Royal Ploughing Ceremony
This highly ceremonial event marks an auspicious beginning to the new planting season every year.
Date: May (varies)
Time: From 8.30am
Location: Sanam Luang (Royal Field)
Presided over by HM the King or member of the Royal Family, the ceremony follows a strict agenda whereby court Brahmins, dressed in ceremonial gowns, lead 2 sacred oxen in a ploughing ritual around the Royal Field as they sow rice seeds onto the ground. The symbolic importance of this ceremony occurs when the sacred oxen eat from a plate of offering – rice, corn, green beans, sesame, fresh-cut grass, water and rice whisky – which predicts whether or not the upcoming planting season will be bountiful.
As with any events presided over by members of the Royal Family, be sure to dress appropriately in polite attire if you plan to attend the ceremony.
