Khon Kaen University (KKU) President, Assoc. Prof. Charnchai Panthongviriyakul, M.D., led a delegation of administrators, faculty, and staff for the university’s annual Kathina robe-offering ceremony on Sunday, October 19, at Wat Pa Ruam Tham in Udon Thani province.

The event, a significant Buddhist tradition, raised a total of 2,000,000 baht in donations. The ceremony was presided over on the monastic side by Phra Ratchapawanawachirakorn (Inthawai Santussako), the abbot of Wat Udommongkolwanaram.

Assoc. Prof. Charnchai Panthongviriyakul, M.D., acting as the lay leader for the ceremony, emphasized the university’s long-standing commitment to supporting and preserving Buddhism. “The Kathina ceremony is an important religious activity that KKU has consistently supported as part of our policy,” he said. “Administrators, staff, faculty, and students have come together to offer these robes. Furthermore, various university departments have set up food stalls for local villagers, making this a major joint merit-making event to help ensure the prosperity of Buddhism.”

The main ceremony on Sunday followed an evening celebration of the Kathina robes held on Saturday, October 18. President Charnchai also led this preliminary event, which was attended by a large number of university personnel and local Buddhists.

The Kathina ceremony is a major annual merit-making event in Buddhism, held only once a year within the one-month period following the end of the Buddhist Rains Retreat. Khon Kaen University organizes the event annually, viewing it as an important tradition that allows the university community to collectively make merit, foster unity, and support the monastic community in accordance with Buddhist principles.