More than fifty years ago, during the turbulent sixties, we had some discussion of the Orissa's maritime trade. Those were the days of nation building and we were fresh from the High School. The question came in our mind to name an event that could be used as an icon of Orissa. The Kalinga war, the temple city of Bhubaneswar, the Car Festival of Puri were cited. But the maritime trade was more novel. It won over. We as a group tried to think what Oriyas might have done to celebrate the adventurous journey. The "Bali Jatra" festival of Cuttack was a residue of those early travels. We settled to inquire if there was a cultural aspect to the journey. This caused the revival of the "jatra" culture in Orissa. Our big event on Mahanadi banks was hosted in Nov 1966, November being the month when the sailors followed the winds towards the distant land.
It is quite possible that Rama entered into the Thai culture through these cultural presentations. Some troupes might have accompanied the sailors to present their art at the distant land. Continuous exposure might have developed taste and education. The process of acculturation might have continued from 500 BC until 1000AD when a formal culture could have established itself in the new land. Brahmins and priests might have been imported and a new satellite Hindu kingdom might have evolved. Later Buddhist rulers did not wish to highlight these past stories. So builds the history of the world.
I was up early. The plan was to visit Ayutthia, the township that was built as the original capital of the kingdom. It is thirty miles away. A tourist bus picks up people from the hotels, but the reservation has to be made in advance. So I told my friends in the hotel to get me a taxi. A taxi with a middle aged driver with neatly pressed dress showed up. He spoke English and was in good mood. It took us about twenty minutes to get out of the city. Then there was a toll road, but there was traffic. We reached the Ayutthia township a little before 9 AM. A picture of the current King greeted us on the road. The driver told me that the King was good.
We reached the Ayutthia Park, a large place which was used as the public religious center by the people. It is possible that the park developed as a joint center for Hindu and Buddhist faith, but presently, only Buddha statues exist. A little way after the entrance I noticed a neat Japanese style modern hall with living quarters behind it. I saw white clad old ladies moving around and a venerable looking old lady sitting on an arm chair. There were shoes near the door to the hall. I removed my shoes and entered the hall.
There were neatly folded dhurries placed on the floor on two long rows and there were chairs on one side. There were young ladies clad in white dress seated on the chairs and the front row of chairs was open. A couple were in front of me and they took their seats on those front row chairs and I followed them. Next to the chairs was a decorated pedestal with various Buddha statues positioned and clad in yellow. On the other side of the room in front of the chairs was an elevated platform with a couple of young lamas sitting on it. The lamas were clad in intense red garment. Some other lamas were strolling around.
The young ladies behind me came from a local residential school that prepared nuns. They had come to participate in the special Sunday service. They were in their teens and had sweet conduct. I did not ask them what prompted them to get to a monastery. They looked dedicated and eager. The service at the shrine was directed towards the lay men and women who had registered earlier. Each person was given a plate on which about a hundred stick like candles were placed. Next to the plate they had long-stemmed water lilies and some other offerings. There could be thirty or so plates. When all the devotees were seated, the monks in front started reading their sacred books. The room echoed and the voices had distorted sounds. I could not catch much except a few familiar words.
The high priestess entered the room from the back door and gave a short sermon to the seated lay devotees. The devotees then changed directions and laid down on the floor with feet stretched towards us, faces up. They were each covered with a white sheet. The priestess said some words and the lamas created a fence by stretching a string several times around the perimeter of the ritual space. Some other workers meanwhile lighted the candles and the whole area looked extremely bright. The priestess quietly left the room.
The lamas then chanted a few words and a person came to remove the covers from the lying down devotees. They were asked to sit up and to face the bright candles, which possibly was the symbolism of the ritual. All devotees then sat on the dhurrie and helped in extinguishing the candles. Then they got up with their flowers and made a line to receive blessings from the monks. After depositing the flowers and some other goods, they sat down in a group to receive instructions from the monks.
I was grateful that they let me observe and take a few pictures. All religious rituals are symbolic. Buddha knew that the mind was the only healer. The ritual had many situations where the person may analyze his or her mind and try to look for solutions. I thought the "dark to light" experience must have been dramatic for an anxious mind.
