The Tattoo Festival - Wat Bang Phra (งานพิธีไหว้ครู วัดบางพระ)

The annual Wai Khru Ceremony (Tattoo Festival)
พิธีไหว้ครูหลวงพ่อเปิ่น(วัดบางพระ) วันเสาร์ที่ 23 มีนาคม 2556 
เวลา 9.39 นาที ณ วัดบางพระ ต.บางแก้วฟ้า 
อ.นครชัยศรี จ.นครปฐม

พิธีไหว้ครูหลวงพ่อเปิ่น(วัดบางพระ)

The Blessing & Resuscitation of the Yantra Tattoos

Wat Bang Pra (วัดบางพระ) is a Buddhist temple located on the banks of the Nakorn Chaisi river in Nakom Pathom, Thailand. The temple is famous for its monks and their practice of giving "Sak Yant" tattoos with wooden bamboo needless. Many believe that protective energy flows through these types of  tattoos, keeping them safe from harm.  It is not simply about getting a talisman tattoo here. The owner must activate it in order for it to serve as a lifesaving conduit.

The owner must respect the precepts set by the head master. Devotees return here annually to recharge their tattoos and the experience is quite exhilarating to witness.



The  "Wai Khru Ceremony" or "tattoo festival" (for non thai language speakers) is held on the temple grounds annually around the first Saturday in March. The exact dates are announced after the monks decide upon the most auspicious time. The trip from Bangkok takes around 45 minutes by car, longer if you take public transportation.



There are many other "Sak Yant สักยันต์" tattoo masters in Thailand but Wat Bang Phra is by far the most famous and has probably contributed more to the fame of the "Sak Yant สักยันต์" tattoo than any other temple in Thailand.



People begin to arrive in the thousands the evening before the event.  The following day during the morning ceremony the tattoos are blessed and their power recharged with new energy and magic which they believe protects them from danger and evil.



They sit and meditate in the  large open parking lot inside the front section of the temple while listening to the prayers and chanting from the monks on the main stage.



At the pinnacle moment when the recharging has completed, some of the devotee transform themselves into animals, imitating them to the best of their ability.



Sounds of monkeys, dogs, elephants, crocodiles, screams and maniacal laughing can be heard across the temple compound.



They run, crawl and slither on the grounds of the temple's parking lot.  Most run towards the main stage at full speed where the monks are chanting.



Not everyone is graceful, many stumble and fall into the crowds hurting themselves and other people.   Everyone seems to be screaming, praying or both. It is madness. This lasts for a couple of hours. When things take off they happen really fast. The experience is really quite fascinating.



Security is usually  provide by soldiers, body snatchers and / or other civic groups of volunteers whose main goal is to catch and calm the possessed devotees. Rubbing the ears calms the possessed and they snap back into reality, slowly walking back to their seats and starting the entire process over again.



They scan the rows trying to figure out where the next assault will come from next. Sometimes it comes one at a time and others in large groups. You can tell by their expressions that this is extremely strenuous and taxing work. The best places for photographs are unfortunately also the most dangerous. You can sit among the people praying, in front of the main stage or off to one of the sides.

งานพิธีไหว้ครู วัดบางพระ © 2009 Michael LaPalme

Tourists, spectators and photographers who turn their back to the crowd are at risk for a head on collision which can break expensive camera gear and even human bones. The risk of danger varies greatly depending on where you are located inside the temple. Rule of thumb is to never turn your back on the crowd.

For those people interested in getting a tattoo at the temple there are some additional instructions on the steps involved once you arrive here.

For those interested in the topic of Yantra tattoos สักยันต์, the following books are highly recommended:

• Sacred Skin: Thailand's Spirit Tattoos -  Tom Vater and Aroon Thaewchatturat
• Sacred Tattoos of Thailand: Exploring the Magic, Masters and Mystery of Sak Yan - Joe Cummings and Dan White

Wat Bang Phra is located at:

Phra Udomprachanat (Luang Por Phern)
Wat Bang Phra, Tambol Ban Gaew Fa
Amphor Nakornchaisri, Nakornpathom

In Thai to print for Taxi driver:

วัดบางพระ (วัดหลวงพ่อเปิ่น)
ต.บางแก้วฟ้า, อ.นครชัยศรี, จ.นครปฐม

GPS Coordinates are N 13 53.846 E 100 12.773

Tel: +66(0)34389333

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The Bayon - Center of Heaven & Earth

The Bayon lies at the epicenter of the walled city of Angkor Thom, and represents the intersection of  heaven and earth for the people of ancient Cambodia.

