Carriages of solemnity

FOR YEARS the National Museum Bangkok has rarely welcomed more than a few Thai visitors each day. Now it is the centre of attention among Thais and a sprinkling of foreigners eager to see the royal chariots, royal palanquins and other accessories that will be used in the royal procession for the cremation ceremony of His Majesty King Bhumibol Adulyadej.
     The government is now in the process of preparing the royal crematorium and related accessories for the grand royal cremation of the monarch who passed away on October 13, plunging the entire nation into mourning. The construction of the royal crematorium at Sanam Luang, adjacent to the Grand Palace, is expected to begin after the New Year and the whole process could take almost a year to complete.
     Housed in the museum’s Royal Chariot Garage, the conveyances were built at the beginning of Rattanakosin era more than two centuries ago for the royal cremation ceremonies of Siam’s kings and queens and high-ranking royal family members of the Chakri Dynasty.
     “The Fine Arts Department has already inspected the conditions of the conveyances and other ornaments that are housed at the museum to prepare for the royal cremation. 
     “We will work closely with scientists in the cleansing process while artisans of the Office of Traditional Arts will be in charge of restoring any damaged parts, applying new gold lacquering and inlaid glass to make the items glorious to honour the royal precedence. We don’t yet know the details of the royal procession but our task is to prepare everything for use,” says Ananda Chuchoti, the director general of the Fine Arts Department.
     The most significant conveyance is Phra Maha Pichai Ratcharot or the Royal Great Victory Chariot that will carry the late King Bhumibol’s royal urn to the crematorium at Sanam Luang. The large chariot, built in the reign of King Rama I, is 11.20-metres high, 18-metres long, and weighs 13.7-tons and requires 216 men to pull it. It was first used in the cremation ceremony of King Rama I’s father in 1796 and was last pressed into service in 2012 for the funeral of Princess Bejaratana Rajasuda, the daughter of King Vajiravudh (Rama VI).
     The monarch is highly revered as a divine king, a tradition influenced by Hinduism. When he departs, concluding his mission on earth, he returns to his heavenly dwelling on Mount Sumeru, where all gods and goddesses live their eternal lives, as stated in the Triphum or Three Worlds. Phra Maha Pichai Ratcharot was thus modelled on this concept with the roofed throne on the top of the chariot representing Mount Sumeru – the epicentre of the universe. It was built from gilded teakwood that was elaborately crafted and decorated with glittering gems, inlaid glass, ornate mythical beings of the naga, the praying deity of thep phanom and Thai traditional motifs.
     “The base is adorned with a sea of naga to signify the underworld while above are the layers of mountain with thep phanom to represent earth. The thorn on the top represents Mount Sumeru. The royal urn will be placed on top to show that he is the incarnation of the deity Indra and will return to heaven,” explains the museum’s curator Supawan Nongnut.
     Supawan adds that the royal chariots built during the Ayutthaya period were burned during the Burmese-Siamese war of the mid-18th century. The war continued into the reign of King Taksin of Thon Buri, making the reconstruction of the chariots impossible. 
     “Peace returned in the early Rattanakosin period and so King Rama I ordered to reproduce the royal chariots. I was unsure whether the characters of the royal chariots were identical to those in the Ayutthaya period until last year when a professor from Dresden University in Germany found an ancient Thai manuscript at the National Library in Dresden bearing a picture of the royal procession of the cremation ceremony of King Phetracha of Ayutthaya. The chariots look the same as these.”
     The chariot’s structure was made of ironwood and teakwood, which is easier to carve, used for decoration. King Rama VI ordered the import of six metal wheels from a Belgian company specialising in railway construction to help support the strength of the structure.
     Phra Maha Pichai Ratcharot is normally used to carry the royal urns of kings, queens and royal family members who are honoured with the white seven-tiered umbrella – a symbol of the greatest prestige, which is placed over the royal urn. 
