Thread: Thai Temples and things you don't know what they are for

The boiled eggs are standard temple offerings in SE Asia. Usually they're part of the "Bai Sri", the conical structure of rice and leaves and bannana flowers often seen on trays at Buddhist ceremonies, the boiled egg is stuck on the top. They symbolise learning and education. They're also offered in thanks for favours received, usually in batches of 1000. The people in the photo just seem to be praying over them before offering them

DD is right about the photo at the top, the Sai Sin thread "transmits" prayer. In a temple setting, which the above looks like, it's normally attached to the right hand of the Buddha image, passes through the hands of the chanting monks, and on down to the congregation.

I've seen the structure in the picture above used during big ceremonies like Luk Mimit or the installation of new Buddha statues or consecration of amulets. It's used when there are a lot guest monks from other temples, rather than having hundreds of meters of thread all over the place it's a neat way to make sure every monk can hold onto the thread without strangling himself or tripping over it when the chanting's finished.

Every year in most villages monks from the local Wat will encircle the village in Sai Sin and, holding one end, chant to bring protection to the village for the next year. When the chanting is finished the monks will give rolls of Sai Sin to the people of the village so they can use it in household rituals like tying it around the wrists of gullible tourists in the hope of extracting money from them.

The paper thingies are, I think, 5-tiered sacred umbrellas made to carry in processions, you often see the real thing on top of chedis and near Buddha statues.

from she who must be obeyed ........................

AFAICT you do choose the site where the egg breaks

think i got it now