BMA to revive swinging ceremony at Giant Swing



BANGKOK: -- The rare Brahmin swinging ceremony is to be revived this year under an initiative of Bangkok governor MR Sukhumbhan Paribatra after such ceremony had not been seen for a decade.

The Bangkok governor would raise the Giant Swing, one of Bangkok’s landmarks, and its Brahmin swinging ceremony for discussion at the meeting of the executives of Bangkok Metropolitan Administration (BMA) today.

According to the governor, the city administration has never organised the swinging ceremony for a very long time ago after it finished renovation of the old and decayed Giant Swing since December 2006.

After the major renovation, the city administration had ideas to revive the swinging ceremony many times, but could never go through due to political unrest and instabilities.

But after the unrest had gone and the country has returned to almost full peace and order, the idea of reviving the ceremony was back in minds again.

He said he has designated the BMA’s Department of City Planning to coordinate with relevant government agencies, and appropriate time to hold the ceremony.

But he said before the ceremony starts, the city administration will repaint the Giant Swing, renovate and repaint surrounding areas and buildings to prepare for the ceremony.

The governor today inspected renovation work of areas surrounding the BMA headoffice to see how it has progressed since renovation began last year.

The renovation was part of the BMA’s plan to improve the sceneries and landscape of old private and state buildings surrounding its office, which the Giant Swing, is also among the construction to be beautified and prepared for the revival of the ancient swinging.

The BMA planned to paint old buildings to same colours in same groupings. Old commercial buildings on Dinsor, Siripong, and Soi Wat Rajanadda roads will be painted and renovated in same pattern and colour, while conservation buildings will be in another colour.

The BMA will also seek cooperation from commercial building owners not to place tree pots trespassing footpaths, and keep them neatly in order

The swinging ceremony is a Brahmin ceremony annually performed there in the past as a merit-making rite, to celebrate the new year, to propitiate Brahmin gods and to ask for their blessings.

It was part of a combination of two rites called triyamphawai and tripawai. The former was held to receive Siva, one of the Brahmanic sacred triad along with Brahma and Vishnu, who descended from heaven to the earth, and the latter to welcome Vishnu who came down later.

Giant Swing, with a height of 21.15 metres and painted red, is a landmark of Bangkok.

The existence of the red giant swing in front of Suthat Temple in Bangkok is an indicator of the once strong influence of Brahmanism in Thailand.

The giant swing was built only two years after the establishment of Bangkok as the new capital in 1782.

The story of its origin began when a Brahman named Kratai was granted an audience with King Rama I (1782-1809) and asked the King’s permission to be the upholder of Brahmanism in Siam and to build a Brahmanic temple and a swing for conducting Brahmanic ceremonies.

The King granted his requests and soon not one but three Brahmanic temples and a swing were built in the same area in the centre of the old city in 1784.

No evidence tells how high the original swing was.

But over a hundred years later the old swing was decaying and was replaced with a new one made of teak in 1920 in the reign of King Rama VI.

Then in 1947 and 1970, the swing was twice renovated. And after this swing stood majestically as one of Bangkok’s landmarks for 36 years, its condition became deteriorated.

It was again replaced with one made of teak in 2006. With a height of 21.15 metres from the base to the top.

Source: http://englishnews.thaipbs.or.th/bma-revive-swinging-ceremony-giant-swing


-- Thai PBS 2015-02-10

Can somebody tell the Bangkok governor he has forgotten to put the ropes and the seat on that swing?

May be it is an oversight.....................

I'm sure I just read on another thread that swinging was to be banned.

Whilst this would become a popular tourist attraction, one of the reasons that it was discontinued was death and injuries to the swingers. No safety harnesses were used or nets andthe drama is that the point man on the swing has to stand and stretch to reach the 'goal' on the upswing........