The festival is usually celebrated in the preaching hall or sala of the local temple or wat, beginning early in the morning and lasting until midnight.
[2],; the process of listening to the nonstop sermon on the Great Birth at the temple; merit making to transfer it to the deceased relatives and the departure of a "caravan", buffaloes, and oxcart for sale in distant lands.
K. 485, which was found at Phimeanakas temple and composed by Princess Indradevi in the 13th century AD, the Vessantara Jataka was performed as a religious dance.
During the Boun Pha Vet in Laos, for 3 days and 3 nights, the monks take turns to read about the life of King Phavet.
In Laos, as well as in Isan, a long painted scroll held aloft by young and old and accompanied by drums and dancers, is taken in procession from the forest through the village lanes to the pagoda, bringing Prince Vessentara back to his city.
This text was composed in Sri Lanka in the early modern period by a secular poet, and emphasizes abandonment and emotional desolation.
The Thet Mahachat is very popular both in rural and urban communities in Thailand, often with dance and drama performances, as well as festive parades and processions through the towns.
During this Buddhist festival the monks give a sermon about the entire text of the Vessantara Jataka, accompanied by rituals and cultural performances.
Because of its central role in the Thet Mahachat or Boun Pha Vet celebrations, the Vessantara Jataka is an important part of the traditional folklore in many areas of the Southeast Asian region.
[16] Khamsing Srinawk's 1969 story Dark Glasses depicts the disappearance of a young girl lured to Bangkok, presumably to work as a prostitute, until she returns for the Vessantara festival, a ritual migration undertaken by the children of Northeastern Thailand.