Dancer in traditional costume performing at Vimanmek Mansion
Silkworm cocoons, from this the silk is produced.
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Songkran From the Past
I f you live in Thailand you are no doubt aware that the celebration of Songkran has been canceled due to Covid-19. From Wikipedia: “ The Songkran celebration is rich with symbolic traditions. Mornings begin with merit-making . Visiting local temples and offering food to the Buddhist monks is commonly practiced. On this specific occasion, performing water pouring on Buddha statues and the young and elderly is a traditional ritual on this holiday. It represents purification and the washing away of one's sins and bad luck. As a festival of unity, people who have moved away usually return home to their loved ones and elders. Paying reverence to ancestors is an important part of Songkran tradition. The holiday is known for its water festival. Major streets are closed to traffic, and are used as arenas for water fights. Celebrants, young and old, participate in this tradition by splashing water on each other.” Traditional parades are held in most villages . The parad...
Vimanmek Mansion
Last Sunday I got up early having decided to try to beat the heat and headed out to Vimanmek Mansion. Vimanmek Mansion was built by King Rama V better known as King Chulalongkorn of Anna and the King of Siam fame. He purchased a large tract of land now known as Dusit Gardens and built the Mansion and a number of surrounding buildings for other members of his family. It's the largest golden teakwood building in the world. The building and grounds have gone through various stages of occupation and lack thereof. After many years as a storage facility, the building and grounds were renovated by the current Queen of Thailand, Sirikit. Today it houses a museum dedicated to King Chulalongkorn with many of his photos and personal artifacts. The mansion also plays host to many official occasions. I wandered around for awhile and took the tour. Besides the buildings there are traditional Thai dance performances twice a day. I enjoyed the dance and as you can see, I took quite a few more pic...