PHUKET: The series of ceremonies to install the new Phuket City Pillar have begun, with Phuket Governor Narong Woonciew yesterday (July 31) joining a ceremony to install a ‘Phum Khao Bin’ at the existing Phuket City Pillar Shrine in Muang Mai, in Tambon Thepkrasattri, Thalang.
Phra Udom Wachiramongkol (Wirat Atthammo), Abbot of Wat Mongkhon Nimit and Dean of Phuket Province, led the religious ceremonies to bring blessings to the sacred ‘Phum Khao Bin’ adornment that sits atop the pillar fixed to the roof of the shrine.
Joining the ceremonies were Phuket Vice Governor Amnuay Pinsuwan and a host of leading local officials as well as members from the local community.
A ‘Puttapisek Ceremony’ will be held to install the new City Pillar at the Phuket Provincial Administration Center on Tha Kraeng Rd in Phuket Town on Aug 5-7, the Phuket office of the Public Relations Department confirmed in a report posted yesterday.
As announced last month, the ceremony will be led by Phra Suriya Songklod and Phra Sayom Phu Yant.
Before the main ceremony to install the new City Pillar, there will be a three-day parade of replica city pillars, satellite pillars and the top of Phuket City Pillars around Phuket. The parade, from tomorrow through Friday (Aug 2-4), will see the pillars stop overnight at selected sites, as follows:
Wednesday (Aug 2)
From 9:30am the parade will commence from the Phuket Provincial Administrative Organisation (PPAO) offices and enter Damrong Rd, continue through the Satree Phuket School Intersection and along Thungkha Rd.
From there the parade will turn left onto turn left Yaowarat Rd, then left again onto Dibuk Rd and continue to Wat Mongkol Nimit, where Phra Aram Luang will lead a blessing ceremony
After the blessing ceremony the parade will continue along Dibuk Rd and turn right onto Montri Rd, pass Surin Circle (the ‘Clocktower Roundabout’) and continue along Phuket Rd.
The parade will then turn right onto Thepsrisin Rd, leading over the Thepsrisin Bridge, and continue through the Sakdidej Intersection onto Chao Fa Dowroong Rd, then turn left onto Chao Fa East Rd.
The parade will continue to Chalong Circle, then head northwards along Chao Fa West Rd to Wat Chaithararam (Wat Chalong), where the pillars will stay overnight.
Thursday (Aug 3)
From 9am, the parade will depart from Wat Chalong and continue northwards along Chao Fa West Rd to the Darasamut Intersection (at the Central Phuket shopping mall), where it will turn left onto Wichit Songkkram Rd.
The parade will continue along Wichit Songkram Rd, then turn right at the Ketho Intersection and continue through to the the Kathu Sports Field Park (site of the ‘Old Brewery’ community field), where the parade will stop for two hours.
The parade will then continue along Phra Phuket Kaew Rd and turn right at the Si Kor Intersection, then continue along the road around the “back” of Kathu (technically still Wichit Songkram Rd) to Wat Kathu, where the parade will stop again for two hours.
The parade will then retrace its course back along Wichit Songkram Rd to the Kathu District Office, located in the neighbourhood behind the Caltex petrol station near the Si Kor Intersection, where it will remain overnight.
Friday (Aug 4)
At 9am, the parade will depart from Kathu District Office and continue along Wichit Songkram Rd back to the Darasamut Intersection, where it will continue through the intersection and turn left onto Mae Luan Rd.
The parade will continue to Thepkrasattri Rd, where it will turn left and continue northwards out of town to Wat Phra Thong, where it will stop for two hours.
The procession will then make its way all along Thepkrasattri Rd to the Phuket City Gate, near the Phuket Check Point in Tha Chatchai, at the northernmost point of Phuket, where it will stop for two hours.
The parade will then make its way south along Thepkrasattri Rd to the Phuket City Pillar Shrine in Muang Mai, where it will remain overnight.
Phuket officials warned, “Note that the ‘City Pillar parade’ is large. A parade may consider a stop along the way for people to pay their respects in an appropriate area/community. The schedule may be adjusted as appropriate.”