     “While preparing the conveyances for Princess Bejaratana’s cremation ceremony in 2012, we first cleaned and fixed Ratcharot Noi or small chariot because King Bhumibol initially gave her the five-tiered umbrella. He later ordered to honour her with the highest rank, the seven-tiered umbrella. Phra Maha Pichai Ratcharot was then used for the procession. 
     “King Bhumibol also honoured his late mother, Her Royal Highness the Princess Mother, and his elder sister Her Royal Highness Princess Galyani Vadhana with the seven-tired umbrella.”
     Built at the same time and with a similar character to Phra Maha Pichai Ratcharot is Vejjayanta Ratcharot, which refers to the chariot of the deity Indra. While the size is close to Phra Maha Pichai Ratcharot, this vehicle is 50 centimetres higher but lighter in weight. It weighs 12.25 tons and requires 206 men to pull. It is used as a spare vehicle in case Phra Maha Pichai Ratcharot is not in service.
     “It looks like Phra Maha Pichai Ratcharot at first glance, but a closer look reveals differences in the details. For example, the head-dress of the naga adorning Phra Maha Pichai Ratcharot has a strong kanok (flame-like motif) pattern while the naga of Vejjayanta Ratcharot was crafted with a smoother pattern called hang lai (eel-tail like motif). The leaf-like decorative parts at the front were also created with tam nam pattern (following the direction of water) while those of Phra Maha Pichai Ratcharot were done in thuan nam (countering the flow of water). To me, Phra Maha Pichai Ratcharot emanates a male character while Vejjayanta Ratcharot has a more feminine look,” Supawan said.
     Phra Maha Pichai Ratcharot, according to Supawan, was not in a satisfactory condition to be used for King Rama VI’s cremation ceremony in 1925, so the Vejjayanta Ratcharot was used instead. This chariot was also used for the ceremonies of King Rama VIII in 1950 and Queen Rambhai Barni, the consort of King Rama VII, in 1985. The major renovations to Phra Maha Pichai Ratcharot were completed in 1987.
     Another three small chariots called Ratcharot Noi were also built in the reign of King Rama I and in the same pattern of the two major chariots but on a smaller scale.
     During the cremation ceremonies of King Rama I in 1811 to King Rama IV in 1869, all three were used in the royal procession – the first for the Supreme Patriarch to recite prayer, the second for a royal family member to hold sacred thread and the last for spreading rice, popped rice and flowers along the route. From the cremation ceremony of King Rama V in 1910 to the present day, only one small chariot has been used for a high-ranking monk to recite prayers and lead the procession. 
     “We don’t know yet which Ratcharot Noi will be used for the upcoming ceremony. We have to wait for the official announcement,” she says.
    The National Museum Bangkok also houses Phra Yannamas Sam Lamkhan or the Gilded Three-pole Palanquin that will be used to carry the royal urn from Dusit Maha Prasat Throne Hall to Wat Phra Chetupon, or Wat Pho, where Phra Maha Pichai Ratcharot will await before setting off to Sanam Luang. The royal urn will be raised to the high platform of the royal chariot by the Kern Bundai Nak or the mechanical hoist, which will be pulled by hundreds of soldiers. The two hoists were built in 1811 for the royal cremation of King Rama I. 
     “At Sanam Luang, another Kern will be used to lower the royal urn to another Phra Yannamas Sam Lamkhan which will circumnavigate Phra Meru anti-clockwise three times before the urn is placed on the pyre,” says Supawan.
     Also displayed at the Royal Chariot Garage are a model of the royal crematorium designed by HRH Prince Narisara Nuvadtivongs for King Rama VI in 1925 and the sandalwood urns of Queen Rambhai Barni, the Princess Mother and Princess Galyani Vadhana.

IN ROYAL TRADITION
The National Museum Bangkok’s entrance fee has been waived out of respect for the late King until January 31.
The Royal Chariot Garage is open daily until January 31 from 9am to 4pm. Other buildings are open as usual from Wednesday to Sunday. 
The museum is on Na Phrathat Road, next to Thammasat University. 
For details, call (02) 224 1402 or search for “National Museum Bangkok” on Facebook.