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Participating in the
Dhevo Rohana Ceremony,
here in Chiang Mai

Chiang Mai and the North isn't short of interesting ceremonies and festivals, and the cool season - OK, let's call it the winter - which should be beginning this month, is chock full of them: boat-racing in Nan, Loi Kratong and the Winter Fair here in Chiang Mai, and the other two New Years - international and Chinese - celebrated pretty well everywhere in the country, among them.

But one that's quite spectacular and interesting which isn't especially well-known among tourists is the Dhevo Rohana Ceremony and Procession, which this year takes place on 27th October, over on the western side of the city, in the shadow of Doi Suthep.

The Dhevo What Ceremony? you're going to say. What's that when it's at home?

Let me inform you.

The story goes back 2,500 or so years, to the time of the Buddha. You should know that according to Buddhist legend and literature, the future Buddha's mother died shortly after his birth, and he was nurtured in his early years by his aunt. As a result of her meritorious deeds, this aunt received the full benefits of the Great Being's teaching, once he'd achieved enlightenment, and herself became a nun and was enlightened too. But the Buddha's mother, having also had an exceptionally meritorious existence, on dying passed to the Tawatimsa Heaven, where she would have expected to live for countless aeons before again achieving human birth and thus passing slowly along the path to Nirvana.

Out of compassion for his mother, though, the Buddha decided to preach to her, and accompanied by his followers ascended to the Tawatimsa Heaven, there delivering a sermon, as a result of which his mother and other beings achieved enlightenment.

Now, how the Great Being reached the Tawatimsa Heaven is rarely mentioned in the legends, but his descent once the sermon had been delivered is related in detail. As a mark of their respect for the Buddha, the gods ordered either Phaya Nak (the Great Serpent protector of all Buddhist temples), or the Divine Architect, Visanukham - the versions differ on this point - to create a stairway of silver and gold from the Heavens to the Earth, and it was down this stairway that the Buddha and his followers proceeded, with the innumerable beings of the heavens paying their respects as they did so.

It is this legendary event then that the Dhevo Rohana Ceremony commemorates, and it's interesting to note that Doi Suthep is secondarily known as the Silver Mount, while Doi Kham some five miles to the south, in the Mae Hia District is directly named the Golden Mount. How appropriate then that the starting point for the celebration of the ceremony is at both Wat Phrathat Doi Suthep itself and Wat Srisoda, on the lower slopes of Doi Suthep directly behind Chiang Mai University.

What you have here in this ceremony, in other words, is a reminder and re-enactment of the legendary event, with monks from temples all across Chiang Mai acting out the part of the Buddha's followers, and the extremely numerous laypeople of the province and visitors from other parts of the country, representing the heavenly beings paying their respects to the Great Being and his teaching, no less.

So - do you yourself feel up to playing a small role in this divine drama? No audition necessary. Just turn up at the right time and place with some small donation of food to put into the bowls the monks will be carrying, and become a divine being for a day. No questions asked, either. Whatever your history, however less than perfect your behaviour in the recent or more distant past…well, you're human after all, and Buddhist doctrine recognizes that the bad karma we all create can be mitigated by even the smallest meritorious act. And while ultimately following the Great Teacher's precepts is the only way to achieve the perfection and freedom from karma that precedes enlightenment and the achievement of Nirvana, even the biggest of journeys requires the taking of the first small steps.

"What you have here in this ceremony, in other words, is a reminder and re-enactment of the legendary event."

On the other hand, of course, you can ignore the eschatological - choke! cough! - where did that one come from? - background, and just enjoy yourself as a tourist. It's a colourful event, and well worth viewing and getting some pix of. Think of it when you're back home again.

"And this one's me and Margie in Chiang Mai. These are the Buddha and his monks coming down the silver and gold stairway from heaven. And we and the others - well, we're gods for the day."

Irresistible, don't you think? So what should you do? You might try kitting yourself out beforehand in the local costume - morhom shirt and trousers, available for a few baht from the second floor (first for Brits) of Chiang Mai's premier market, Dalat Varorot. A floppy hat of some kind might be advisable too for those with complexions to protect, given that the 27th is likely to be a relatively cloud-free morning. From the same market, ground floor, you can also pick up the small amounts of sticky rice needed to form the basis of the monks' pre-midday meal (and last of the day), and the kanoms (small cakes and sweets) that also will be welcome. (Leave the more sophisticated condiments and gup khau to your local divine participants. They know what's suitable).

Next step is to get to the biggest of the venues - the ceremony being more modestly enacted at other locations. That is, somewhere close to either Wat Prathat or Wat Srisoda, at the foot of Doi Suthep, best approached by the Huaykaew Road. Another venue is Wat Upakut on Thaphae Road and it's from here that one of the more important of the Buddha images is taken out, and borne down the steps of the temple, and along the Thaphae Road. Normally, the procession itself is composed of hundreds of monks and acolytes, and is said to be never less than two kilometres long, while the crowds of laypersons and tourists, plus the lay- and student-organisers of the ceremony lining the route of the procession, number thousands. So if you want to take photos of the descent of the stairs, you'll need to be in position well before the time of commencement. To gain merit (tam boon), on the other hand, you can dak bat (place a food donation in the monks' bowls) just anywhere along the processional route. It helps if you do a simple wai (Thai-style salute) after making the donation. A quiet smile is also welcome, but not obligatory.

Well, have fun, everybody. See you there, maybe.

Oh, and by the way - the Dhevo Rohana ceremony takes place the day after Auk Pansa, the annual Buddhist holiday on the first day of the full moon of the 11th lunar month - 26th October this year.

Auk Phansa marks the end of the three-month period called Khao Phansa when Buddhist monks are discouraged from travelling around and tend to stay in a designated temple. Legend has it that this tradition came into existence when the farmers and villagers complained that when the monks travelled during the rainy season they trampled on their rice fields and crops, and were also likely to kill the smaller forms of life - ants and bugs in general - crushing them under their feet. Seeing the justice of the complaint, the Buddha instituted the three-month period during which monks stay in their temples. On Auk Pansa, devout Buddhists meet to make merit by giving dry foods and other necessities to the monks, and listening to sermons. Each person or family tends to go to the temple nearest home, thus also availing themselves of the chance to socialise and do joint meritorious activities with neighbours.

TIME AND PLACES OF DHEVO ROHANA CEREMONIES

Date 27th, from before dawn

Places: various temples organize dak bat dhevo, but Wat Doi Suthep, Wat Upakut and Wat Srisoda are most notable. Arguably the most prominent dak bat dhevo is organized annually downtown, a major procession of monks walking from Wat Upakut to the Thapae Gate.

Text © John Cadet 2007