BANGKOK – Somdet Phra Sangharaja Sakon Maha Sanghaparinayok, Supreme Patriarch of Thailand, and Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin presided over a ceremony on Friday, February 23, 2024 to enshrine the relics of the Lord Buddha and two Venerable Disciples, Sariputta and Moggallana, in Sanam Luang, Bangkok, in honour of His Majesty the King.
The Thai Government, together with the Government of the Republic of India, have carried out the event of “Ganga-Mekong Holy Buddha Relics” as part of His Majesty the King’s sixth-cycle or 72nd birthday celebrations this year.
The Prime Minister invited people in Thailand to pay homage to the Buddha’s relics and his disciples’ relics on February 24, which coincides with Makha Bucha Day, the second-most important Buddhist event after Vesak. It commemorates a gathering of the Buddha and 1,250 of his first disciples, who established the practice of monks reciting discipline on a daily basis.
He said that the holy Buddha’s relic would be enshrined temporarily in all parts of the country, starting in Bangkok followed by Chiang Mai in the North, Ubon Ratchathani in the Northeast, and Krabi in the South.
Lekha Shankar, a freelance journalist, revealed information on this event: Lord Buddha’s relics come from the National Museum in New Delhi, and the two disciples’ relics come from the Sanchi stupa in India. They arrived in Bangkok on Thursday, February 22, accompanied by a high-level delegation from India.
Thai Minister of Culture Sermsak Pongpanich stated that it was a ‘huge privilege’ for the Buddhists of Thailand and the neighbouring countries, to partake in this grand and spectacular event. Large groups of Buddhists are expected to come to Thailand from the neighbouring countries of Cambodia, Laos, Vietnam, and Myanmar.
Dr. Supachai Verapuchong, Secretary General of the organising Bodhgaya Vijjjalaya 980 Institute, stated that the important event would truly spread Buddha’s Dhamma through all the Mekong countries.
Indian Ambassador to Thailand HE Nagesh Singh described it as a ‘Landmark event’ in the bilateral relations between the two countries, as the relics rarely travelled outside India.
“I hope the relics will bless both our countries” he added.
There will be prayers, chantings, and finally a candle-lit procession by Buddhist monks and religious groups from Friday, February 25, until Sunday, March 3.
The public is allowed to pay homage to the Holy Relics every day from 9 a.m. to 8 p.m. at Sanam Luang in Bangkok until March 3. From Bangkok, the Holy Relics will go to Chiang Mai from March 5–8 (Kum Luang, Royal Park Rajapruek), then to Ubon Ratchathani from March 10–13 (Wat Mahawanaram), and finally to Krabi from March 15–18 (Wat Maha That Wachiramongkol).
“Here is a rare and amazing opportunity for all Buddhists and other believers, to have a ‘Darshan’ of the Holy Relics of Lord Buddha, 2,500 years after he passed away,” he stated.
