Ceremony for the new Lak Muang at Phana

The ceremony for the new Lak Muang at Phana took place some time ago now, but I haven't had time to get around to putting up some pictures of it. Much of what time I did have was wasted. A good friend at the tetsaban, who takes most of their photos these days, agreed to let me have some (as I thought) of his work for this blog. In fact, when he came round to download them, there were 1057 of them! I looked at them all, and realised that just choosing a few to use would take me another lifetime. But when I came to do that (choose the pics, not start another lifetime) I couldn't find them anywhere. I've spent, or wasted as I said, a lot of time looking for them. I don't like to admit to him that I've lost them, so this blog will go ahead with the few pictures that were in my camera. I didn't take any of them, but gave my camera to Hannah, one of this year's two new volunteers from Project Trust. And she gave the camera to someone else for a few of them.

The rituals began in the evening preceding the main event. A large number of people, most of them in white, gathered at the old market place for a ceremony which made the site and various artifacts holy: a super-blessing ceremony which involves a lot of chanting that continued for about six hours. Pensri and I attended for a couple of hours, but I took no photos. My contribution was to present 72 little leaf-wrapped packages of a sticky-rice concoction, one package for each year of my life. The next day they would be distributed to people who attended the ceremony.  Far more than 72 packages were needed, so I was not by any means the only person offering them.

The first thing that struck me the next morning when we arrived for the ceremony was how much work had gone into all the preparations. I wondered who had done all this work. Amongst my friend's 1057 photos was the answer: people who work for the tetsaban, monks, old people, grandchildren, passing strangers ... just about everyone except me!

These two pictures give just a little idea of the elaborateness of the preparations:

Beneath the red umbrella is the 'pit' into which various sacred objects, flowers and so on, were placed for posterity. They will form the 'core' of the lak muang, and the pillar will be immediately above this holy site.

The next few pictures were taken during the ceremony itself. In the first you can see some of the sticky-rice packages and somewhere amongst them are my contribution. During (but in theory, after) the ceremony food and drink was provided for people and all this refreshment was provided as donation by individuals and groups. For example, some teachers and students from Phana Suksa School were serving noodles and the bright red and green soft drinks so beloved by Thais. And me.

 

 After all the ceremonies were done, the governor had departed, most of the monks returned to their wats, people to their homes, there was a little time to pose for photos like this next one before everything was dismantled and the old market-place restored to its usual rather colourless state.

 

Comments

[Martyn]

Lawrence what a shame you lost those 1057 photos but I think yours are more than sufficient for this excellent post.

Is that garlic cloves hanging from marigolds in the top photograph. What's the connection there?

Your previous posts had hinted at a lack of interest and some resentment toward the new lak muang, however the efforts put into the decorations and preparations prove otherwise and likewise the big turn out of people on the day prove that too.

The power of having a feed from your blog....I picked this post up almost the very minute you released it.

[Lawrence]

Spooky speed. I thought I'd done the same with yours, but found Cat and LM had beaten me to it.

Not garlic (no vampires round here that I know of) but just the usual jasmine drops I think. You're right about the interest in the lak muang, and I forgot to mention that it is being done from donations of cash and labour, not from any big budget from 'above'.

[Belinda Berry]

Thanks for keeping an eye on Nikki (and Hannah) - Nikki's Mum, Belinda

[Lawrence]

It's a pleasure, Belinda. Nikki and Hannah are easy on the eye and good company. Phana is very lucky to have them here.
The girls invited us to dinner last Saturday, which we enjoyed very much. They are adventurous cooks -- and not disheartened by some less-than-perfect results in one or two cases.
We kept our eye on you, too, because we were introduced to you all by way of all the photos on the wall.
We hope to meet you when you come to Phana, by the way.
Please read some more!