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Asalha Puja (known as Asanha Puja or Asana Bucha in Thailand, Thai: วันอาสาฬหบูชา wan-aa-san-ha-boo-chaa) is a Theravada Buddhist festival which typically takes place in July, on the full moon of the eighth lunar month. It commemorates the Buddha’s first sermon in the Deer Park in Benares and the founding of the Buddhist sangha. In Thailand, Asalha Puja is a government holiday and the sale of alcohol is prohibited.
The day is observed by donating offerings to temples and listening to sermons. The following day is known in Thailand as Thai: วันเข้าพรรษา Wan Kao Pansa; it is the first day of Thai: พรรษา vassa, the Theravada rains retreat.