Chao Mae Lim Ko Niao Fair

15-19 February 2011, Around Leng Chu Kiang Shrine, Amphoe Muang, Pattani.

The Chao Mae Lim Ko Niao fair at the Chao Mae Lim Ko Niao Shrine, reflects this prominent feature. It is celebrated annually, about two weeks after the Chinese New Year. Highlighting the fair is the joyous procession to carry the wooden sculpture of Chao Mae Lim Ko Niao, a goddess which is respected by local people, especially those with the Chinese origins. Local people believe that Chao Mae Lim Ko Niao was born in the 15th century in China. A legend has it that an aristocrat made a false charge against her brother, who was a government official. Her brother, Lim To Khiam, decided to flee from China and travel on board a ship to trade in southern Thailand. He arrived in Pattani and sold products to local people. Since Lim To Khiam was skillful at mechanical work, he was entrusted by the Pattani governor to cast three big cannons. One of them is Nang Phraya Tani, the biggest cannon ever cast in Thailand. Because of his good work in building the cannons, the Pattani governor allowed Lim To Khiam to marry his daughter.

Chao Mae Lim Ko Niao, known in those days as Lim Ko Niao, looked after her mother alone, while her brother lived far away. The mother missed Lim To Khiam very much. Feeling sympathy for her mother, she offered to travel to Thailand to persuade him to return home. Lim Ko Niao encouraged her brother to go back many times, but he refused to do so, since he was, at that time, assigned to handle the important task of constructing Krue Se Mosque.

In order to show her sense of obligation to the mother despite her failure to persuade her brother to return home, Lim Ko Niao decided to commit suicide under a cashew nut tree. Later, people who paid homage to her tomb were found to make a considerable fortune, and those who had been sick recovered from their illness. Lim Ko Niao was then called a goddess, or Chao Mae, and a wooden sculpture in her image was created and a shrine was built for people to pay homage to her.

Source - www.thaifestivalblogs.com