Bangkok governor Aswin Kwanmuang on Thursday led a rehearsal procession as he collected sacred water from the Grand Palace, which will be used in the coronation ceremony of His Majesty the King.
The water, which has been blessed and is kept at Ho Sattrakhom, a small building near the Amarin Winitchai Throne Hall, was put in a vase, or khontho, before being taken to the Interior Ministry in a car, accompanied by 327 City Hall executives.
Khontho is a traditional Thai white vase with golden decorations. There are a total of 86 water vases blessed by monks at temples countrywide. Tradition dictates that the water used during the coronation ceremony must be collected from 108 sacred sources.
In Bangkok, it is taken from Ho Sattrakhom, a venue where monks make lustral water and sprinkle it in throne halls inside the Grand Palace. It is considered a sacred place and was the site of rituals in the past to consecrate talismans, worn or kept by soldiers before they went to war.
At Ho Sattrakhom on Thursday, Pol Gen Aswin rehearsed ladling sacred water into a vase before taking it to a car.
The participants then proceeded out of the Grand Palace.
The procession passed by the City Pillar Shrine and headed toward Kanlayanamaitri Road and eventually to Atsadang Road, where the Interior Ministry is located.
The participants were seen walking at a slow pace guided by drums.
A band also played tunes composed by the late King Rama IX along their one-kilometre route.
At the ministry, Pol Gen Aswin took the vase to the Dok Kaeo Room on the second floor.
The Interior Ministry will be home to all 86 vases before they are taken for a final blessing at Wat Suthat Thepphawararam on April 18.
