Here are some pictures from the April 29th, the day of the cremation.
This is what I would call the cremation altar. The coffin was placed here during the final ceremony, where people would say there last good-byes and make an offering of incense, candles, and flowers. The ceremony would be completed when the Princess lit the funeral pyre and the body and coffin would be moved to the crematorium behind the altar.
Earlier in the day and before the coffin was moved to the cremation altar, monks chanted and prayed for Nuch's father. These monks have a specially designed "monk fan" that shows they are Royal monks, which is a big deal.
Nuch and her cousin praying.
The 3 monks on the left are from the local temple, while the guy on the right is from the Royal temple. You can tell by his more elaborate "fan".
In between prayers, the monks take a break to have a breakfast that has been donated. Once again, you can see the royal monks with their specially decorated "fans".
After the morning prayers, the monks get up to leave. The monk on the right, who is smiling, is the head monk for this temple.
Later in the afternoon, the coffin is moved from the sanctuary to the cremation altar. I swear these guys almost dropped it. I didn't get a good picture, but because the cremation was sponsored by the Royal family an army of government officials was available for everything from moving coffins, serving drinks, and security. They even had three groups of laborers who each had their specific responsibility -one for taking care of the flowers, one for sweeping, and one for picking up trash. They consisted of about 15 people each and they all had different colored shirts. And to be sure, the sweepers never touched the trash and the trash picker uppers never touched a broom. All in all there were about 150 laborers and government officials on hand throughout the day, who spent 95% of their time looking for shade. I have no idea how Thailand can still have a problem with unemployment.
Later in the afternoon, the coffin is moved from the sanctuary to the cremation altar. I swear these guys almost dropped it. I didn't get a good picture, but because the cremation was sponsored by the Royal family an army of government officials was available for everything from moving coffins, serving drinks, and security. They even had three groups of laborers who each had their specific responsibility -one for taking care of the flowers, one for sweeping, and one for picking up trash. They consisted of about 15 people each and they all had different colored shirts. And to be sure, the sweepers never touched the trash and the trash picker uppers never touched a broom. All in all there were about 150 laborers and government officials on hand throughout the day, who spent 95% of their time looking for shade. I have no idea how Thailand can still have a problem with unemployment.
Once the coffin was placed securely on the cart, there was a small parade that went around the cremation altar 3 times counter clockwise. In Thai it's called "Ca-bu-wan Hae". Someone once asked me what the English word for Ca-bu-wan Hae is. Ca-bu-an is simply - Parade. The only word similar to Hae is a group of words or simply put "around a temple 3 times counter-clockwise".
When Nuch told that the Princess would be attending the cremation, I remember thinking to myself - what about the trash, traffic, and dogs? As I mentioned, an army of laborers were there to clean things up. Before the Princess arrived the police shut down all the roads leading to the temple, and to get rid of the herd of stray dogs that can be found in every temple throughout the country, the Royal dog catchers were set to work - to the utter enjoyment of some local kids (and myself).
It didn't take long for the dogs to figure out what was going on, as one by one there friends started to disappear. This was the last dog standing.
When Nuch told that the Princess would be attending the cremation, I remember thinking to myself - what about the trash, traffic, and dogs? As I mentioned, an army of laborers were there to clean things up. Before the Princess arrived the police shut down all the roads leading to the temple, and to get rid of the herd of stray dogs that can be found in every temple throughout the country, the Royal dog catchers were set to work - to the utter enjoyment of some local kids (and myself).
This guy is trying to corner a black dog against a fence, while another guy is cutting off the flank.
Got one.
It didn't take long for the dogs to figure out what was going on, as one by one there friends started to disappear. This was the last dog standing.
With the dogs in the pound, the trash picked up, and the roads cleared it was time for the Princess to arrive and the ceremony to begin.
Here's another picture of the cremation altar.
In another post I have a video of the ceremony from the Thai Royal new channel. Here is the chimney from the crematorium.
Unfortunately, no cameras were allowed while the Princess was present. However, I did get a picture of her personal Air Con units set up next her temporary throne chair that looked over the temple grounds. It's good to be the Princess.
Here's another picture of the cremation altar.
In another post I have a video of the ceremony from the Thai Royal new channel. Here is the chimney from the crematorium.
Here's a picture of Nuch and some co workers taken after the ceremony.
I was a little concerned about the dogs who were caught - would it be there last day on earth, as well. Fortunately for them, they were released after the Princess left. Here's a little guy enjoying his new lease on life.
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