Faces on Prasat Bayon

Built  in the late 12th century by Jayavarman VII it served as the center of his empire. What makes the Bayon unique is the multitude of serene stone faces. The temple has many beautiful stone bas-reliefs which depict Khmer history, mythology and daily life, almost as if they were locked in a time capsule.

Along the south wall I came across some beautifully, detailed Devatas, the custodians from  Hindu and Buddhist mythology.

Devata on the south wall of Bayon

Apsaras represent an important motif in the stone bas-reliefs of the Angkorian temples in Cambodia (8th–13th century AD), however all female images are not considered to be apsaras. Wikipedia

Dancing Apsaras

In harmony with the Indian association of dance with apsaras, Khmer female figures that are dancing or are poised to dance are considered apsaras; female figures, depicted individually or in groups, who are standing still and facing forward in the manner of temple guardians or custodians are called devatas. Wikipedia

I have been fortunate to be able to visit the Bayon several times. During my latest visit  I took time to document some of the bas-reliefs depicting the daily lives of the Khmers. 

Military Processions

My attempts to document this place have been not been systematic due to my own aversion to crowds.

Battle Scenes - The Khmer fought with the Cham (Vietnamese) to the west and the Thais to the east.

Khmer Bas Relief at Bayon

Military Battle Scenes - The Khmer fought with the Cham
(Vietnamese) to the west and the Thais to the east.

Khmer Military Processions at Bayon

Stone Bas-Reliefs at Bayon

Stone Bas-Reliefs at Bayon

Ancient Khmer Bas-Reliefs at Bayon

Ancient Khmer Bas-Reliefs at Bayon

Ancient Khmer Bas-Reliefs at Bayon

Zhou Daguan's A Record of Cambodia: The Land and Its People

Little is known about Zhou, a Chinese visitor to the ancient Angkor and spent nearly a year living & documenting the Khmer "southern barbarians" before sailing back to China in 1297.

Zhou Daguan wrote that the city had five gates with multiple doorways, one in each compass direction, but in the east two. The city was surrounded by a wide moat crossed by bridges with sculptures of 54 figures pulling a nine-head nāga. On top of the city gate there were five Buddha heads, four of them facing four directions, the one at the centre was covered with gold. "The city is square in shas at each corner; the city gates are guarded, open during the day but closed at night. Dogs and convicts are barred from entering the city".

Faces at Bayon

The faces of Bayon, smiling in various states of disrepair and restoration. Visitors here may likely find ongoing restoration projects funded by various countries.

Faces on Prasat Bayon

The temple itself has no wall or moats, these being replaced by those of the city itself: the city-temple arrangement, with an area of 9 square kilometres, is much larger than that of Angkor Wat to the south (2 km²). Within the temple itself, there are two galleried enclosures (the third and second enclosures) and an upper terrace (the first enclosure). All of these elements are crowded against each other with little space between. Unlike Angkor Wat, which impresses with the grand scale of its architecture and open spaces, the Bayon "gives the impression of being compressed within a frame which is too tight for it." - Wikipedia

A Devata & Faces at  Prasat Bayon

Ancient Khmer Bas-Reliefs at Bayon

Ancient Khmer Bas-Reliefs at Bayon

There are 51 towers surrounding Bayon, each of which depicts four serenely smiling faces. A couple of a hundred in total, give or take a few.

 Dancing Apsaras

The city of Siem Reap is currently being developed at an incredible rate. Package tours brings thousands of people to the historical park every day. At peak times inside the ruins of Angkor the crowds of tourists almost resemble those at Disney World.

Dancing Apsaras

Its best to come in the early morning or late afternoon when the weather is cooler and the light better for photography. 

Faces on Prasat Bayon

The best time of year for visiting the country is during the cool season (Dec - Feb). 

The View of the Bayon from the East Gate

Visitors during the hot and rainy season may find the weather a little extreme and or roads inaccessible due to flooding. Prepare yourself for the extreme weather typical of life in the tropics. Now that the paved road from Poipet to Siem Reap has been completed it only takes 2 1/2 hours over land from the border by private taxi. That same journey used to take 12 hours or more via a packed pickup. The best place to get the lowdown between Bangkok -> Poipet -> Siem Reap is over at Tales of Asia.

 Getting there

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