University reveals Luang Phor Khoon's funeral plans

University reveals Luang Phor Khoon's funeral plans

Luang Phor Khoon farewell at year's end

Registration has begun for volunteers wanting to help build the crematorium for Luang Phor Khoon, the much-revered abbot of Wat Bai Rai in Nakhon Ratchasima, who died in 2015, the Fine and Applied Arts Faculty of Khon Kaen University said on Wednesday.

Faculty dean Niyom Wongpongkham said a large courtyard in front of the university's art and culture tower has been set aside for building parts of the crematorium. They will be assembled at the funeral site adjacent to the Buddhamonton Isan, a religious venue in Khon Kaen's Muang district.

Construction materials will be produced at the university, which will be staffed by volunteers.

"Disciples, loyal supporters, volunteers and technicians from across the country will be registered and work together as volunteers to build the crematorium for Luang Phor Khoon," said Mr Niyom. A large sculpting facility will also be built nearby to create statues to adorn the crematorium.

The statues will include 18 nagas, 32 mythical animals and four deities, he said, adding construction of the crematorium is expected to be wrapped up within six months.

According to the lecturer, it is not necessary for those building the crematorium to have expertise in any particular field of art, but they need to dedicate themselves to the work.

"After being registered, staff will assign them to work in fields they are familiar with," he said.

Mr Niyom said the crematorium must be ready by September, well ahead of time for the cremation scheduled for either November or December.

In October, he said, there will be the wai kru and krobkru ceremonies to honour the masters of the arts which go into creating the crematorium.

Referring to the cremation ceremony, Mr Niyom said roles have been delegated by a panel in charge of the event, led by Khon Kaen provincial governor and the university rector.

The university's Faculty of Medicine will be in charge of monitoring the timeline and ensuring the ceremony and overall work goes according to plan. The Fine and Applied Arts Faculty will be responsible for building the temporary crematorium structures, he said.

The construction will take into account tradition and culture since Luang Phor Khoon was a much-revered monk in the Northeast with a large number of followers.

The monk's coffin will be placed in a papier mache casing shaped like a Husadilingu, or a giant bird in Lanna Buddhist mythology.

The crematorium will be erected next to the Buddhamonton Isan in Khon Kaen's Muang district.

A cremation chamber would be installed below the Husadilingu. After the cremation, organisers will transport the chamber along with the late abbot's ashes to Nong Khai where they will be scattered on the Mekong River.

The abbot of Wat Bai Rai in Dan Khun Thot district, Nakhon Ratchasima, died at the age of 92 in 2015. His body was donated for medical research at Khon Kaen University.

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