'Flower-making is all about imagination," Aporn Kulkusol said as her fingers nimbly arranged the petal of a paper daffodil. Scattered on the table in front of her were petal-shaped paper, scissors, thread spools, candles and incense sticks. "Use your heart," was the middle-aged woman's advice as she completed the daffodils -- dararat -- the flower that the late King Bhumibol Adulyadej often gave to Her Majesty Queen Sirikit when they lived in Switzerland.
White and star-shaped, these blooming paper dararat were paired with a 5cm-long candle and incense stick as well as nuad jan, or a thread and long black tape. Sometimes they were embellished with a black ribbon. Delicate and melancholy, the result was a cremation flower.
Aporn is not an expert in making dok mai chan -- sandalwood flowers, also known as cremation flowers -- but, like many, she has learned to create them in order to play a small part in saying farewell to the late king. Across the country, people have gathered at department stores, government offices, schools and other public and private places to make artificial sandalwood flowers for the royal cremation ceremony, scheduled for Oct 26.
The nationwide campaign to make 26 million flowers began in May, and it has gained momentum and received more public interest in the past weeks. On May 6 alone, at least 1,300 people got together at the Bureau of the Royal Household and the Royal Plaza, according to an official from the royal court. This volunteer activity on the palace grounds was initiated by His Majesty King Maha Vajiralongkorn Bodindradebayavarangkun to unite Thai people as the nation has plunged into deep sorrow after the passing of King Bhumibol.
Aside from musical performances every Saturday at the Royal Plaza to entertain volunteers, the palace has dispatched experts from the Royal Traditional Thai Craft School for Women and Royal Craftsmen College, as well as officials from the Inner Court, to teach participants how to make cremation flowers.
"There are also many volunteers who come to help us," the royal court official added, looking pleased that the campaign has taken off with general enthusiasm.
Besides the palace grounds, almost every department store is hosting its own flower-making session. On the ground floor of Siam Paragon, for instance, shoppers find a peaceful hideout to sit down and make viang ping roses for the late king's funeral.
"It may look a bit difficult at first," said Peerapon Damnong, a 22-year-old staffer who has been teaching customers to make the roses since the middle of last month. Sririsat Chaisoontorn is one of the regulars. "I have many friends here now," she said. "I have resigned from work for a while. So I have plenty of time, and I decided to come and contribute."
Campaigns and workshops have been organised nationwide to make 26 million sandalwood flowers in preparation for the royal cremation ceremony scheduled for Oct 26. Apichit Jinakul
At first glance, all cremation flowers look the same. But they're not, and funerary craftsmen have long imitated the form, curves and elegance of many types of real flowers when making dok mai chan. On this royal occasion, state experts have selected seven types of flowers to be used: daffodil, rose, lily, puttarn (or cotton rosemellow) orchid, sleeping hibiscus (or chabar nu), and chabar thip (an artificial kind created for the occasion).
Each of them carries profound symbolic meaning. The daffodil, besides being the late king's favourite flower, signifies unconditional love. Roses are also a symbol of the love that citizens have for the monarch. Lilies mean loyalty and gratitude. The cotton rosemallow -- belonging to the hibiscus family and sporting large flowers -- symbolises abundance, while orchids mean grace, a reference to the late king's royal work. The sleeping hibiscus refers to the collective bereavement felt by the nation, while the chabarthip is conceived as a symbol of the final farewell.
The several million dok mai chan will be delivered to the Bangkok Metropolitan Administration. Also, the BMA will set up 101 pavilions around the ceremony ground where people can place cremation flowers. They have also asked for donation of materials such as corn husk, banana leaves and dried hyacinth to go to the volunteers making the flowers. In the province, 76 pavilions will be constructed in each province and over 800 smaller ones in the districts, so everyone can take part in the once-in-a-lifetime ceremony.
Cremation flowers were first introduced to Siamese courts in the reign of King Rama V. They were originally made from real sandalwood shavings, which give off a distinct, "celestial" aroma believed to help transport the soul to heaven. The tradition of burning sandalwood flowers along with the body of the deceased later spread to the public. However, the rare and expensive sandalwood has long been replaced by cheaper materials such as paper and corn husk, folded to resemble flowers which guests put in the crematorium as a show of respect and to bid farewell to the deceased.
Bangkok has several shops specialising in cremation flowers and funerary items. As the royal cremation approaches, some shops report an unprecedented bustle in demand for materials used to make the flowers.
"I usually order a small lot of materials, but with the booming demand for cremation flowers, prices have soared. Certain materials, like flora tape, have also been out of stock for some time now," said Panjathip Taemdee, owner of a cremation flower shop near the Giant Swing in Bangkok.
Corn husks, used as the petals, previously cost around 200 baht per kilo, but have now spiralled up to 400-500 baht per kilo, she said.
Her worry, however, isn't echoed by every other florist that we have visited. Some of them experience neither a flux in sale nor a significant rise in material prices. The latter is largely due to stores usually stocking plenty of the items beforehand.
"We welcome those who want to ask for tips in making cremation flowers for the late king," Panjathip said. "I can't bring myself to make a profit from extra charges, knowing these flowers are all serving the same purpose."
Come Oct 26, millions of these artificial dok mai chan, whose scent epitomises virtues of the late monarch, will dance in the fire and transcend the realm of the physical, allowing all citizens the final chance to remember their beloved king.
- Visit bangkok.go.th to download 36 patterns of cremation flowers designed by the Bangkok Metropolitan Administration.
- The public is welcome to join the flower-making session at Bureau of the Royal Household (near Sanam Sua Pa) every day from 10am to 5pm, and at the Royal Plaza from 5pm to 8pm.
- Fourteen vocational training centres in Bangkok (such as at Lumpini, Chatuchak, Klong Toey) also welcome people to attend the flower-making session.
- Central Group welcome shoppers to all their flower-making booths in almost every branch. Paragon Department Store and other stores under The Mall Group have launched the flower-making campaign since May 11 and will continue until July 31.
