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Yasothon is famous for its Rocket Festival, held every year in May. Originally a fertility rite, it has become the major festival of the year in the region. The festival is held on every second weekend of May. Yasothon locals believe that the festival pleases the gods and spirits which ensure adequate rain and food.
Each rocket is decorated with Thai traditional patterns in gold. It is said that rocket makers spend months in cutting the pattern before gluing it to the rocket. The rocket head will be decorated differently, but the most popular figure is a Naga spraying water. Rocket heads may be found decorated with other figures. All are related to rain-beseeching legends.
There are various types of rockets, namely Bang Fai Kilo, Bang Fai Muen, and Bang Fai Saen. Bang Fai Kilo means the rocket contains a kilogram of gunpowder. Bang Fai Muen contains 12 kilograms of gunpowder and Bang Fai Saen contains 120 kilograms of gunpowder. After making decision what type of rocket to make, the villager will make it themselves or assign a specialist. Making a rocket requires a specialist who can calculate proper proportions of gunpowder and charcoal, otherwise, the rocket will explode at launch.
The celebration lasts for several days and peaks on the final day with serial firing of the makeshift bamboo-rockets, some up to 10 meters in length that ascend to 10,000 meters. The festival grounds and firing takes place in a municipal park. The festival and parade takes place on Yasothon's main street.
Rockets are individually judged by a committee and the respective winners take home attractive prizes. Misfiring rockets and poor performers are punished immediately by tossing of the entire rocket crew in mud holes by their competitors.
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A chedi or stupa made entirely of sand, said to be over 400 years old. It is roughly a right circular cone around a central post, with a base diameter of about 60 m, and sloping up about 20 m. Traditionally, sand is brought to temple grounds at the end of the dry season in Apr, then shaped into "sand art and play" that is washed away when the rains come. This one, however, is about 600 m from the village temple ground, and is replenished all year long, for over 400 years they say.
Camp Bodindecha is home to the Royal Thai Army 16th Infantry Division and a golf club which is open to the public.