Princess Galyani of Thailand (the elder sister of the current King, Bhumibol), died almost a year ago, in early January. I intend only consideration for her relatives and well-wishers in this post, which focuses not on her life and demise, but on the funeral ceremonies which follow:
Funeral ceremonies for members of the royal family, in Thailand as in Cambodia, tend to be chock-a-block full of almost every funeral highlight possible, and as such, are wonderful opportunities, for funeral junkies such as myself, to see a well-coordinated, no-expense-spared funeral, the kind which just doesn’t happen often anywhere, let alone in Cambodia. Oh, this is just too wonderful. (via TLC Studies Group List)
The entire page is lengthy, and I urge everyone to go check it out. But here are some beautiful photos from the page:
Urn for Princess Galyani's Remains
More photos after the jump….
The "Mount Meru" Crematorium
The "Royal Great Victory Carriage"
Built in 1795, this cart carries the remains of the deceased, and is equivalent to the “Corpse Car” (ឡានសព) in Cambodia.
The "Small Carriage"
Equivalent to the Abhidhamma Car in Cambodia, the “The Small Carriage is for His Holiness the Supreme Patriarch to sit upon as he recites prayers in the procession.” (Undoubtedly but unspecifiedly the Abhidhamma).
The Royal Urn (Entirely of Sandalwood)
