Crown Prince collects remains
His Royal Highness Crown Prince Maha Vajiralongkorn yesterday morning presided over the ceremony to collect the cremated remains of the late Supreme Patriarch at Wat Debsirindrawas.
The Crown Prince, accompanied by Her Royal Highness Princess Maha Chakri Sirindhorn, HRH Princess Bajrakitiyabha and HRH Princess Sirivannavari Nariratana, performed the ritual on behalf of His Majesty the King.
The ceremony began at 7am, with merit-making rites held for the late Supreme Patriarch.
Officials later brought out a receptacle in the shape of a chedi containing the cremated bones of His Holiness and a separate container holding the ashes.
At 8.15am, the Crown Prince and the royal family members left the temple after presiding over the remains collecting rite.
The procession to take the bones and ashes of the Supreme Patriarch then left Wat Debsirindrawas for Wat Bowon Niwet Vihara where the remains will be kept at Tamnak Phet residence.
A ceremony is scheduled for Sunday in which the container holding the ashes will be transferred to Phra Wiharn Keng, inside of Wat Bowon Niwet Vihara, where it will remain on a permanent basis.
Phra Sakayawongwisut, assistant abbot of Wat Bowon Niwet Vihara, said the public will be allowed to pay their respects to His Holiness’s relics at the temple following the ceremonies.
The cremation on Wednesday night was presided over by the Crown Prince at Wat Debsirindrawas.
At the same time, many temples nationwide also organised a mock cremation to observe the ceremony.
His Holiness Somdet Phra Nyanasamvara Somdet Phra Sangharaja died on Oct 24, 2013, at Chulalongkorn Hospital. He was 100 years old.