Assistant Professor Dr Songwit Pimpakun
Faculty of Fine and Applied Arts, Khon Kaen University
The study of Sinxay murals as cultural heritage inheritance with respect to aesthetics and the relationship to the Isan community from the past to the present was conducted on a total of 13 temples in the Northeast.
The study found that Sinxay literature has been popular with the Isan community. Here, it is believed that the Sinxay epic is about a past life of the Buddha. Thus, the story has been most reproduced in the form of murals as compared to other common stories in Isan. The stories, such as Vessantara, Phra Malai and other stories in Buddhism, are painted on the walls of the sim, the temple’s congregation hall, which is a sacred area. The purpose is to celebrate faith in Buddhism, to build charisma and to be used as a channel to promote Buddhism. The murals of Sinxay were also found to be used as an image of religious places to make both the temples and communities look beautiful and glorious. The most popular scene used in mural paintings is “Sinxay on a Jungle Walk” as it is the most decorated scene with all type of adventure stories able to attract the audience and provide all the aesthetics. In particular, the battle of the protagonists, Sinxay, Sang and Siho, with the giant Xuang snake, Kandan giant, Chatthanta elephant, the four giants, Khini giant, Kumphan giant and the naga, as well as the Kinnaree scene, where the painter freely and fully expresses himself, are the most decorated. However, many temples were found to not offer every single type of adventure stories because of limited space. These temples typically have several stories together with Sinxay, such as the episode of Sinxay fighting the Kumphan giant, the scenes of the Nariphon, giant Xuang snake, the Wising Tree, and the Kinnaree. The mural of when Sinxay is walking in the forest in various temples are presented in different ways depending on the view and interpretation of the painter, as well as the community’s faith and participation, without any fixed format, but emphasizing the expression of manners, skills and imagination of each painter.
It is concluded that the murals of Sinxay have a longstanding relationship with the Isan community from the past to the present. They have played a significant role as a channel to teach Buddhism so people can easily understand. The murals of Sinxay are considered as one of the few aesthetics aspects from the past that have shaped, inspired and linked the world and Buddhism in a harmonious way. Currently, the scene of Sinxay walking in the forest has been adapted to a wide range of uses and purposes through new interpretations, such as the introduction of local cultural identities, as well as the promotion of cultural space for tourism. The murals of Sinxay in a contemporary context have been transformed into an object for development through a cultural consumption system that reduces local spiritual values to create new values through the state’s development policy.