Chulalongkorn University Office of Art and Culture regularly carries out projects to record and preserve the nation’s cultural heritage. One of the projects in 2021 was a collaboration with academic departments and offices in the university in the annual Royal Kathin Ceremony at Wat Buppha Ram temple, Thonburi District, Bangkok. The ancient temple was built in the Ayutthaya Period (1351-1767) and undergone a major restoration during the reign of King Mongkut (Rama IV, 1851-1868) and extensive smaller restorations since.
The Royal Kathin Ceremony is the most important religious ceremony organized annually by Chulalongkorn University after the end of Buddhist Lent (a period of lunar months, usually in the months of July to October), in which all high-ranking university administrators partake. The ceremony is a monetary merit-making and religious gift-giving event, in which donation money is given to the temple for maintenance, and monks are given gifts of new saffron robes and other items necessary for their monastery lives. This year in particular, part of the donation money was also designated for Buppha Ram Dhamma School. In the university’s Royal Kathin Ceremony, royal robes are given by the King through the university to pass on to the monks in a selected temple of the year, and donation money for merit-making is given by people in the university community.
As part of Office of Art and Culture’s mission to record the invaluable information and body of knowledge, and also to preserve the architectural, Buddhist art, and historical heritages, the office worked together with the university’s Center of Central Administration and Center for Visual Studies, Faculty of Architecture and produced two souvenir books as follow:
1. A small, 165-page, A5-sized, paperback souvenir books contain information on the history of Wat Buppha Ram temple and stories behind its Buddhist art. The information is presented as both facts and analysis by Associate Professor Dr. Jeerawan Sangpetch, as expert in Buddhist art, Faculty of Fine and Applied Arts, Chulalongkorn University. A reprint of a rare book also included in this 2021 souvenir book is titled Buddhism written by Somdet Phra Sangharaja Chao Krommaluang Vajirayanasangvara, the 19th Supreme Buddhist Partriarch of Thailand. This rare book concerns knowledge on Dhammayuttika Nikaya, or Thammayut Order of Buddhism adopted in Thailand, and the life of King Mongkut during his time as an ordained monk. One thousand copies of this small souvenir book were printed and given out to the Royal Kathin ceremony attendees and other interested individuals.
2. A large, 136 paged, A4-sized souvenir books with editors who are experts in photography, history, Thai architecture, and design. This souvenir books contain information on every facet of Wat Buppha Ram temple, the surrounding community, and related contexts, resulting in a book that is one of the invaluable resources for the art and cultural heritage of the country. The book is made into 700 copies for Royal Kathin ceremony invitees, Wat Buppha Ram temple, educational institutions, schools, and libraries.
won General Beautiful Book Award in a 2021 Book Competition
organized by Office of Basic Education Commission, Ministry of Education.
In addition to publishing 1,700 hard copies of the two souvenir books, the university also distribute the books digitally to reach more readers who are interested in researching more into national heritage in culture, history, architecture, and Buddhist art during the Ayutthaya period.
