| சனி, 23 மார்., 2019, பிற்பகல் 11:40 |  | ||
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Where Thai-brahms chant Tamil hymns
The upcoming coronation ceremony of Thailand’s crown prince Maha Vajiralongkorn (following the Thai king’s demise) will have priests chanting hymns in and Sanskrit. The fact that these hymns form a vital part of the ceremony shows the way the two countries share similarities deeply entrenched in their cultures.
“It must be quite surprising for Indians to know, but it is true,” says Thailand’s consul general Krongkanit Rakcharoen, who is in charge of the south Indian states.
Rakcharoen attributes the similarities in Tamil and Thai culture to the migration of brahmin priests to ‘Suvarnabhumi’ (south East Asia) during the Chola and Pallava periods.
“These priests went there in search of work and were embraced by the royalty in Thailand. They taught Sanskrit and Tamil hymns, including Thiruppavai and Thiruvempavai, to their Thai counterparts and over a period of time, these hymns formed a salient feature of Thai rituals. The monarchy in reveres the descendants of these Indian priests and no ritual is performed without their presence,” she says.
An ardent admirer of Tamil culture and architecture, Rakcharoen says she had opted to be posted in Chennai to be able to study more about Tamil culture and its relation with Thai culture. “As a kid, I was taught to chant prayers which had a lot of Tamil and Sanskrit words and after coming here I was amused to see how much our cultures had in common. This goaded me to explore more similarities between the two cultures,” she says.
Rakcharoen gives instances of cultural practices that are similar to both countries. “Our festival ‘Songkran’, celebrated in April is very similar to Holi. During the festival people spray water on one another like Indians do during Holi. Like Indians, we also fold our hands and say ‘Wai’ to greet people.
Wai is the Thai equivalent of namaskaram. Besides, there are deep similarities in ancient architecture. During a recent visit to Kancheepuram, I was surprised by the striking resemblance Kailasanathar temple bore to some of the ancient temples in Thailand. So similar were the tombs and murals that I almost thought I was actually in Thailand and not in India,” she says.
Stating that even the languages have similarities, she cites a few Thai words that are similar to Tamil words. “Thangam (gold) in Tamil is Thongam in Thai while Malai is Male (garland), appa is pa (father) guru is gru (teacher), pattan is puttan (great grandfather) and puthran is puthru (son).”
The Indian influence is marked in religious practices too. “Like India, the Shiva Lingam finds a prominent place in Thai temples too. In Thai culture it is believed that praying before the lingam will bring happiness, success and abundance in farm produce. Devasthana has three lingams and their origin is traced back to Rameswaram, the birth place of brahmin priests who migrated to Siam or Thailand,” she adds.
Rakcharoen says the Thai people also observe a nine-day fast during the month of Navaratri. “They abstain from meat, alcohol and sexual encounters as they believe it cleanses them physically and spiritually. Other highlights of the festival are fire-walking, climbing knife-blade ladders and a street procession where people have their bodies pierced with sharp objects – something which is still prevalent in interior parts of .”
Another strong proof of the influence of Tamils during the Chola period is the Ramayana. The Ramakian, an epic of Thailand, derived from Indian epic Ramayana is similar to the Kamba Ramayanam written during the 12th century. “The Mayirab story of Thais is also similar to Mayil Ravanan story in south India. “This may be the tip of the iceberg. I plan to explore and learn more about the cross cultures,” Rakcharoen adds.
The upcoming coronation ceremony of Thailand’s crown prince Maha Vajiralongkorn (following the Thai king’s demise) will have priests chanting hymns in and Sanskrit. The fact that these hymns form a vital part of the ceremony shows the way the two countries share similarities deeply entrenched in their cultures.
“It must be quite surprising for Indians to know, but it is true,” says Thailand’s consul general Krongkanit Rakcharoen, who is in charge of the south Indian states.
Rakcharoen attributes the similarities in Tamil and Thai culture to the migration of brahmin priests to ‘Suvarnabhumi’ (south East Asia) during the Chola and Pallava periods.
“These priests went there in search of work and were embraced by the royalty in Thailand. They taught Sanskrit and Tamil hymns, including Thiruppavai and Thiruvempavai, to their Thai counterparts and over a period of time, these hymns formed a salient feature of Thai rituals. The monarchy in reveres the descendants of these Indian priests and no ritual is performed without their presence,” she says.
An ardent admirer of Tamil culture and architecture, Rakcharoen says she had opted to be posted in Chennai to be able to study more about Tamil culture and its relation with Thai culture. “As a kid, I was taught to chant prayers which had a lot of Tamil and Sanskrit words and after coming here I was amused to see how much our cultures had in common. This goaded me to explore more similarities between the two cultures,” she says.
Rakcharoen gives instances of cultural practices that are similar to both countries. “Our festival ‘Songkran’, celebrated in April is very similar to Holi. During the festival people spray water on one another like Indians do during Holi. Like Indians, we also fold our hands and say ‘Wai’ to greet people.
Wai is the Thai equivalent of namaskaram. Besides, there are deep similarities in ancient architecture. During a recent visit to Kancheepuram, I was surprised by the striking resemblance Kailasanathar temple bore to some of the ancient temples in Thailand. So similar were the tombs and murals that I almost thought I was actually in Thailand and not in India,” she says.
Stating that even the languages have similarities, she cites a few Thai words that are similar to Tamil words. “Thangam (gold) in Tamil is Thongam in Thai while Malai is Male (garland), appa is pa (father) guru is gru (teacher), pattan is puttan (great grandfather) and puthran is puthru (son).”
The Indian influence is marked in religious practices too. “Like India, the Shiva Lingam finds a prominent place in Thai temples too. In Thai culture it is believed that praying before the lingam will bring happiness, success and abundance in farm produce. Devasthana has three lingams and their origin is traced back to Rameswaram, the birth place of brahmin priests who migrated to Siam or Thailand,” she adds.
Rakcharoen says the Thai people also observe a nine-day fast during the month of Navaratri. “They abstain from meat, alcohol and sexual encounters as they believe it cleanses them physically and spiritually. Other highlights of the festival are fire-walking, climbing knife-blade ladders and a street procession where people have their bodies pierced with sharp objects – something which is still prevalent in interior parts of .”
Another strong proof of the influence of Tamils during the Chola period is the Ramayana. The Ramakian, an epic of Thailand, derived from Indian epic Ramayana is similar to the Kamba Ramayanam written during the 12th century. “The Mayirab story of Thais is also similar to Mayil Ravanan story in south India. “This may be the tip of the iceberg. I plan to explore and learn more about the cross cultures,” Rakcharoen adds.
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