Royal funeral chariot
A royal funeral chariot is a wheeled vehicle traditionally used to transport the bodies of royalty during funeral processions in some cultures of Mainland Southeast Asia. Today, they remain in use in Thailand and Cambodia.
Thailand
The royal funeral chariots of Thailand were built during the reign of King Rama I at the beginning of the Rattanakosin period. They include, among other smaller accompanying vehicles, the two main chariots previously used to transport the bodies of kings of the Chakri Dynasty, the Maha Phichai Ratcharot ("Royal Great Victory Carriage" or "Royal Chariot of Great Victory"), built in 1795, and Vejayanta Ratcharot (Named after Indra's chariot Vejayanta), built in 1799. The chariots, built of teak and ornately carved, gilded and decorated, have a tall, tiered design symbolizing Mount Meru surrounded by devata (angels) and nāga. The chariots are topped with a butsabok (open-sided roofed structure) which houses the royal funerary urn containing the royal body. Despite the term used, the "chariots" have four wheels and are pulled by hundreds of men.[1][2]
The royal chariots are housed in the Bangkok National Museum and undergo restoration when they are needed for royal funerals. Following custom, The doorsill of the exhibition hall and a section of the museum wall are demolished and a path is laid each time the chariots need to be brought outside, and the structures are rebuilt and the path removed after the ceremony ends, signifying that their future use is not anticipated.[3]
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- ↑ Srimaneekulroj, Kanin (10 November 2016). "Carrying the weight of history". Bangkok Post. Retrieved 12 November 2016.
- ↑ "ราชรถราชยานของไทย" (video). Virtual Museum website (in Thai). Department of Fine Arts. Retrieved 12 November 2016.
- ↑ ""พระมหาพิชัยราชรถ" เสร็จพิธีก่อกำแพง-รื้อถนนปิดตาย". Spring News (in Thai). 30 October 2016. Retrieved 12 November 2016.