A
lavish show of splendor to a beloved monarch
On
13 October 2016, King
Bhumibol Adulyadej
of Thailand passed away at the age of 88 after a
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| The Phra Meru Mas |
long reign of 70
years. Known as the 'Father of the Nation', he succeeded in being
widely loved in the country. In all fairness, he did a lot during his
life-time for the people of his country. His body has been embalmed
for one year to allow people to pay their respect to their beloved
king. Literally, millions of Thais came on a daily basis to see their
sovereign. Crown as King
Rama IX, his royal
title bore an auspicious nº 9, a highly symbolic number in Thailand
as well as the rest of the East.
The
King died on a Thursday and his funeral was also held on Thursday,
October 26. The
date was probably chosen as an appropriate time for the royal
cremation according to the Buddhist beliefs. The King had the status
of a half-god. The military junta exploited the event during a
year-long National mourning to strengthen their grip and the role of
the monarchy.
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| The Royal Crematorium as a symbolic representation of Mount Meru |
The
Royal cremation: a showcase of Siamese tradition.
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| A reminder of the royal irrigation |
The
open, public field in front of the Grand Palace known as Sanam
Luang
[สนามหลวง
,
royal turf]
became the site of the royal pyre, where the country's best craftsmen
displayed their skills in the construction of a lavish Thai monument
dedicated to the glory of a beloved monarch. It took one full year
for the monument to be completed.
Everything
was planned according to beliefs and tradition. It may have been a
sad situation, but the occasion was also meant to be a joyful moment.
According to the religion, it was a time when King Rama IX would
ascend to paradise.
The
golden crematorium was built in a square shape (a representation of
the Earth) and had 4 levels up to the the royal crematorium [Phra
Meru Mas]
50 meters high. It represented symbolically Mount
Meru,
the center of the Universe,
 |
| Symbolic royal details |
from where the dead ascend to heaven. It
was surrounded by 8 lower towers representing the mountains around
Mount Meru but at the same time it is a tribute to Rama 9 in the
center.
There are about 500 animals represented as an illustration of the Hindu or Buddhist mythology. Besides
the majestic proportions of the monument, the artists have carved an
array of symbolic figures all around. They are:
-The
Himavanta
Forest Creatures:
Garuda,
the bird; Tinna
Singha,
the lion; the Naga,
the giant snake; Kotchapaksa,
the elephant-headed bird; Bundu
Ratchasi,
a sort of striped lion; Hemmarat,
a swan-headed lion; Subanhera,
a cross between a garuda [suban]
and a crocodile [hera];
Ngaisai,
a cross-breed between a tiger and a horse.
-The
Four
Great Gods:
Indra,
the presiding god of heaven and earth; Brahma,
the four-faced god of creation; Narayana,
the protector of heaven, earth and hell; Shiva,
the destructor of evil.
 |
| Mythological animal |
-The
Four
Guardian Deities
symbolizing the four directions: Lord
Dhatarattha
(the East), Lord
Virulhaka
(the South), Lord
Virupakkha
(the West), Lord
Vessavana
(the North).
These
3 main groups stress the importance of number 4 in the making of the
monument. It is also interesting to note that 3 x 4 gives another
magic number: 12, which can also be decomposed in 1 + 2: 3 (the three
groups above).
It
is interesting to see how much detail and symbolism were put into the
ceremony at a time when the symbolic value of things seem to have
vanished. We could also add that during the final procession, there
were 1,000 soldiers dressed in a colorful traditional manner and that
they turned 3 times counterclockwise around the crematorium. Usually, during Buddhist ceremonies, the circumnavigation is done three times
in a clockwise procession. Going the opposite direction is unusual
and can be interpreted as a way to go back to the beginning of time.
A
once-in-a-lifetime event.
This
unique moment reveals two things. First, the impact King Rama IX had
on his people. There
 |
| Deva holding a sunshade |
might never been another opportunity to witness
such a grandiose ceremony. Secondly, it shows Thailand affection to
tradition and most importantly that there still exists here a deep knowledge of the heritage and a propensity to carry it on.
→Des funérailles grandioses (Le Petit Journal) - French.
The
ceremonial cost has been estimated to 76M of euros or 90M of US
dollars. This is a very high price to pay. The country rulers will
argue that the nation had no limit to show the respect they ought to
show to their beloved king. On the other hand, elevating a monarch to
the rank of a half-god may still work in a country like Thailand but
it is not certain it is perceived as such anywhere else or even in
some spheres of the Thai society. Now that a page has been turned,
every one seems to agree that the country has stepped into a new era
with lots of question marks.
Nevertheless,
the royal cremation was a showcase of grandeur and artistry seldom
seen in our modern societies. This royal tribute revealed the
persistence of an old Siamese culture and this is exactly what the
military junta wanted to show in their role of 'the guardians of the
monarchy'.
Christian
Sorand
Other
links:
Image History of the Phra Meru Mas © Bangkok Post:
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| A.Mythology figures. |
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| B.More mythology figures |
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| C. Royal Procssions |
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| D. Royal Processions |
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| Royal Chariot and Palanquin |
Photo Gallery of the site:
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| A tribute to King Rama IX agricultural program. |
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| Statues display |
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| Group of elephants. |
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| Staircase to the Royal Pyre |
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| More mythological animals. |
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| Evening reflection. |
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| Zebu and cows. |
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| Perspective |
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| Statue of an animal |
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| Statue of Garuda |
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| Sunset over the Royal Crematorium site |
