The Royal Ploughing Ceremony - 11 May 2006 - Bangkok

The annual Ploughing Ceremony is held during the sixth lunar month (May) at Sanam Luang (the Phramane Ground) in front of the Grand Palace. The event, which heralds the beginning of the official rice-planting season, is presided over by His Majesty the King, with much pomp and splendour.
The Ploughing Ceremony is of Brahman origin and it was practised even before the birth of Lord Buddha who, then a Prince, used to take part in the ceremony. The auspicious day and time are to set by the Royal Brahman astrologers.
Nowadays, although Their Majesties are present at the ceremony, the King no longer takes the leading role His Majesty the King appoints the Ploughing Lord as his representative to carry out the rites.
 
During this colourful ceremony, the amount of rainfall to be expected in the coming season is forecast. The Ploughing Lord is offered a choice of three lengths of cloth, all looking identical, if his choice is the longest one there will be rain during the coming year; if his choice is the shortest one, rain will be plentiful while the one of medium length indicates average rain. His Majesty the King appoints a Lord of the Festival (Phya Raek Nah) to carry out the rites. The Phya Raek Nah chooses from three 'panungs' (a long cloth worn about the hips). If he chooses the longest one, there will be little rain during the coming year. The shortest cloth means plenty of rain, while the medium-length panung denotes average rainfall. A procession follows with sacred bulls, festooned in flowers, drawing a red and gold plough. Green-costumed drummers, Brahmans chanting and blowing conch shells, umbrella bearers and four 'nang thepi' or consecrated women, carrying gold and silver baskets filled with rice seed, proceed with the plough. Once the bulls have turned a few furrows, they are presented with seven different foods and drinks - rice, beans, maize, hay, sesame, water and liquor. Whichever the bulls choose to eat or drink should be plentiful during the coming year.
After the furrows have been ploughed, the Lord of the Festival scatters rice seed over the newly turned earth. Once the ceremony is over, hundreds of people will rush to the spot in the hope of gathering some of the precious rice grains to ensure a good crop of rice in the next season.
Festivities were held to boost the farmers' morale urging them to strive for an abundant harvest and encouraging them to engage in rice cultivation on a significant scale not just for local consumption but also to maintain sufficient reserves for times of war and for export overseas.
Since 1966, the Cabinet declared Ploughing Ceremony day as the Annual Agriculturists Day. This is to make agriculturists aware of the importance of agriculture and to remind them to take part in the ceremony to bring about good luck and wealth for themselves and the country as a whole. Since then, the Agriculturists Day has been observed together with the Rice Grains Blessing and Ploughing Ceremony.
Today, the Royal Ploughing Ceremony consists of two ceremonies - a Cultivating Ceremony known as "Phraraj Pithi Peuj Mongkol" and the Ploughing Ceremony, "Phraraj Pithi Jarod Phranangkal Raek Na Kwan".
Both royal ceremonies are state events with the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Agriculture and Cooperatives assuming the role of the Lord of the Harvest or Phraya Raek Na, while four single female officials of the Ministry holding positions of second rank and above in the civil service undertake the role of the Celestial Maidens or Nang Thepi, assistants to the Lord of the Harvest.

The Cultivating Ceremony is a Buddhist ritual performed one day before the Ploughing Ceremony. Paddy and the seeds of forty other crops and ceremonial items to be used in the Ploughing Ceremony are blessed. His Majesty the King (or a representative) presides over the religious rites which are performed in the Royal Chapel of the Temple of the Emerald Buddha within the compounds of the Grand Palace. With lustral water poured over his hands and his forehead anointed by His Majesty the King, the Lord of the Harvest receives the royal blessing. The four Celestial Maidens also receive similar blessing. The Lord of the Harvest then receives the ceremonial ring and sword to be used in the Ploughing Ceremony from His Majesty the King.


The Royal Ploughing Ceremony is held the next morning at Sanam Luang -- The Royal Ground -- begins with the Lord of the Harvest performing a rite to predict the amount of rainfall in the coming season. This is done by selecting one of three pieces of cloths of the various lengths. At the auspicious time following the arrival of His Majesty the King and members of the Royal Family, the Lord of the Harvest begins to plough the field and sows the rice seeds from the baskets carried by the Celestial Maidens. At the end of the ploughing ceremony, the ceremonial bulls are led to troughs, each containing one of seven different offerings of food or drink namely, paddy, green beans, maize, hay, sesame seed, water and liquor. The Predictions regarding the success of the harvest and the abundance of particular crops in the coming season are determined by the items selected by the bulls. Then as the barricades are removed, hundreds rush into the field hoping to gather a few sacred rice grains scattered by the Lord of Harvest. These are either mixed with the farmer's own rice stock to ensure a good crop in the coming year, or simply kept as a token of good luck.
The Royal Ploughing Ceremony is a major state function with Their Majesties granting an audience at the event hence certain restrictions regarding the observation of the ceremony are unavoidably necessary. They apply to all persons who are not actual participants in the ceremony, irrespective of whether they are Thais or foreigners.

The Bureau of The Royal Household requests the kind co-operation of all visitors to this ceremonial event to observe the following.

DRESS CODE
Dress Code For International Media : Members of the Press are requested to dress in formal business attire with "Press / Media" sleeve bands

Dress Code for Gentlemen :
Shirt and necktie or Thai national costume (with high collar)

Dress Code for Ladies :
Blouse and skirt or dress. (Please refrain from wearing trousers, pantalons, pants)

Tourists attending the ceremony with TAT badges are provided seats in tents placed at a vantage point which offers a good view. Tourists are requested to observe the following regulations strictly.

Do-s And Don't-s
Before 08:30, tourists may take photographs as they please, but they must not in any circumstances enter the Brahminic ritual pavilion. After 08:30, tourists must remain within the tents assigned and photographs can only be taken from the tents.

If tourists wish to collect some of the rice seed sown during the ceremony, they must do so only after the departure of Their Majesties.

Throughout the ceremony, tourists must wear badges distributed by TAT.