The old giant red swing was taken down in 2006 and a new teakwood put up in its place. The ceremonies were never restarted once the new swing was erected. Municipal officers in Bangkok said the political climate in the country never seemed conducive to giving the rites a renaissance.
Following the military coup last May, the situation in Thailand has stabilised and many Bangkokians say the time is ripe to re-launch the time-honoured Brahman ceremony. Governor MR Sukhumbhan Paribatra is due to table the proposal at a meeting of Bangkok Metropolitan Administration senior managers later today.
The giant swing was first erected in the 1780s and the ceremonies instigated soon after. The ceremony traditionally marked the advent of the New Year on ancient calendars and was held to garner merit and request the Brahmin Gods’ blessings for the year ahead.
Bangkok giant swing ceremony to rise again
News in Asia
The governor of Bangkok has announced that he hopes to give the city’s giant swing ceremonies a new lease of life. The religious rites were a fixture on the city’s annual events calendar for more than two centuries and were staged next to the 21-metre-high swing at the front of Suthat Temple.