Page 51 - The Royal Coronation Ceremony

The Primary Royal Ceremonies

Preliminary ceremonies to the Primary Royal Coronation Ceremony are composed of the chanting of prayers by
monks, the arrangement of sacred water within the circle of holy thread, and the lighting of auspicious candles.

In the Royal Coronation Ceremony of His Majesty King Buddha Yod Fa Chulalok (Rama I), the Preliminary Ceremony
started on the eve of the previous day when His Majesty lit the candle to pay homage to the Threefold Refuge as monks
chanted prayers. On the next morning, His Majesty offered morning food alms to monks, the first of three days of offerings.
The custom has been practiced to the present. Although the Brahman ceremonies may have been practiced since the early
period of Rattanakosin, there is little evidence to confirm it. In the reign of King Rama V, there was a mention of the ceremony
of raising the royal seven-tiered umbrella onto the Atha Disa and the Bhadrapitha Royal Thrones inside the Baisal Daksin
Throne Hall. Also, ablation offerings to deities were generally conducted at the Brahman shrines in Bangkok. Furthermore,
there was an additional ceremony of offering a sacred ceremonial object to His Majesty the King, such as, the conch shell
used for pouring water of blessing, the bael leaf to be worn behind his ear, the bundle of auspicious of leaves called Samit,
composed of three kinds of leaves: mango, Bai thong and Indian plum. These leaves are believed to prevent harmful things
from approaching the King. His Majesty ritually brushed himself with Samit, on the head and hair, to symbolize purification.
When finished, he gave them back to the Chief Brahmin, who then ceremonially burned each of the leaves in a Brahman
ceremony of purification by fire. After that, the King went to his residential bed to listen to the chanting of Paritra prayers that
continued for three days.

The preliminary ceremonies from King Rama V continued to be practiced in the reigns of King Rama VI and King Rama VII.
In the reign of His Majesty King Bhumibol Adulyadej Borommanathbobitra (Rama IX), there were some practical
changes in the ceremony. It limited the religious ceremony in the Preliminary session to only one evening of the previous
day of the Royal Coronation Ceremony, held on Thursday, May 4, 1950. The process included the chanting of prayers by
monks seated on a pedestal. For the Brahman ceremony, three dais are placed in descending order. Each is enshrined
with wooden icons of deities for use in the royal Augur’s prayers. The ceremony is completed on that day and the pedestals
are removed on the next day. An offering is given to pay homage to the great royal tiered umbrella of the five Halls: the
Amarindra Vinijaya Throne Hall, the Baisal Daksin Throne Hall, the Chakri Maha Prasad Throne Hall, the Ananta Samagom
Throne Hall and the Dusit Maha Prasad Throne Hall. Offerings were given to another 13 monuments and important places
in Bangkok also.*

On Thursday, May 4, 1950, at 10:00 am, the scribe moved the ceremonial tray of the Royal Golden Plaque, the
Royal Horoscope and the Royal Seal of State from the ubosot of Wat Phra Sri Rattana Satsadaram. These were placed on
a royal palanquin that was waiting on the pavilion platform behind the temple. Then the royal palanquin moved slowly in a
procession to the ceremonial stage at Baisal Daksin Throne Hall inside the Grand Palace.

* Appendix: page 180

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The Royal Coronation Ceremony