Teerawee Suphapichchayapong
Student, Chulalongkorn University
One of the unique elements in Thai culture is the flower garland. Flower garlands are used in many situations, including one of the most important occasions – making offerings to the Buddha. In this research, I will reconsider the meaning of flower offerings in Thai Buddhism and the relationship between making a garland in Thai culture and making merit in Buddhism. Specific techniques will be analyzed in comparison with some other countries, especially India, Indonesia and Japan. The results show that Thai traditional styles in flower arrangement have been the tools used by women, both living within and outside the court, to take part in Buddhist rituals. The importance of the garland is not only the pattern and the beauty of the final handicraft, but also the effort that is put into making it.
(Presented in the 2014 Chulalongkorn Asian Heritage Forum: Flower Culture in Asia, 8-9 July 2014, Imperial Queen’s Park Hotel, Bangkok, organized by Institute of Thai Studies, Institute of Asian Studies, and Faculty of Arts, Chulalongkorn University)