Presentation About Thing Kra Jard Ceremony The Project Advisor Ms. Jantana Khum- anukul Kanchananukroh School Kanchanaburi

Thing Kra Jard Ceremony Wat Panan Choeng, an old temple, was built before the founding of Krung Si Ayutthaya. There is no evidence that shows who founded this temple. According to northern annals, Phra Chao Sai Nam Phung was the founder as the memorial of Phra Nang Soi Dok Mak and called it “Wat Chao Phra Nang Choeng”.

In this temple there is a huge Buddha image, meditation style, that Chinese people respected very much. They call it “Sam Po Kong” or “Luang Phor To” or “Luang Phor Wat Panan Choeng”. His majesty the king Rama IV had the new Buddha image built in 2397 and named it “Phra Phuthatrirattayok.”.

There is a ceremony called Thing Kra Jard an annual festival held in the middle of the 9th month.

Generally, Thing Kra Jard ceremony has been held in Chinese communities. However, Thing Kra Jard of Wat Panan Choeng is one of the biggest ceremonies in Phranakhon Si Ayuttaya and bigger than other ceremonies of Chinese communities in Thailand.

Chinese people believe that this ceremony is the way to make merit for the ghosts and spirits that had no relatives. They were freed from the world of the Dead to get merit on earth once a year. The ceremony is held beginning in the middle of the 7th month of the Chinese Calendar. (9th month of Thai) To the end of the month, it is believed that the door of the world of Dead is opened.

The grand ceremony is held at a tower in the middle of the concrete space with a statue of the guardian of hell, 10 meters tall. Thousands of people join in the ceremony and compete to get things out of the baskets. Some come to respect the Buddha image and the others visit the souvenir shops and different play area around the temple.

The schedule of the annual ceremony takes three days before the end of 7th month of the Chinese calendar. On the first day people dedicate merit to the ghosts that had no relatives. Chinese monks from Mahayana chant and pray all night. Regulations are different for Thai monks (Therawath).

The second day is the most important because the statue of the guardian of hell and objects made of paper are burnt. All baskets full of things donated are given to the poor. Most of them are Thai. (The reason why we call this Thing Kra Jard is that in the ancient time people put foods and clothes in the baskets and threw them from the tower.) Foods and utensils are donated by Chinese people.

Different kinds of utensils made of paper are burnt to dedicate merit to the ghosts that had no relatives. The Chinese monks chant all day long as on the first day. About p.m., the committee starts to burn the statue and utensils made of paper. After that they begin donating things, Mostly fruits such as bananas.

On the third day, the last day, they start to clean the temple in the morning. The Thai monks pray to bring good luck to people. This means the ceremony has ended. Shops and play things around the temple move out the next day.

Vocabulary 1. ceremony พิธี 2. annals บันทึกประวัติศาสตร์ประจำปี 3. memorial อนุสรณ์, จดหมายเหตุ 4. majesty พระเจ้าแผ่นดิน 5. generally โดยทั่วไป 6. community ชุมชน 7. relative ญาติ 8. merit บุญกุศล

9. guardian ผู้พิทักษ์ 10. compete แข่งขัน 11. souvenir ของที่ระลึก 12. schedule ตารางเวลา, กำหนดการประจำวัน 13. dedicate อุทิศ 14. chant การสวดมนต์

15. pray อธิษฐาน 16. regulation กฎ 17. donate บริจาค 18. utensil เครื่องมือ เครื่องใช้, ภาชนะ 19. committee คณะกรรมการ, ผู้อนุบาล

By Ms. Pornpat PrasongthamNo. 6 Ms. Nantita Pongkangsananan No. 17 Mattatom 5/10