Lanna Crafts XII

Lanna Cultures & Traditions (cont.):

Today Lanna Cultures & Traditions, we will talk about the Respectful Ceremony to the Master or Teacher.

Pictures of Khan Tang 

(A sacred pedestal for Respectful Ceremony to the Master or Teacher)

- Culture & Tradition about Respectful Ceremony to the Master or Teacher, the aim of this activity is to inform the master or teacher before using or performing the studied subject or whatever (for example, studied magic or spell). The other purpose of this ceremony is for inviting the master or teacher to stay with (by spirit) before performing the studied subject to rise the holy or miraculous power.  

Lanna people called this ceremony in Thai as ‘Khan Tang’ ceremony. The Khan Tang is a kind of sacred pedestal which contained tray, flower offering cone, candle, coin cone, white cloth, red cloth, betel nut, banana, sugarcane, coconut, paddy, rice, etc. For general Khan Tang in normal family, they will set a small one but complete set for this purpose. The one who helps to perform the ritual is a monk or a knowledgeable person.

The Respectful Ceremony to the Master or Teacher is classified into two sorts, the first one is for inviting the Master or Teacher (by spirit) to help on another person, the second type is for own self, such as perform this ceremony before start studying with a teacher, etc.

In the past, Lanna people raise the magic or spell to be a high valuable thing without cost (money payment), everyone who wants to study must perform this ceremony before study and do it every time when he has to execute any ritual.

Today recommended Crafts/Handmade Products:

- 'Handmade COTTON BAG Chiang Mai Province Northern Thailand', famous and beautiful, hand-woven cotton bag, native cloth.

Handmade COTTON BAG
Chiang Mai Province
Northern Thailand (1)

Handmade COTTON BAG 
Chiang Mai Province 
Northern Thailand (2)

Handmade COTTON BAG 
Chiang Mai Province 
Northern Thailand (3)

(To be continued)

Lanna Crafts XI

Lanna Cultures & Traditions (cont.):

There are many more Lanna Cultures & Traditions to be presented. Due to the long history of Lanna which absorbed many cultures & traditions from various ancients who occupied on this territory as mentioned in previous posts: Lanna Crafts I, II, III, IV and V (please click the Roman numbers to read or see at Blog Archive).

Picture of the first heaven level named Jatumaharachika

- Culture & Tradition about Notification to the Four Celestial Guardians, any Lanna auspicious ritual or ceremony, such as House-blessing Ceremony, Ordaining as Novice Monk or a Monk, New Year Festival, etc.,  it must be begun with Notification to the Four Celestial Guardians step before do anything further.

The Four Celestial Guardians are the great gods who rule the first heaven level named Jatumaharachika (in Thai) or Cātummahārājika (in Bali). Each Celestial Guardian’s age is 500 years of heaven. The Gods dwell in four directions of center of universe in order to guard, look after, explore the various deeds, protect and give happiness to all of mankind.  The names in Thai language of four Gods are ‘Vessuwan’, ‘Thataratha’, ‘Viroonhok’, ‘Viroopak’, who take care the world in the North, East, South, and West directions, respectively.

Except from notification to these four gods, Lanna people will need to notify to other two significant great gods to get success on their auspicious rituals; ‘Indra’, the leader of all gods in two heaven levels and the Earth Mother who is the witness of all merits of human.

Today recommended Crafts/Handmade Products:

Handmade pendant coconut shell!
Elephant & necklace wax cord
Chiang Mai in Thailand /
L.18-36 cm

- ‘Handmade pendant coconut shell!Elephant & necklace wax cord Chiang Mai in Thailand / L.18-36 cm’, brand: Chiang Mai in Thailand, model: G016, handmade pendant coconut shell-Elephant & necklace wax cord

(To be continued)