Prasat Phueng Parade Tradition

Opening days: Daily

Opening hours: 08.00 - 17.00

 

Prasat Phueng Parade Tradition The period of the Buddhist Lent Festival, the 15th day of the waxing moon, the 11th lunar month

 

The importance of the Bee Castle Parade during the Isan Festival Although it is common in many provinces. But it's not as big and continues to operate like that of Sakon Nakhon. The development of the ancient castle style to be a dwarf shape. The ancient honey tower shape has not yet evolved into the honey bee castle shape. especially in terms of form and content that there is conservation, application, modification or reconstruction Such issues should not be ignored. For the sake of understanding, we would like to bring the story of Prasat Phueng to be revisited in a nutshell as follows:

 

1. The Bee Tree Era - Honey Bee, Isan people in some localities believed that making honey bee flowers was made as a Buddhist offering for charity for the deceased. Therefore, when relatives Friends in the village died and went to help the funeral (Huan Dee) as much as they could. As it is said "Woman wraps porridge, cuts, crushes, squeezes khao pun, men breaks honey bees" It is said that in helping the funeral or the rice distribution event, the men must bring a machete with them This is because it works with everything from Cut firewood and hammer to make bee trees. Honey bee towers. Bee trees are made from small banana trees. Cut it to a reasonable length, trim the trunk, and make a three-legged trestle to hold the banana plant in place to stand. The wax is then simmered to be melted into a mold. Molds are made from fruits such as Simli (Simpi, Som-Fit, Bodhisala). They may also produce small papaya fruit, cut inside and decorate it into a lobe flower as desired. Then the mold is dipped in wax and lifted up and soaked in water. The wax will come out of the mold as a flower pattern.

 

Before the bee flower is attached to the banana stem, the banana tree, the bee-maker will cut the turmeric head into round glasses and use a wooden skewer to insert the turmeric bee flowers. in order not to weaken the bee and lose its shape

 

Making the bee plant will be done before the date of collecting the relics of the deceased. on the day of the ashes Relatives will bring the bee plant with them. After using a banana stalk to hold the ashes to make a figure of a revered person. will bring the bee plant to the ashes Monks take requisitions to cover the relics before bringing the ashes to be packed in a suitable weave The bee tree therefore gave it for the ritual.

 

The honey bee tower is closely related to the bee plant. and is the origin of the current royal palace parade The honey bee tower looks like a dwarf shape. make bamboo frame It will be nailed together with banana sheaths, banana stalks. The honeycomb structure is made into a rectangular shape, 2 layers connected to each other, similar to the waist, or the waistband within the wooden frame is transparent. In order to contain the two-tiered artifacts, it was noticed that the honey bee tower had 2 forms, which were slightly different, namely, in some places a 2-storey tower was similar in size, but in some places a large and wide lower floor was made. The upper floor above the waist was made into a shape. Small size to match the bottom base to look good enough.

 

Honey bee decoration Also popular to decorate the bee flower according to the banana sheath project. The stalks of bananas, even though they have been stabbed in some patterns. Still not focusing on the beauty of the banana leaf pattern. The tower will be made into a pole. to use the parade to make offerings to the temple The key component is also the frame which is made of bamboo hammer. It is also called making a honey tower. In the past, it was still done in parallel with the bee plant, that is, the Isan tradition. Offering alms to the deceased at the rice distribution event when offering food to the monks then presented the honey tower to dedicate the merit to the deceased As there is an offering to the bee castle in one part that

"Imana mayangphante madhubuppa pasathang".

 

Although the beehive offering will be done in the rice distribution event But Isan people in various villages still consider that they should organize a charity event for the deceased. During the end of Buddhist Lent, so it is popular to find branches and bamboo thorns to gather at the cremation area. Do not allow animals to dig with embroidered wooden fence on the end of Buddhist Lent On the day of Mahapavarana, he made merit and distributed rice. By choosing to take the day of the 15th day of the waxing moon or 1 night of waning, in the evening, the rice distribution ceremony is performed by the evening Villagers therefore flock to the honey bee tower to the designated temple. One sub-district often sets important temples as their destination, where villagers will build tampons. ceremonial marquee for the procession which consists of:

 

1. procession of gongs, drums in front of them 2. procession of kong bang (reigns) or the procession of the ashes of the deceased 3. honey tower procession 4. Kalapapruek tree procession consecration For the monks, there are no fixed rules. how many beehives to make Some of the descendants of the deceased will make their own, one tower each, and some consider it necessary to help each other make offerings to the monks in every temple invited to pray in the evening.

 

Celebrating the honey tower after evening prayer There is a sermon for merit Then there was a joyful celebration. The next morning, he offered food to the monks. and then offering the honey bee tower as the completion of the ceremony, it can be seen that the tradition of bee tree parade It is a story that has a belief that comes from the rice merit event especially. But later that tradition was held to a large extent. In the group of people in Sakon Nakhon who have valuable temples near and far, Wat Phra That Choeng Chum for many reasons, such as

 

1. Buddhists believe that making merit on the Buddhist Lent Day or Devorohana Day (Buddha Open World Day) is the day when the Lord Buddha said that the three worlds (human beings, gods, and the underworld) will see each other's existence. and by the power of the Lord Buddha The villagers saw the honey tower that they made as an offering, so many Khum people came together to make it as a tradition every year.

 

2. Wat Phra That Choeng Chum is a sacred place. It is the place where the Lord Buddha came to a meeting of the Buddha's footprint to four people. Bringing a honey bee tower to offer as a Buddhist worship of the Buddha's footprint would be auspicious to himself.

 

3. It is a merit making during the Buddhist Lent season. relatives The people from far away met. After Wan Kla Pak Dam, they also organized a boat race of various temples to have fun. Villagers had the opportunity to make merit together.

