Hundreds of people gathered at the Buddhist temple in Knaphill on Sunday for a special ceremony that takes place only once a year

Surrey & Berkshire Newspapers, October 12, 2006

Knaphill, UK -- The ceremony of Kathina Robes at the temple had 300 people -- including a member of the Royal Thai Embassy -- captivated from start to finish.

The ceremony included meditation, chanting and lunch before the special robes were presented to the monks.

Philbul Choompolpaisal, secretary of the Dhammakaya International Society of UK (DISUK), said: ¡°The Kathina day can occur any day within a month of the end of the lent period (rainy season).

"Many people refer to Kathina as a Sangha day because this is the day that temple supporters recollect and honour the good practice of monks throughout the course of the rainy season. It is customary to offer Kathina robes as a form of merit-making because it creates especially large benefits for those involved."

During the rainy season in Thailand -- a period of three months -- tradition dictates that monks must not leave the temple and they are then eligible to receive the robes.

He added: "Donations made at this ceremony help to support the temple for a year. A lot more people attended this year's ceremony including people from the community."