Wrapped up in tradition
Hundreds of people carry a long length of red cloth to the top of the Golden Mount pagoda, or Wat Saket, in Bangkok, as part of an ancient Buddhist ceremony. The cloth is then wrapped around the Phu Khao Thong chedi, below.
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Thai devotees descend on Wat Saket to fulfil one of Bangkok's revered ceremonies
Devout Buddhists yesterday bore a giant red sash to the top of the Golden Mount at Wat Saket in Bangkok in an ancient annual tradition.
The snake-like procession takes the cloth to Phu Khao Thong chedi where it is wrapped around the historic edifice.
The associated festival lasts until tomorrow.
The chedi was constructed to house relics of the Lord Buddha.
From the top of the 80-metre man-made hill (the mount) worshipers get a 360-degree view of the capital.
The mount used to be the tallest point in the capital but has since been dwarfed by the city's modern developments.
The ceremony is considered one of Bangkok's most revered traditions.
Worshipping the relics of Lord Buddha is believed to bring peace and prosperity.
The Golden Mount, which is part of Wat Saket, is one of the city's most spectacular landmarks.
A pilgrimage to the site off Rajdamoen Avenue is likened to the journey to heaven. Older generation Thais were fulfilled after making the 318-step climb to worship.
Wat Saket has a long history. Its original name was Wat Sakae and was built during the Ayutthaya period.
When Chao Phya Chakri returned from a war he stopped there to take the political temperature across the river in Thon Buri.
While he contemplated his next move his troops engaged in an ancient tradition where they parade under arches of branches and are blessed by Brahmin monks with holy water.
Then, on April 6, 1782 Chao Phya Chakri proceeded to Wat Po - located beside what is now the Temple of the Emerald Buddha - and then on to Thon Buri where he declared the Chakri dynasty.
King Taksin was executed and Chao Phya Chakri became Rama I.
After his coronation he commissioned Klong Mahanak so people could get to Wat Sakae with ease.
Rama I's nephew Rama III was responsible for a restoration of Wat Saket, including the building of the Golden Mount.
The festival to glorify the chedi continues until tomorrow.
There will be a light and sound show depicting its history as well as religious activities.
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