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Published on January 9, 2008

To honour her late aunt, the Princess has chosen to decorate the pavilion with a seven-tier white Sawettachatra umbrella, with the permission of His Majesty the King, although the highest decoration previously designated for Princess Galyani had been a five-tier umbrella.

The seven-tier Sawettachatra umbrella, which was also used at the funeral service for the Princess Mother in 1995, will accommodate a golden royal urn called a "kosa".

The pavilion, chosen from two shortlisted models, will take six to seven months to build, according to Fine Arts Department director-general Arvudh Ngernchooklin.

The chosen design has a castle-style high-ceiling roof, four balconies and is decorated entirely with traditional wall ornaments.

It will house an altar that accommodates the body of the Princess and a crematorium.

Arvudh did not say how much the pavilion alone would cost but it is expected to be within a Bt300-million budget approved by Cabinet yesterday.

A government committee organising the event yesterday set up five sub-panels to assist in the management of the affair.

Public donations, widely requested countrywide, can be made later through provincial authorities and possibly two charity foundations under her patronage, including the Princess Mother's Medical Volunteer Foundation.

Arvudh said many works and simple handcrafted items could come from the public as this was allowed during the funeral of the Princess Mother.

The multi-tiered umbrella is part of the royal regalia. "Sawet" means white while "chatra" refers to the multi-tier umbrella.

In royal mourning and funeral ceremonies, it is placed across a golden royal urn or "kosa", which is at present no longer a container for the deceased's ashes, but an honorary ornament.

The royal ceremony to place the umbrella on top of the Phra Meru Mas will be held when the construction of the structure is completed.

In general, the umbrella used in the ceremonies varies relating to the ranks of royal members: a nine-tier umbrella signifies the king only.

A seven-tier umbrella is set aside for kings before their coronation. It is also for the queen, princess mother, princess father and crown prince.

A five-tier umbrella is for high-ranking royal members.

A seven-tier umbrella can also be used for high-ranking royal members, depending on the king's command.

According to some ancient Thai texts, the nine-tier umbrella, called Noopapadol Maha Sawettachatra, signifies Buddhist navalokutaradhamma or the nine supramundane states: the Four Paths, the Four Fruits and Nibbana or Enlightened state.

It is also believed that this umbrella signifies the king's reign that extends in nine directions.

The seven-tier umbrella signifies the seven Buddhist factors of Enlightenment: awareness, wisdom, effort, delight, tranquillity, concentration and upekkha or neutral feeling.

It also signifies seven directions over which high-ranking persons under the umbrella have influence.

Moreover, some people believe this umbrella to be the symbol of the great above the six-level heavens.

In traditional Thai beliefs, there are seven levels of heaven from Chatumaharachika to Paranimmitsawatdee.

In terms of Thai Buddhism, above the sixth level is a better place because it is for enlightened or nearly enlightened persons.

The white colour of the umbrella signifies the colour of the top of Mount Phra Sumeru, which is the residence of Siva, a great deity in Brahman belief.

Nithinand Yorsaengrat,

 Piyanart Srivalo

 The Nation