Jewelled Princes
The Shan people celebrate the ordination of young Buddhist novices with Poy Sang Long — an extravagant spiritual party that usually takes place between late March to mid-April.
The Shan people celebrate the ordination of young Buddhist novices with Poy Sang Long — an extravagant spiritual party that usually takes place between late March to mid-April.
Every Buddhist male in Thailand needs to attend a monastery of their choice twice a lifetime: once before 20 years of age and again after that. Most Thais embark on this spiritual path when they are around 20 years old whereas the Shan typically do so from 7 to 14 years old. The Shan ethnic group inhabits Mae Hong Son and other northern provinces in Thailand like Chiang Mai and Chiang Rai. The majority of Shan (known as Tai Yai in Thailand) are Theravada Buddhists who observe Poy Sang Long – a rite of passage that marks the ordination of young Shan boys as Buddhist novices. In Chiang Mai, the annual ceremony lasts three days, whereas in Mae Hong Son, it lasts five days.
10-year-old Nawin Nanit had travelled from Chiang Mai to Mae Hong Son where his grandparents live to prepare for his ordination. His father, Ryung Nanit, a Thai of Shan descent, is keen to pass on this tradition and had spoken to Nawin about it.
On the first official day of Poy Sang Long, the boys prepare themselves mentally to get their heads shaved as a sign of spiritual devotion. The earliest tales of Buddha’s renunciation indicate that he cut his long hair short when he left the king’s palace to wander the path to self-discovery. Buddhists believe that one gets rid of confusion, hostility and attachment by shaving his head. Besides hygienic reasons, being bald also removes the risk of vanity and therefore allows one to focus on things more important than fixing his hair every day. Nawin wasn’t anxious about losing his hair as the excitement of becoming a novice overwhelmed him. What really troubled him instead was the fact that during his time as a novice, he would be missing this year’s Songkran in Chiang Mai.
Traditionally, monks have the privilege to cut some hair first, then families cut a tuft of hair just before the monks return to shave the whole head of the boys. Buddhist principles forbid the use of electrical razors so only oldfashioned ones are used. After being shaved, the novices are ritually cleansed with sacred water and anointed with turmeric before being escorted to the temple hall for their first prayer and chanting session.
On the second day known as Rup Sang Long, the boys are dressed up to the nines
in imitation of Gautama Buddha’s son, Rahun. Historical tales indicate that Gautama Siddhartha (who became later Buddha) was a prince when he set off for self-discovery. Nevertheless, according to the Tripitaka (the Buddhist almanac) Buddha himself had never been ordinated. Thus, the novices follow the path of Rahun. The Shan strongly believe in this legend and follow tradtions that stem from it. When I reached the temple grounds, Nawin’s mother, Thong, was already busy applying some burgundy gloss on her son’s innocent lips. A seemingly wealthier family next to us even hired a professional make-up artist to do their son’s make-up. The ongoing metamorphosis didn’t seem to bother Nawin, who observed his mother through his small mirror. Nawin’s older sister Rinrada said it didn’t really affect her when I asked if she felt a bit left out as a girl because she was not allowed to be ordinated the same way the boys are.
To complete the prince-like look, the boys were wrapped in festive dresses and adorned with traditional jewellry such as rings, necklaces, bracelets and, last but not least, the crown decorated with colourful flowers. Sadly, the Ministry of Culture in Mae Hong Son had abolished the Shan tradition of painting gold designs made of Tanaka powder on the novices’ faces, justifying that the ceremony should remain substantial and not be a kitsch exhibition.
At the temple Wat Klang Thung, tapae, who were responsible for carrying the jewelled princes (sang long) on their shoulders from temple to temple, patiently waited for the boys to come out. They are responsible for preventing accidents from happening to the boys. The short-lived royals, just like real princes and kings, are not allowed to touch the ground — at least not until they enter the monastery as novices on the final day of Poy Sang Long. Rung who is one of the tapae for the occasion explains, “That’s why we carry them on our shoulders to make sure they are well protected and will safely attend the ordination.“
While Nawin and his fellow novices sit on the tapaes’ shoulders, other attendants shaded them with elaborately decorated umbrellas. Some wealthier families drive their sons around instead. Amidst the sounds of drums and clashing cymbals, the procession moved from
The short-lived royals, just like real princes and kings, are not allowed to touch the ground — at least not until they enter the monastery as novices on the final day of Poy Sang Long.
place to place. Family members danced to the rhythm and threw 10-bhat coins wrapped in cloth towards the sang long. Whoever catches them will have good luck.
