Poy Sang Long Festival

Date: March 30 - April 1 & April 4 - 6, 2012

Location: Wat Ku Tao and Wat Pa Pao, Chiang Mai

Activities: A local version festival held by Chiang Mai residents to preserve the Shan Heritage for thier children.

The Poy Sang Long is a rite of passage ceremony among the Shan people, in Myanmar and in Northern Thailand. It is undergone by boys at some point between seven and fourteen years of age. It consists of taking novice monastic vows and participating in monastery life for a period of time that can vary from a week to many months or more. Usually, a large group of boys are ordained as novice monks at the same time.

It can be observed in Chiang Mai, where Shan immigrants have brought over the traditions from Myanmar. The ceremony goes on for three days, as the boys (dressed up like princes in imitation of the Lord Buddha, who was himself a prince before setting out on the religious path) spend the entire time being carried around on the shoulders of their older male relatives. On the third day, they are ordained, and enter the monastery for a period of at least one week, and perhaps many years. The boys are beautifully dressed up and the festival is very colorful. A visit is highly recommended.

There are two Shan temples in Chiang Mai, Wat Ku Tao and Wat Pa Pao.

At Wat Ku To there will be Poy Sang Long ceremonies from March 30, 31 and April 1. At Wat Pa Pao Poy San Long will be on April 4, 5 and 6.

Please dress respectfully when visiting these temples.

Program:

Day 1:

In the early morning, the celebration begins with a procession around the town. Accompanying the procession are flutes, lutes, fiddles, drums and cymbals. In the procession, each boy is accompanied by three attendants ; one to carry him, another to shelter him from the sun with a tall gold umbrella, and the third to guard the precious jewels. The Boys are led to visit relatives and friends and then join the communion lunch. After the feast, relatives and the elders tie white threads around the wrists of the boys to protect them from evil spirits. Thus ends the first day of the event.

Day 2:

The same procession again takes place. This time, the procession includes offerings for the Buddha, other necessities for monks and a horse symbolising the vehicle of the spirit of the city pillar. In the evening, after having dinner, there is the rite of calling “spirit” or “Kwan” in Thai and a verbal recitation to prepare the boys for the actual ordination in the following day.

Day 3:

The last day begins with the procession of the boys to the temple for ordination. At the temple, the boys ask permission to be ordained from the senior monks. Once accepted, the boys then take vows, change the princely attires to yellow robes and become full novices. The greatest event then ends here.