Thread: Royal Ploughing Ceremony - Sacred Cows' choice of eating

Feast or famine in ancient rite

All eyes are on what Sacred Cows choose to eat at the Royal Ploughing CeremonyFeast or famine in ancient riten


So what will a pair of Sacred Cows eat today? We shall know the prophecy right after the Royal Ploughing Ceremony: whether the land will be fertile this year, whether the water will be abunฌdant or whether the farmers' harฌvests will yield a rich output.
The prophecy all depends on the Sacred Cows' choice of eating, which will provide a forecast for the country's harvest for the whole year. During the ceremony, held at Sanam Luang, right beside the Royal Grand Palace, the chief Brahmin will prepare a menu of seven items - rice paddy, maize, green bean, sesame, hard liquor, water and grass - for the Sacred Cows.

The annual ceremony is an ancient ritual, a mixture of Buddhist and Brahmin rituals. It is observed and practised not only in Thailand but also in other Asian nations whose livelihoods have been dependent on rice harvests.

The name of Suthothana, the father of Lord Buddha, is translatฌed as "white rice", implying that his family line was involved in rice farming. Her Royal Highness Princess Maha Chakri Sirindhorn has been seen harvesting rice once in a while in experimental plantaฌtions. The Emperor of Japan is also involved in sacred rice planฌtations. Cambodia has recently conducted a similar royal ploughฌing ceremony.

If the Sacred Cows eat paddy or maize, the prophecy is that the harvests and food produce will be abundant. If they eat green bean or sesame, food produce will be abundant and the food that we eat every day will also be available throughout the country. If they drink water or eat grass, water will be abundant, while harvests, food produce and the food that we eat every day will be rich in supply. If they drink the liquor, transportaฌtion will be convenient and comฌmerce with foreign countries will be prosperous.

But the prophecy will also have to take into account the praying and random choice of three pieces of cloth of different lengths.
If the Ploughing Lord picks a piece of cloth measuring four palm spans, there will be more water. Farming on high land will bear good yields, while farming on low land might face some damage.

If the Ploughing Lord chooses a piece of cloth measuring five palms, the prophecy is that water supply will be just about right, rice plantations will yield good output and food produce will also be abundant.

If the Ploughing Lord selects a piece of cloth measuring six palms, water will be scarce. Farming on low land will bear good yields, but farming on high land will not bring good results.

This year, the pair of Sacred Cows, named Prakho Therd and Phrakho Thoon, will take part in the ceremony from 8.19am until 8.59am. His Royal Highness Crown Prince Maha Vajiralongkorn is presiding over the ceremony and the Rice Grains Blessing.

The grains blessing was held yesterday in a Buddhiststyle religious ceremony at the Temple of the Emerald Buddha. Yesterday was also recognised as Agriculturists' Day. The ploughing ceremony is conducted with Brahminstyle ritual. In Thailand, Buddhist and Brahmin rituals are most of the time inseparable.

A rehearsal for the ceremony was held last Sunday. Banphot Hongthong, permanent secretary at the Ministry of Agriculture and Agricultural Cooperatives, acted as Ploughing Lord with angels holding gold and silver baskets accompanying him, while he ploughed the land and sowed the seeds. The rehearsal went well, assuring that the grand ceremony today will be held with success and in colourful fanfare.

The grains blessing and ploughing ceremony are held every year in May. As Thailand, or Old Siam, depends for its livelihood on rice, the ploughing ceremony signals an auspicious start to a new harvest season. It also boosts the morale of farmers so that they have confidence in their farming and planting for the rest of the year.

The ploughing ceremony had been held since ancient times until 1936, shortly after the bloodless revolution of 1932. It was not until 1960 that the ceremony was revived to honour farmers and to recognise their contribution to the wellbeing of the country.

As Banphot will act as the Ploughing Lord, his deputy Suthiporn Jiraphand will be responsible for making the prophecy after the completion of the ceremony. The rice seeds and grains used in this year's ceremony weigh 2,011 kilograms. They come from the experimental project at Chitralada Palace.

At the end of the ceremony, the Thai public will storm the grounds of Sanam Luang to bring home the grains to augment the auspices for their lives.

In addition, the Ministry of Agriculture will prepare royalsponsored seeds in 10,300 packages for free distribution to farmers nationwide.


Royal ploughing ceremony in Asia

The Nation