Officials and hundreds of people were present for the occasion, marking Phuket’s contribution to the ceremonies being held across the country today as sacred water is drawn from 108 locations, with the water to be used as part of the blessing ceremonies for the Royal Coronation of His Majesty King Maha Vajiralongkorn Bodindradebayavarangkun next month.
At 11:52am, Governor Phakaphong led the ceremony by drawing water from the well and pouring it into a five-litre golden bowl called a Kan Sakon.
The Kan Sakon lid was then closed and covered with a blessed white cloth tied with a white ribbon. The water was then carried by procession to Wat Prathong in Thalang.
The water will stay at Wat Prathong and blessing ceremonies will begin at 3pm on Monday (Apr 8).
The mass prayers and water blessing ceremonies will continue there until 1pm on Tuesday (April 9). During the ceremonies, the Governor will decant water from the Kan Sakon into a Kan Tor – a royal ceramic urn handmade especially for the Royal Coronation of His Majesty King Maha Vajiralongkorn.
At 5pm Tuesday, the Governor and his entourage and police escort will depart the temple by motorcade. Governor Phakaphong and his police escort must travel with the water all the way to Royal Palace in Bangkok.
From there the water from Phuket – along with all the tributes of sacred water collected nationwide – will be sanctified at Wat Suthat in the capital on April 18, for use in the Royal Coronation ceremonies to follow. (See story here.)