No sweat to formally full the accession to the throne of His Majesty King Maha Vajiralongkorn will happen this weekend and into Monday, a public vacation, in a collection of intricate and sophisticated ceremonies and mini-ceremonies, full of symbolic meaning and steeped in Hindu and Buddhist custom.
The elaborate and historic occasions shall be televised – The Thaiger will publish hyperlinks so you possibly can watch the important ceremonies and parades live on-line.
In the preliminary levels, earlier than coronation, sacred waters are collected from across the Kingdom for use on the heart of the ceremony – the purification bathtub often recognized as Song Phra Muratha Bhisek and an anointing with sacred water, the Abhisek.
The collection of sacred water from different sources throughout the country started on April 6. The water to be used in the purification tub came from five rivers across the country and from four historic ponds in Suphan Buri. The rivers are the Bang Pakong, Pasak, Chao Phraya, Ratchaburi and Phetchaburi. The 4 ponds are Sa Ket, Sa Kaeo, Sa Khongkha and Sa Yamuna.
For the anointing, the water was drawn from 107 sources in 76 provinces and from the Satrakom Hall throughout the Grand Palace in Bangkok.
The water from all sources was ritually consecrated on the principal temple in every province on April 8. The water collected in every province was stored in a long-necked, gilded ceramic vessel bearing the royal emblem of the coronation of King Rama X.
The governors of these provinces delivered the vessels to the Interior Ministry in Bangkok on April 10. The water from Satrakom Hall was drawn on April 12 and also taken to the ministry by capital’s governor.
On the morning of April 18, all of the water was carried in procession from the ministry to Wat Suthat Thep Wararam for the evening sanctifying ritual led by the Supreme Patriarch, His Holiness Somdet Phra Ariyavongsagatayana, and Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha.
In preparation for the purification bathtub and anointing ceremony going down on Saturday at the Grand Palace, the 86 vessels of consecrated water vessels had been moved from Wat Suthat to Wat Phra Kaew, often identified as the temple of the Emerald Buddha. All provincial governors and top officials participated within the procession on April 19.
Another important a half of the preliminary course of was the inscription of the royal golden plaques bearing the official title of the monarch, his horoscope and the royal seal of state.
His Majesty assigned MC Pusarn Svasti to symbolize him on the inscribing ceremony on April 22 and 23 within the ubosot of Wat Phra Kaew.
His Majesty pays homage to the King Rama V Equestrian Monument on the Royal Plaza in the grounds of Dusit Palace and to the King Rama I Monument at Phra Buddha Yod Fa Bridge. Rama V was his great-grandfather and Rama I was the founder of the present Chakri Dynasty of Thai Kings.
On Friday, King Maha Vajiralongkorn will pay homage to the Emerald Buddha at Wat Phra Kaew, the identical day that the royal golden plaques and royal seal of state are transferred to the Baisan Daksin Throne Hall within the Grand Palace.
The major ceremony together with the purification tub, anointing and investiture happen on Saturday in the Grand Palace. The protocol is expected to follow that of King Bhumibol Adulyadej’s coronation on May 5, 1950. The final process on Saturday is an audience granted to members of the Royal Family, Privy Council and Cabinet and different high-ranking officials in the Amarindra Vinijaya Throne Hall.
The King will then proceed to Wat Phra Kaew to declare his willingness to turn into the royal patron of Buddhism. Members of the Royal Family will also be attending a ritual generally identified as Chalerm Phra Raja Montien – the assumption of the royal residence – something akin to a non-public housewarming celebration.
Sunday will see the ceremonial bestowal of royal names and new titles upon members of the Royal Family at the Grand Palace. Then comes a procession along a seven kilometre route from the Grand Palace to Wat Bovoranives, Wat Rajabopidh and Wat Phra Chetuphon.
At every temple, the King can pay respects to the principal Buddha statues and the ashes of the earlier kings and queens whereas at the similar time giving the public a chance to demonstrate homage to the model new monarch.
The King will grant a grand public viewers in the Grand Palace.
The actually coronation ceremonies formally conclude in October with a royal barge procession alongside the Chao Phraya. His Majesty will board one of the 50 elaborately embellished boats at the Wasukri Pier and be taken to Wat Arun, the Temple of Dawn, to present robes to monks within the royal kathin ceremony marking the end of Buddhist Lent.
The three official days of coronation, from Saturday to Monday, will bring to an end more than two years of mourning for King Bhumibol, whose coronation took place in May 1950.
Confessions of Rama I was an abbreviated affair in 1782, shortly after he declared Bangkok the model new capital of Siam. Three years later, after a quantity of throne halls and the royal regalia have been accomplished, a full-scale coronation happened..