 

2. the era of the bee-shaped castle Prasat Phueng is a small tower with 2 types, namely the tower with a roof top and Prasat Sim or Phra Phum Shrine with a short stature more fortified than the first type But there is no roof lined up to form the top of this type of castle found in Sakon Nakhon. recently

 

2.1 Prasat shaped like a tower, decorated with a high pointed roof. 2.2 Prasat Phueng Song Sim or Phra Phum Shrine.

 

3. Prasat Phueng Ruean Yot era, Phra Maha Varee said in one part of "The History of Prasat Phueng", summed up that originally there were communities around Wat Phra That Choeng Chum. People in some sub-districts, such as Ngew Don sub-district, were responsible for the maintenance of Phra That Choeng Chum, known as "Khao Phra That". These kitchens did not have to pay the royalties. Later, Phra Thera who is the primate of Ngew Don Subdistrict has more followers and people in nearby sub-districts.

 

Therefore, he persuaded the abbot and people in the nearby sub-districts, namely Dong Chon Sub-district, Dong Mafai Sub-district, Huai Yang Sub-district, Don Hom Sub-district, Bueng Thawai Sub-district, Tao Yoi Sub-district, to join as a monk. and although later the village of Ka Phra That was canceled for everyone to pay the local tax But the villagers around the area still have a tradition of making merit and offering to the relics during the rising season.

 

The 11th month of every year, from the first day of the first lunar day to the 13th day of the lunar day, is the time of bringing mao mao and bee trees to offer to Phra That Choeng Chum. It means to bid farewell to the relics to live in the rice fields.

 

The shape of the top of the castle Bee castle model made of bamboo shavings into strips. Or may be made of slats with bee flowers decorated on the banana sheath. Which uses the art of stabbing the yak has changed from the original in about 1953 by the committee organizing the Bee Castle Contest Sakon Nakhon Municipality Seeing that the pattern could not be developed to make the elements to be elaborate, so they changed to making the Bee Castle by making the castle a wooden frame.

 

It is a castle with a tetrahedron with a slender top, known as "Kudakan". The building on all four sides is a porch extending out of the same size. Some places built 3 castles next to each other. To decorate the bee castle by making the castle a wooden frame. It is a castle with a slender top. Also known as "Kudakan", the building on all four sides is a porch extending out of the same size. Some places build 3 castles next to each other, also emphasizing the intricacies of decoration, motifs, and castle bee canopy. In short, the steps in Prasat Phueng Ruean Yot consist of:

 

1. Making a wooden frame by choosing a pattern, designing the wooden frame with beautiful proportions by using a carpenter with special expertise. These wooden frames usually only take 4-5 years to be replaced or sold to others.

 

2. The design of patterns used to decorate various parts, along with the use of colors, which must be thought out completely.

 

3. Pattern carving and printing from plasticine or other scientific materials before making molds.

 

4. Wax casting - wax carving according to the drawings set forth in this step. It may use real beeswax, beeswax, or scientific substance. Depending on the skill of each craftsman, but in general, soft wax castings are used in molds and then peeled off. Decorate the wax with a distinctive pattern or cut out unwanted parts.

 

5. Decoration followed by the castle building by using pins or connecting them together.

Currently, the bee castle It is a big event that has been prepared for at least 3 months for the temple that has done every step of the way. But the economic turmoil made the assembly itself. These are common things that have changed from the former temple complex to the center of the bee castle. or various philanthropic events.

 

Rituals, rituals in the Prasat Phueng tradition of the people of Sakon Nakhon province can be said that it depends on the beliefs of each type of bee castle, each era, that is, in the era where bee towers were made in the shape of bamboo trellis, banana sheaths, and banana stems decorated with honey bee flowers. that when taken to offer to monks as well as making a honey bee castle with a ghost tower and Prasat Phung with Chaturamuk when offering to monks The offering will be said in the Pali language as follows:

 

"Imani Mayangbhante Madhubupaya Pasatang" After that, he left the bee castle at the temple for 3 days and 7 days and then brought it back. Some of them gave offerings left at the temple. At present, when a large temple of phueng castle is built, a lot of investment is made when the monks accept the castle and will set it up for a short-term public viewing for one night and then take it back to protect their temple.

 

However, in ancient times it said The tradition of Khum Wat people, 3 days before Prasat Phueng is made, they will invite monks to pray auspicious spells at the village around the castle for 3 nights. After finishing Prasat Phung, before offering them to the temple, they will celebrate for another day and 1 night. bring to temple At present, such rituals are not visible. However, if starting to make the Phueng Castle step by step, it will take more than 1 month to complete, which is different from the ancient times that Khum people helped to complete it within 3 days and 7 days.

 

Bee Castle Tradition There is an important content in the feeling. The mind that has performed according to the customs is essential for mental stability. As for the content in the aspect of wanting to make merit It is considered as important as the bee castle offering to the temple. Considered to have the highest merit because bees are related to Buddhism. as appeared in the history of the Buddha in the episode of Palilai Ling Bring the honeycomb to offer to the Lord Buddha at Devorohana that the Lord Buddha showed miracles to open the world to see each other in the three worlds, allowing humans to see the suffering of devas, humans and the underworld, as well as during Atheist In which Thao Phraya Sena Amat, consort, the king competed to build a castle or even a royal malai, it was said as a castle in the heavens.

 

However, in the matter of personal merit needs mentioned above, there is still a substance that wants to dedicate the merit to the deceased. This may be derived from the motto of the Chinese who make a living in Sakon Nakhon. The scooping office is in the shape of houses and buildings that are burned to the deceased but if converted to building a ghost tower decorated with honey bee flowers for monks dedicated to the deceased.