the right. Four virgin women and 4 men dressed like gods wearing white clothes, walk at the beginning of the procession. After that they start stirring Khao Thip in the three pans first. Then other people continue stirring until they finish it. Then they mould it into 49 pieces, called “Khao Mathupayas”, that people believe is magic rice, and offer them to the monks. The rest of Khao Thip is given to all participants or offered to the monks in other temples because some temples don't hold the ceremony. People believe that Khao Thip is magic or sacred rice. Flies or ants don't climb on it. They consider that Khao Thip is very important because they believe that it was the food that the Lord Buddha had before his enlightenment. They have practiced making it as a ceremony to recall the Lord Buddha and to offer it to the monks.