BANGKOK, 6 March 2015 – His Royal Highness Crown Prince Maha Vajiralongkorn on Thursday (March 5) represented His Majesty the King at the ceremony of changing the costume of the Emerald Buddha image, at the Temple of the Emerald Buddha in the Grand Palace.
His Royal Highness, accompanied by his eldest daughter, Her Royal Highness Princess Bajrakitiyabha, arrived at the temple at 5.40 p.m. to perform the ritual of changing the costume of the Emerald Buddha image from the winter season cloak to the summer season attire made of pure gold. The attire includes a diamond studded headdress. The change of the costume from the winter gown to that of the summer takes place every year on the first waning moon of the fourth lunar month, considered the first day of summer.
This ceremony was dated back to the reign of King Rama I who then built two seasonal costumes for the Emerald Buddha image – one for the summer season and the other for the rainy season. King Rama III had another costume made for the winter season. The costume used today was built by King Rama IX in 1996 to replace the old one which is 200 years old and becomes irreparable.
After changing the Buddha image’s costume, His Royal Highness sprinkled lustral water on officials who were attending the ceremony inside the ubosoth and then permitted the Brahmin priests to pass consecrated candles known as ‘Waen Wian Thian’ to members of the Royal Family and officials, in a gesture of blessing. After the Wian Thian ceremony, His Royal Highness sprinkled lustral water on people who came to observe the ritual outside the temple.
