放河灯

放河灯

Floating River Lanterns Festival

申报地区：嵩县2011年12月第3批

市级-2012年07月第2批：张全申

放河灯源于清道光年间。始建于道光初年的锦陵寺位于桥北村西坡，放河灯活动由锦陵寺组织举办。据传说，每年夏秋季节，伊河常发洪水，危及人畜生命财产和淹没庄稼。面对连年频繁发生的人力又不可抗拒的洪涝灾害，有年长者提议：在每年的中元节（农历七月十五），做几盏花灯，放入伊河，祭祀河神。当年就有十几家在中元节前做好十几盏莲花灯，晚上一起放入河中。第二年，果然风调雨顺，伊河未发洪灾，也未有人畜伤亡。就这样，由十几家发展到几十家、几百家，三年后，各家各户每年都要做一盏河灯放入伊河。从此，规模越来越大，由简单的祭拜到唢呐、铜器、竹马、旱船等民间表演艺术参与。村西的锦陵寺主持为了普渡众生和超度亡灵，将放河灯作为一项重要的佛教信仰活动来组织。又把河灯分为主灯和辅灯。主灯做成花船形，由寺里负责做成，辅灯由各户和信徒自做，并融进唱经歌等佛教文化内容，进一步完善了放河灯形式。

河灯的主灯是船灯，辅灯是小型莲花灯。船灯是先用毛竹或木杆做成骨架，后用彩布和彩纸装饰船体而成。长约8米、高约2米、宽1。5米左右，船尾小型宫殿内塑观音坐像，宫殿前两侧分别站立金童玉女各一个，手执刀枪天王两个，依次是四个挑着银担的壮汉及18罗汉拉纤像。船头由一人击鼓指挥，两人拍镲助威。仪式开始，先在锦陵寺前祭拜后，秧歌、竹马、旱船、唢呐、铜器等民间艺术表演队伍依次排列，后由20多名信徒抬船灯随后，行至伊河岸边。

信徒们摆上猪头等供品，焚烧用五色纸做的衣帽及银钱，唱经歌祈祷、祭拜，然后点燃上蜡烛把主灯放入水中，接着，小型数百盏蓬花灯随之放入水中，最后，放鞭炮和焰花庆祝，整个仪程长达3个多小时。

Floating River Lanterns Festival originated during the early Daoguang period of the Qing Dynasty (1821 AD-1850 AD) Floating river lanterns Festival was organized by Jinling Temple which was built in the early years of Daoguang perlod and located on the west slope of Qlaobel Village, Floating river lanterns is organized by the Jinling Temple, Aeeording to legend, the Yihe River often floods every summer and autumn, endangering the lives and property of humans and animals and flooding erops. In the face of frequent and irresistible floods and floods that have oeeurred frequently in nueeesnive years, some seniors

have proposed to make a few lanterns on the Ghost Festival (the 15th day of the first lunar month), put them into the Wihe River, and worship the god of the river, In the face of the frequent and irresistible flood disasters in suceessive years, some seniors suggested that they should make several lantern and put them into the Wihe River to sacrifice the river god on the Lunar New Year' day. More than n dozen familles made a dozen more than ten lotus lanterns before the Ghost festival and put them in the river together at night, In the seeond year, it turned out that the weather was smooth, an expected, there was no flooding and casualties in the Yihe River.