KHON KAEN — The Golden Jubilee Convention Hall at Khon Kaen University (KKU) was packed on Saturday as faithful followers of Luang Phor Khoon Parisutho sought a final glimpse of the late revered monk.
At least 300,000 disciples flocked to the campus in the northeastern city on Saturday afternoon and the number was rising as the seven-day funeral rites drew to a close. Giant television screens were installed outside the building for those who could not get inside.
The university is allowing the public to pay their respects to the former abbot of Wat Ban Rai in Dan Khun Thot district of Nakhon Ratchasima until 10pm.
Crowds attend the first day of funeral rites for the revered abbot last Sunday. (Photo by Pattarapong Chatpattarasill)
Luang Phor Khoon passed away at Maharat Nakhon Ratchasima Hospital on May 16. He was 92.
Areas outside the campus have been set aside for parking with vans to shuttle the faithful to the university. Charnchai Panthongviriyakul, the dean of the Faculty of Medicine, pleaded with motorists to abandon plans to drive to the campus as it would only worsen the traffic congestion.
The State Railway of Thailand (SRT) also added carriages for free rides on local trains departing from Kaeng Khoi district in Saraburi province and Nakhon Ratchasima to Khon Kaen, SRT governor Wutthichart Kalayanamitr said.
The body of Luang Phoor Koon will be moved from the convention hall to the Faculty of Medicine at 3pm on Sunday to fulfill his wish to donate his body for medical students to study anatomy. The body will be embalmed for one year and students will study their "teacher" for another two years after that.
The body of Luang Phor Khoon and others donated for medical study this year will be cremated in a royally sponsored ceremony in 2018.
A specially designed container to embalm the monk was handed over to the faculty on Saturday.
The embalming room at the Anatomy Department is equipped with closed-circuit cameras and an anti-theft system linked to the police station in Muang Khon Kaen.
Huge crowds are expected to line the roads where the convoy carrying the body will pass on Sunday.
Dr Charnchai urged drivers not to follow the convoy as it could obstruct the work of officials moving it to the embalming room.
Donations from the monk's followers were expected to surpass 4 million baht on Saturday. The money will be used to cover the costs of the ceremony and to help sick monks being treated at Srinagarind Hospital at the university.