Naga Fireballs

The Naga fireballs are also known as Mekong lights or bung fai paya nak in Thailand. It is an unsubstantiated natural phenomenon which is often seen in the Mekong River of Thailand. The same happenings take place in Laos Vientiane Province and in Nong Khai province in Isan. It happens so that at a particular time of every year fireballs naturally rises upwards from the Mekong and wink out reaching at a height of 100 meters above the water level. A glowing pink ball like substance drifts over the chocolaty waters for few second and then hastens skyward noiselessly. The rosy balls vary in size ranging from smaller sparkles up to the size of basketballs. They move upward very fast and rise up to a minimum level of hundred meters before getting vanished.

The number of burst out fireballs may vary between tens to thousands per night. Once a year by the side of the Mekong, this Naga emits fireballs into the sky. This mysterious happening always takes place at the end of Buddhist Lent, on the 11th full moon of the lunar calendar. This wonderful yearly happening has given birth to a grand festival in the Nong Khai Province of Thailand. The streets remain full with hundreds of viewers standing beside the bank of the river in front of temples. Though Nong Khai town is well known spot for this festival but very few fireballs can be seen here. So, for witnessing the best scene, one can move out to either Rattanawapi or Phon Phisai. Local people are of the view that there is naga dragon like figure under the water of the river, who spits all these fireballs. The happening is taking place since generations. But till today no one has ever been injured or not a single property got damaged by the fireballs.

There are a couple of theories regarding the explanation for the Naga fireballs. One is that deposits in the river get fermented along with decayed animal remains and waste, which result in causing bubbles to rise to the surface. Scientists also opine that the bubbles contain so much energy that they are forced to burst out of the water and they have the capacity to travel a couple hundred meters in the sky. But scientists could not find out a reliable reason of this fireball mystery till today.