A mass almsgiving took place at That Luang Neua temple on Saturday to welcome the arrival of the Dharmayatra convoy of monks and Buddhist leaders making its way through the five Mekong basin countries.

Several thousand people lined up along both sides of Nongbone Road between Patuxai and the That Luang esplanade, creating a colourful spectacle as far as the eye could see.

This historic sight was true evidence of the Lao people’s deep faith in Buddhism.

Prior to the almsgiving, a ceremony was held to mark this momentous occasion, led by the President of the Lao Front for National Development, Dr Xaysomphone Phomvihane. Also in attendance were government leaders and their wives and representatives of local administrative bodies.

President of the Central Buddhist Fellowship of Laos, the Most Venerable Maha Ngone Damrongboun, presided over the almsgiving ceremony in the presence of the vice presidents of the Central Buddhist Fellowship Organisation of Laos and some 300 monks and novices from every temple in Vientiane.

Despite the hot sun, devotees waited patiently by the roadside and offered the monks food, water and other essentials.

A resident of Nongphaya village, Ms Daeng, said she arrived at That Luang temple at 3 am so she could find the best place to offer alms. “I didn’t expect there to be so many people here because the biggest and most important event in Vientiane is the That Luang festival. But now I realise that lots of people are true supporters of Buddhism and wanted to come here to offer the most heartfelt and warm welcome to the Dharmayatra participants.”

After several hours of almsgiving, Buddhist and government leaders planted a bodhi tree in front of the grand conference hall of the Lao Buddhist organisation.

In the afternoon, members of the Dharmayatra convoy visited various religious sites and landmarks in Vientiane before gathering for prayers at Vat Ongteu temple. The group left Vientiane on Sunday on their way to Thailand where they visited Wat Pa Khamsanoth temple in Udon Thani province, a well-known and sacred place with a Naga island that has close associations with Buddhism.

The convoy spent the evening in Sakon Nakhon province where participants paid homage at the Cheung Choum pagoda and engaged in other religious ceremonies.

On Monday, the group stopped in Nakhon Phanom province where the sacred Phra That Phanom is located.

The pilgrimage will end in Siem Reap province, Cambodia, on October 30, when participants will return to their home countries.