Responding to me, Nawin said with a grin, “Yes, I like it very much. Being carried on the shoulders of a tapae is definitely my favourite part of Poy Sang Long.“As I listened to him, I hoped he would forget about Songkran for a while.
It was astonishing to observe the stamina of the tapae as they marched from place to place with 30 to 50 kilogrammes on their shoulders under the merciless sun. Fortunately, they got a break every 30 minutes when the parade reached another temple. Even when the sang long slept, the tapae slept nearby in case they needed to carry the boys to the toilet.
At one of the temples, I watched a senior monk tell the novices a tale before giving them some money in an envelope as a blessing. In the meantime, Tum Metanantavasin, a 32-year-old photographer from Mae Hong Son shared with me what he had gone through when he became a novice. When Tum entered a monastery after Poy Sang Long, the monks taught him the history of Buddhism and its philosophical ideas. He also learned the craft of meditation, which was to him the most important part as it helped him to be more tranquil and balanced.
With sympathy, I glanced at Nawin whose eyelids apparently became heavy as he listened to the tales. It was quite difficult for me to imagine that these boys will soon have to stay away from worldly fun and instead sit in a cross-legged position to identify their delusions and cultivate virtuous minds.
Later in the afternoon, the youngsters returned home to celebrate with their parents and relatives after visiting about 15 holy places. Visitation continues on the second day of Rup Sang Long and Nawin’s family received many guests. Rung told me that that an average clan will spend easily more than 100,000 baht for Poy Sang Long festivities and
“That’s why we carry them on our shoulders to make sure they are well protected and will safely attend the ordination.”
so did he. This covers most expenses for things such as the Shan orchestra of three that follows the family throughout all five days and the salary of helpers including tapae. Part of this is recovered in the form of monetary blessing from close relatives.
On the fourth day of the ceremony (Hae Kabon), Nawin and his fellow novices were carried from Wat Klang Thung to Mae Hong Son’s main Buddhist temple, Wat Chong Kham, and back again in the company of percussionists, family members, helpers and bystanders who danced along to the music. When the novices returned to Wat Klang Thung, the boys partook in a ritual that uses sai sin – a white cotton thread commonly used in Buddhist ceremonies across Thailand on occasions like weddings, funerals and relocation. A large ball of thread is first tied around a Buddha figurine before being passed along a row of sang longs. Sai sin is supposed to protect and bring good health to people who hold it, and the merit derived from chanting is thought to flow through the thread to reach those holding it. Post-ritual, the boys who continued to be treated like royals were fed by their parents. After the feast, a head monk addressed the children and narrated a story about a mother’s life so they could better understand what giving birth and motherhood is all about.
The fifth and last day of Poy Sang Long, Wan Kham Sang, is the day of ordination. At Wat Klang Thung, Rung and his wife Thong proudly awaited the ordination of Nawin. His eyes sparkled when he received his orange novice robe, an event that marked the end of his
After Nawin got dressed in his novice garb, his father stopped him when he asked Rinrada if she would take a walk with him by grabbing her hand. The novice wasn’t allowed to touch females anymore! Rung wanted Nawin to stay in the monastery for 15 days. Many won’t stay that long and return home after a week. While monkhood is a rite of passage for devoted Buddhists, most of them spend a few days to a few months on the temple grounds as novices rather than making a lifetime commitment. After Poy Sang Long, novices’ fathers are invited to sleep over at the monastery to be with them during night time. The following morning, Nawin learned how to collect alms, comprising mostly food from the villagers who see if as a chance to gain spiritual merit.
Although a little sleepy after all the activities over the past few days, Nawin was in good spirits. When asked how he felt, he sighed, “I’m doing fine but my feet hurt as I’m not used to walking anymore.”
CLAUDIO SIEBER is currently wandering Southeast Asia. The emerging photojournalist has been featured in over 30 publications including the New York Post, Terra Mater, Geo and The Guardian. He records the traditions and lifestyles of various Asian cultures and hopes his photos can create a more understanding and tolerant society.