PHUKET: Phuket officials, led by Governor Narong Woonciew, joined a merit-making and blessing ceremony this morning (June 3) to honor the 45th birthday of Her Majesty Queen Suthida. Coinciding with her birthday this year is Visakha Bucha Day, one of the major Buddhist holidays.
Her Majesty Queen Suthida Bajrasudhabimalalakshana, born Suthida Tidjai, became Queen through her marriage to His Majesty King Vajiralongkorn Bodindradebayavarangkun on May 1, 2019. The Cabinet declared June 3 a national holiday on May 14 that year to commemorate the birthday of Her Majesty the Queen.
The alms offering ceremony, held at the new Phuket Provincial Hall, began at 7:30 am. Phra Kru Metta Pirom, Abbot of Wat Mongkol Nimit in Phuket Town, led 40 monks to receive alms from the Governor, Vice Governors, heads of local government offices, students, and members of the public.
Scheduled for 5:30 pm is the ’Phan Phum’ laying ceremony, which will be followed by a candle lighting ceremony at 7:19 pm.
Also, this morning, thousands of devotees joined the ceremonies held at various Buddhist temples on the island to honor the major Buddhist holiday, Visakha Bucha.
As per tradition, devout Buddhists wake up very early on Visakha Bucha and head to temples to make merit and listen to sermons on the Buddha’s teachings.
After sunset, candle-lit processions take place at major temples, with devotees walking clockwise three times around the principal chapel while holding three incense sticks, a lighted candle, and lotus buds.
Buddhist ceremonies in Phuket this year also included the planting of a Holy Buddha Tree, known in Thai as Phra Sri Maha Bodhi, at Wat Sapam Thammaram temple in Koh Kaew.
The ceremony was led by Rear Admiral Nattapong Yanothaikhachit, Deputy Director of the Phuket branch of the Internal Security Operations Command (Isoc), and Phra Baidika Phachya Suwichano, the Abbot of Sapam Thammaram Temple.
Devout Buddhists believe that Gautama Buddha attained enlightenment (bodhi) while meditating underneath a fig tree, scientifically identified now as Ficus religiosa.
This is why the tree is highly revered by Thai Buddhists and planted at temples. Some of the temple Bodhi trees in Thailand are several hundred years old and have trunks as big as 6 meters in diameter.
