Sing Buri: Continuing the tradition of stirring Khao Thip Maha Mongkhon, Sing Buri residents of Phuan descent celebrated with a ceremony at Phokhaphiwat village. This year, Her Royal Highness Princess Maha Chakri Sirindhorn bestowed milk from the Royal Chitralada Project for the event.
According to Thai News Agency, the tradition of stirring Khao Thip, also known as Khao Madhupayas, is a longstanding practice among the Phuan community. It is believed to promote the growth and yield of rice seedlings. The ceremony was presided over by Mom Rajawongse Yongyupalak Kasemsan, a great-grandson of King Rama IV, at Wat Phokhaphiwat in Phrom Buri District.
The ceremony involves inviting the Goddess of Rice and using royal milk, with the goddess being worshipped. The pavilion is encircled with a sacred thread, and monks chant Buddhist mantras. Virgins, dressed in white and observing the Eight Precepts, are tasked with adding nine specific ingredients-beans, sesame, milk, butter, sugar, coconut, honey, sugarcane juice,
and water from milk rice-into a sunlit pan.
The process, led by a Brahmin, requires participants to remain pure in body and mind. The stirring, which takes about six hours, concludes with the Khao Thip being scooped into containers for offering to monks the next day. This ceremony is a vital aspect of community life in Phokhaphiwat Village, fostering unity and preserving cultural heritage.