[Lhiistyssdds]

Rice ritual to be revived

Her Majesty the Queen will preside over a ceremony to revive a traditional ritual to pay respect to Mae Pho Sop, the goddess of rice, at a demonstration farm in Ang Thong province. The revival of the ritual will help boost the morale of rice farmers, who believe the goddess will bring prosperity to their fields. The ritual has not been performed for the past 47 years.

Agriculture Minister Somsak Prissanantakul said the ministry will hold a ritual to invite Mae Pho Sop back to the paddy fields on Aug 9 in the rice-growing province of Ang Thong.

His Majesty the King has given importance to rice, said the minister. When the country faced a rice crisis in 1961, the Khwan Khao, or rice blessing, ceremony was performed at Chitralada Palace, he said.

The revival of the ritual would raise awareness about the importance of rice, he added.

Bangkok Post

[Lhiistyssdds]

ANCIENT RITUAL REVIVED

A ceremony to honour the Goddess of Rice has been resurrected

Story by POST REPORTERS, ANG THONG

Rice is not merely a crop, it is the very essence of Thailand's cultural roots. Rice is believed to have a divine being named Mae Phosop, or the Rice Goddess, taking care of it.

In olden days, ceremonies were regularly held to show gratitude to the Rice Goddess.

Until recently such rituals were only vague memories as a new generation populated the country.

However, the Agriculture and Cooperatives Ministry yesterday revived the ancient Mae Phosop worshipping ceremony to boost the morale of rice farmers and to celebrate Her Majesty the Queen's 76th birthday on Tuesday.

The Queen presided over the worshipping ceremony at a royal model farm covering 74 rai in tambon Sibuathong in Sawaengha district in Ang Thong province.

The highlight was a demonstration of an ancient ritual in the presence of the Queen.

The ritual involved the harvesting of rice, the worshipping of rice and the storing of rice grain in a barn.

The Queen also gave rice strains to farmers representing the four regions of the country.

The event drew about 8,000 farmers from Ang Thong and neighbouring provinces.

In most rice-growing countries in Asia, the spirit of rice resides in the Rice Mother, or the Rice Goddess. In Thailand, the Rice Goddess is Mae Phosop. Just as mothers give food and milk to their children, Mae Phosop gives her body and soul to everyone.

Mae Phosop is the goddess and the protector of rice. Since ancient times Thai people have believed rice is important for their survival. Farmers in particular will hold various rituals that demonstrate their deep respect and gratitude to Mae Phosop at varying stages throughout the growing season, from preparing the land to seeing the leaf tips appear to harvesting. They believe this will bring them prosperity and wealth.

Many believe that whoever tills and cultivates the soil should worship the Rice Mother, for she will endow him/her with health and wealth. Whoever does not worship her will suffer as a consequence. They will be emaciated by hunger and sickness and suffer poverty.

Apart from the rituals, activities, seminars and exhibitions on the history of rice farming, rice farming technology was also displayed at the ceremony.

Agriculture and Cooperatives Minister Somsak Prissananantakul said the activities captured the spirit of the rice culture, including beliefs and rituals which are integral to the life of rice farmers in every region of the country.

"Rice has been grown in Thailand for such a long time that the relationship between rice and the Thai people is inextricable.

"Rice is more than a crop or a livelihood. It gives rise to culture and traditions," Mr Somsak said.

He said the Mae Phosop-worshipping ceremony was last organised in the presence of Their Majesties the King and Queen in 1961 in the compound of Chitralada Palace.

The ceremony is aimed at boosting the morale of Thai farmers and making Thai people proud of Thai rice.

There are 3.7 million rice farming families across the country, with an area planted for rice covering about 60 million rai nationwide. Rice is exported to 170 countries, bringing in hundreds of billions of baht each year.

Boonmak Chamchalerm, a 90-year-old villager from Ang Thong, said in former times people always showed gratitude to the Rice Goddess and valued every rice grain.

"The effort to restore good and ancient traditions is commendable. It is proper to show gratitude to the Rice Goddess and look after her," Ms Boonmak said.

Renowned horticulturist Prof Rapee Sakrik expressed concern about the plight of farmers, most of whom are deep in debt.



Her Majesty the Queen presides over the Mae Phosop (Rice Goddess) worshipping ceremony in a bid to boost the morale of rice farmers at a royal model farm in Ang Thong's Sawaengha district. — SOMCHAI POOMLARD


A statue of Mae Phosop, or the Rice Goddess.