Fah Thai Sep-Oct 2019

OVERTURES
ARTS & CULTURAL MATTERS
ROYAL BARGES IN RATTANAKOSIN
The River of Kings
The glittering Suphannahong
barge glides gracefully down the
majestic Chao Phraya River – a
magnificent work of art that
shimmers with centuries of
Thai cultural heritage. Like stars
surrounding a moon, other barges
of different size and patterns
shine brightly as thousands
of oarsmen row to the rhythm
of beating drums, music and
poetry infused songs. The entire
procession resembles a magical
troop floating through the sky.
CRUISING BACK IN TIME
During the Sukhothai period (1238-1438),
royal barges were used for ceremonies
such as the Royal Chong Priang or
Brahmin lantern procession. Later in
the Ayutthaya period (1351-1767), the
barges were also used in battle, as well
as for religious occasions and boat races.
The royal barge procession was also
organised for grand occasions of state,
like welcoming foreign dignitaries.
All royal processions, whether on land
or water, are arranged in battle formation to
exhibit the Kingdom’s military strength.
Words Chusri Ngamprasert
Photos Courtesy of Facebook @royalbargesthailand &
the National Archives
During the reign of King Narai the Great
of Ayutthaya, French missionary Nicolas
Gervaise witnessed and wrote about
the elaborate Phet Puang royal barge
procession – a formation that was adopted
for all future processions.
When Myanmar (then Burma) captured
and burned the capital of Ayutthaya in
1767, all the royal vessels were destroyed
in the blaze. However, King Taksin of Thon Buri
wasted no time having a new fleet built,
which ensured that knowledge about the
construction of ancient barges was handed
down to the Rattanakosin era.
King Rama I of the Chakri Dynasty
revived the tradition of royal barge
processions for the kathin ceremony held
at the end of Buddhist Lent, and built the
Si Suphannahong, which was used as the
primary royal barge for over a century.
However, with the invention of
motorised boats and no wars to fight,
these magnificent ancient barges are
nowadays used purely for ceremonial
purposes, such as the Royal Coronation
and the Royal Kathin procession.
Built from teakwood, the royal barges
gradually deteriorated over time, and
the Si Suphannahong was replaced by
the Suphannahong – constructed on the
orders of King Rama V and completed
during the reign of King Rama VI.
During the reign of Rama V, the
Prince of Nakhon Sawan reorganised the
original extravagant fleet formation into the
standard “major” and “minor” formations,
which are still used today. The major
formation is reserved for royal ceremonies
and momentous occasions of state.
Opposite & Bottom
Right
Royal Barges
proceed down the
Chao Phraya River
as they rehearse for
the Royal Kathin
Ceremony, which
will be held on
October 24, 2019.
Top
An image from the
National Archives
of the grand Royal
Barge Procession
held for the
investiture of Siam’s
first Crown Prince,
Maha Vajirunhis
- the eldest son
of King Rama V
and Queen Savang
Vadhana.
Centre
The mythological
creature Sukrip
forms the figurehead
of an escort vessel.
When absolute monarchy ended in
1932, the royal barges were placed under
wraps and out of public view, where they
would remain for more than two decades.
Most of the vessels were kept near Thon Buri
train station, where they were damaged
by bombing in World War II.
In 1959, King Bhumibol Adulyadej
or Rama IX refloated the ancient and
glittering tradition, reviving the Royal Barge
Procession for the Royal Kathin Ceremony.
Currently, four royal barges
are in service: the 102-year-old
Anekkachatpuchong, the 108-yearold
Suphannahong, the 95-year-old
Anantanakkharat and the 23-year-old
Narai Song Suban HM Rama IX. The
oldest, Suphannahong, was honoured
with Maritime World Heritage status by
the World Ship Trust in 1992.
The escort vessels and cannonequipped
barges, whose figureheads
of mythical creatures represent official
seals or noble ranks in ancient times,
were built around a century ago.
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