Makha Bucha Day represents a great deal in terms of the development of Buddhism in Thailand. It is a highly ceremonial event and in Thailand it's an event that was only recently revived as part of Thai Buddhist tradition. The Supreme Patriarch of the Marble Temple in Bangkok, Kittsobhana Mahathera, did this in 1957. Before 1957, the full moon day of the third lunar month was celebrated as a Buddhist Holy Day. Because of local ceremonies that occupied this day in different parts of the country, the Makha Bucha ceremonies today take on the different flavors of the various locales.
The cremation sight in full glory. There was still a staccato prayer going on when I took up my position again.
The Royally sponsored cremation ceremony of Prakru Suntinonthakhun is about to take place tomorrow, 15th February 2011. All local powers that be and wanna be will attend and a few mainlanders will be there as well. Prakru Suntinonthakhun has been around since I can remember back upon arriving on Samui some 12 years ago and he passed away last year. Tradition has it that with many hi so or 'famous' Thai people, their bodies will be burned after a year of passing away, with a form of balsaming the body and keeping it refrigerated.
This fact is celebrated each year with big 'show' cars that ferry monks around to show them to the people around their respective temples and many people make merit by spending money and/or new clothes for the monks, which is called thod katien. In this picture you can just about make out a monk sitting in the front of this car.
A side view of the Plai Laem Temple car. All over the island similar cars were making the rounds today. 
The food baskets as pictured here, are part of the tradition of welcoming the deceased back again amongst for a few weeks each year. This particular basket has a nice food made garment layer over the rest of the food.
Some of the baskets are a real treat to the eye and later also to the stomach!
In the Buddha’s first sermon, there are mainly four great truths which lead to Nirvana and are the foundation doctrines of Buddhism:
At World Resort where I'm currently teaching an IDC there are many offerings at the various shrines located throughout the resort since the family that owns World Resort have a Chinese background and many original Samui family have also a Chinese background with most of the roots coming from the island of Hainan.
This is also a time of the year when many people travel around the country in order to visit relatives and friends.
This is the new building for the mummified monk in Wat Kiri Wongkaram, a real nice building especially comparing to the state of the other buildings on the temple complex.
The new accommodation for Luang Por Rerm Khun Wongkaram.
A picture of the Luang Por Rerm Khun Wongkaram when he was still alive. 
A picture of the accommodation building, build in 1957. Still in fairly good shape though and I really like the big painting of Thai characters on the walls of this building.
The main Temple, build in 1968 and still in use for the monks daily prayer and religious ceremonies is not in that great shape and could really use some paint and general maintenance.
It's on the same road from Surat Thani to Donsak, a couple of kilometers before the road leading to the Samui ferries. You really can't miss this sign on the corner of the road!
This is at ground zero level, the general Wat or temple area and it shows an interesting structure which is the entrance to some stairs, up the hill.
This a view if these stairs, I didn't count them but there must've been at least 200 or more and most of them are totally out of sync, some steep, some shallow and it almost seems never ending! Hence my comment on yesterdays post that aren't too many stairs at the cave!
Here's the actual foot print, filled with soapy water since the visitors keep cleaning the inside of the foot print. My Thai is not good enough yet to ask if there is any foot odor.
A whole family with some monks had made the climb and they were very friendly and all wanted to take a picture of our kids!
One of the reasons I finally got around visiting this place, is that since very shortly, it's been more accessible than ever before. Directly opposite Wat Kunaram with it's mummified monk, near Lamai is now a brand new road that leads through the very steep hills to the Magic or Buddha Garden, see the sign above. You can't really miss it. In typical Thai fashion, there are no pre-warning or other signs though, if you miss it, that's it!
The road leading through the hills is impressive but stick to the main road, I took some other roads and all were dead ends where I had to back out of with my car, which can be interesting on a very steep hill with curves in it and a drop down at one side of a couple of 100 meters.
Once inside the magic garden, after having paid an 80,-THB admission fee, you enter a beautiful piece of nature with small, miniature waterfalls and small statues are all over the place. It's a fantastic transition into a different world, walking down the stairs to the actual 'garden'.
A little stream runs through the whole garden and the above picture has two stone bodies (can you see their feet?) lying in the flow of the stream. It seems that they used some imagination and created a few unexpected scenery's. Very nicely done!
This is a statue of the founder of Magic Garden, Khun Nim Thongsuk.
This series of statues is the 'piece de resistance' and shows a troupe of around a dozen dancers.
The group of dancers with a group of musicians in the front. A lovely sight and beautifully located in the middle of Samui hills.
After I left the Magic Garden, I rode around in the hills, passing Durian gardens, bamboo trees, looking into steep valleys and having fantastic views over Samui, all the way down to the distant ocean.