The annual
Plowing Ceremony takes place during the sixth lunar month (usually
end of May) at the Phramane Ground near the Grand Palace
in Bangkok. The ceremony is of great importance to the country's
farmers and thousands come from the provinces to Bangkok for the
event. In the old days, the ceremony was held to give farmers
the signal that it was an auspicious date to start ploughing for
the new rice crop.
According
to the booklet, State Ceremonies and Festivals of Twelve Months,
written by King Rama V, the ceremony can be traced back to the
time of Buddha more than 2500 years ago and has been observed
consistently since then.
In the Sukhothai
period (1257-1350) the event was a fabulous affair, celebrated
with a long procession led by the King, while the Minister of
Agriculture did the ploughing. In the Ayutthaya period
(1350-1767), the ceremony was a brief one which the King delegated
to a representative. During the Bangkok period, since the
first Chakri king, the ceremony has been fully observed without
omission of any portion of the original rites although the actual
ploughing has not been done by the King.
The Ploughing
Ceremony is of Brahman origin and the auspicious day and hour
are still set by the Royal Brahman astrologers. Some Buddhist
elements have, however, been added to the rites.
The King appoints
a Phaya Raek Nah (Lord of the Festival) as his representative
to carry out the rites. On his arrival at the Phramane Ground,
the Phaya Raek Nah is presented with three Panungs (cloth
worn around the hips) of different lengths from which he chooses
one. If his choice is the longest one, there will be little rain
during the coming year; if it is the shortest one, rain will be
plentiful while the one of medium-length denotes average rain.
A procession
follows the red and gold sacred plough drawn by bulls decorated
with flowers. Drummers in green costumes keep the beat and Brahmans
chant and blow conch shells; four Nang Thepi or
Consecrated Women carry gold and silver baskets filled with rice-seed.
The bulls
then turn a few furrows with the sacred plough, after which the
animals are presented with seven different foods and drinks:
rice seed, beans, maize, hay, sesame seed, water and alcoholic
liquor. It is believed that whatever the bulls choose to eat or
drink will be plentiful during the next year.
The scattering
of rice seed by the Phaya Raek Nah follows the ploughing. After
the ceremony is ended, barriers are let down and hundreds of people
rush to the rice field in an attempt to gather a few grains
for good luck. Even if a farmer finds only one grain, it is taken
home and mixed with his own rice to ensure a good crop in the
coming year.
