Liaison Office
Participation in 2014 Thailand Royal Ploughing Ceremony
The Thai Royal Ploughing Ceremony is a traditional religious rite, which heralds the start of the new rice-growing season and blesses the plants, and is usually performed in May of every year. This ceremony has close relation with the Ministry of agriculture and cooperatives. Invited by the Department of Agriculture (DOA), Dr. Tomohide Shugino, JIRCAS field consulter, has participated in the ceremony taken place on May 9, 2014 at Sanam Luang in front of the Grand Palace. The Ceremony consists of two separate rituals: Cultivating Ceremony and Ploughing Ceremony. This year, the Cultivating Ceremony was held within Grand Palace on May 8, and the Ploughing Ceremony was opened to public in next day. His Royal Highness Crown Prince Maha Vajiralongkorn presided over the ceremony. The permanent secretary for the Ministry of agriculture and cooperatives served as Phrays Raek Na of this year in the Ploughing Ceremony. The ceremony began with the Lord of the Harvest, which predicts the rain fall in coming season, and the Phrays Raek Na selected one from three pieces of cloth with different length. His selection indicated little rain fall in this year. Two sacred oxen then were taken to circumambulate a furrow nine times in the ceremony ground. During the last three circularly ploughing, four consecrated ladies from the Ministry of agriculture and cooperatives began to scatter the rice seeds into the newly ploughed furrow. It is said that the people who get the strewn rice seeds will have good luck and great auspicious properties in the future. Therefore, when the ceremony is ended, many people rush into the ground to collect the seeds. After ploughing, the sacred oxen were given seven types of foods and drinks, which include rice seeds, soybean, maize, grass, sesame seeds, water and liquor. Depending on the oxen’s choice, the crop harvest was predicted. This time, the oxen selected the water and grass. Therefore, an abundant of crops such as rice, fruit and food in the coming season was predicted. The Thai agricultural officials, diplomats and international organization staffs attended this ceremony. Through this ceremony, they can enhanced their relationships
- Staffs and sacred oxen waiting for the start of ceremony
- Visitors rush into the ground for luck seeds