Yearlong mourning stops for Thai king
Mourners pray for the late Thai King Bhumibol Adulyadej during the procession transferring the relics and his ashes from the Grand Palace to a local temple in Bangkok on October 29, 2017.
The yearlong mourning period and elaborate five-day funeral rites for Thailand’s king of seven decades officially ended on Sunday when his relics and ashes were enshrined in the royal palace and two temples.
At the ceremony at Bangkok’s Grand Palace, broadcast live nationwide and led by new King Maha Vajiralongkorn, King Bhumibol Adulyadej’s relics were escorted to Chakri Maha Prasad Throne Hall, where he used to host dinners, receptions and receive the credentials of foreign ambassadors. There, the golden urn of Rama IX — as the king of the Chakri dynasty is known — will be interned in the Heavenly Abode, joining the relics of kings Rama IV, V, VI, VII and VIII.
Later on Sunday, in the final act of the funeral ceremony, the king’s ashes were transferred in the palanquin made of golden teak from the Temple of the Emerald Buddha to two royal temples, Wat Rajabophit and Wat Bovoranives.
Bhumibol had stayed at Bovoranives during his 15-day ordination in 1956. It’s the center for the Theravada Buddhist Dhammayutika order, established by Rama IV with the emphasis on discipline and monastic practices.
The king was cremated on Thursday following his death on October 13, 2016, at age 88.
