By Nita Bhalla in Addis Ababa

Music, dancing and colourful pageantry marked the biggest of Ethiopian Orthodox festivals last week.

Timkat is known as the Ethiopian Epiphany.

While in the Western Christian churches Epiphany commemorates the visit of the three wise men, in the Ethiopian Orthodox church it marks the baptism of Jesus Christ in the River Jordan.

The festivities begin on ketera, the eve of Timkat. Every church in the country parades its "tabot" - a replica of the ancient Ark of the Covenant believed to contain the 10 commandments - to a nearby body of water.

The tabots are accompanied by priests blowing trumpets and playing a traditional instrument called a sistra, which makes a bell-like sound.

The tabot remains there overnight with priests and the congregation, who sing and dance all night. The following morning, 19 January, the baptism of Jesus is commemorated.

Fountain

In Addis Ababa, 11 of the largest churches in the city, followed by their respective congregations, brought their tabots and converged at a field, locally known as Jan Meda.

On the morning of Timkat, over 100,000 gathered at a special fountain to celebrate the baptism of Jesus.

The old, the young and even the disabled managed to push through the massed crowds and jump into the holy fountain, to be blessed by the holy water.

Others collected the water in plastic bottles, to take back to their friends and relatives.

Patriarch's message

His Holiness Abune Paulos, Patriarch of the Ethiopian Orthodox church, gave benediction at Jan Meda, in the presence of diplomats and ambassadors from the international community.

He explained why Timkat is regarded with such importance in Ethiopia.

"This festival is the witnessing of our long history because we accepted Christianity in the first half of the first century in 34 AD.

"All the celebrations we are enjoying today are from the 5th and 6th centuries."

The Patriarch had a special message for people from outside Ethiopia, who came to observe the festival, which is a major tourist attraction because of its uniqueness.

"Here in Ethiopia, be like us. Share our life so that you can understand what is the problem in the mind or in the life of the people, so that you will be able to do something to better their lives."

After the benediction the tabots were taken back to their churches, accompanied by a procession of priests and thousands of Orthodox Christians.

Feasting

But one tabot - the tabot of St Michael - remained at Jan Meda, until the third day.

This is the final day of the festival and it is devoted to the Feast of St Michael, the Archangel, one of Ethiopia's most popular saints.

Enormous effort is put into the occasion. Tej (mead) and tella (beer) are brewed, special bread is baked, and fat-tailed African sheep are fattened for slaughter.

Gifts are prepared for the children and new clothes purchased or old clothes mended and laundered.

Everyone - men, women and children - appears resplendent for the three-day celebration.