Phra Kampuchat
| Phra Kampuchat | |
|---|---|
Guardian deity of the Nine-Tiered White Royal Umbrella | |
| Lua error in Module:WikidataIB at line 665: attempt to index field 'wikibase' (a nil value). Shrine of Phra Kampuchat beneath the Nine-Tiered White Royal Umbrella above the Phutthan Kanchanasin Throne inside the Amarin Winitchai Throne Hall at the Grand Palace, Bangkok | |
| Affiliation | Local deity |
| Region | Thailand |
Phra Kampuchat (พระกำพูฉัตร) is a guardian deity of the Nine-Tiered White Royal Umbrella, who protects the Thai monarch and the throne.[1] He is believed to reside in the kampu, the central structural shaft that holds the spines of the umbrella together.[2]
Originally, there was no image of Phra Kampuchat until the reign of King Mongkut (Rama IV), who ordered the creation of a deity image supporting the kampu of the umbrella. This began a tradition that continues to this day.[3]
History
The belief in a guardian deity for the royal umbrella likely stems from Indian traditions where the chatra (royal/parasol) is regarded as a sacred symbol from Vedic religion through to Buddhism, used to venerate religious sites and relics.[1] Another possible origin is the worship of Lakshmi, goddess of wealth, who is believed to dwell in the white umbrella.[3]
In the commentary on the Temiya Jataka, a deity associated with the white umbrella appears as the mother of Temiya in a previous life and leads him to feign muteness and disability to escape kingship.[1][3] In the Sri Lankan chronicle the Mahavamsa, it is recorded that King Dutugemunu wished to build a stupa but was hindered by war with Tamil invaders. The goddess of the white umbrella informed other deities, eventually reaching Sakka, who ordered Vishvakarman to create the necessary materials for construction.[1]
There was no formal image of Phra Kampuchat until **2396 BE (1853 CE)**, during the restoration of the royal umbrella under King Mongkut. Following the belief that a deity resides within the umbrella, the king ordered the creation of a gilded image in a flying posture—made of gold and enamel, adorned with gems. One hand holds a sword, while the other supports the shaft connected beneath the kampu.[3]
At the same time, two additional deity images were created:
- **Phra Ratchabanlue Than**, holding the ritual sword
- **Phra Ratchamuttathorn**, holding the royal seal chest[2]
Today, the image of Phra Kampuchat remains installed beneath the Nine-Tiered White Umbrella in:
- the Amarin Winitchai Throne Hall
- the Dusit Maha Prasat Throne Hall (both since King Mongkut's reign)
- and the Chakri Maha Prasat Throne Hall (added during King Chulalongkorn's reign).[3]
Another statue, once housed in the Front Palace, is now on display at the Bangkok National Museum.[1]
Beliefs
According to Thai court custom, the king must ritually request blessings from the guardian deity of the royal umbrella. Any scandal within the Grand Palace is considered an offense against this guardian deity. For instance, when King Buddha Loetla Nabhalai had a relationship with Queen Sri Suriyendra resulting in pregnancy, it was believed to have offended the palace deities. A sacred ritual was performed using holy water dipped with the royal thumb of King Rama I, given to the queen to drink. Although she successfully gave birth, the royal son survived only one day.[1]
Phra Kampuchat is also mentioned in oaths of allegiance taken by royal officials, where he is invoked as the divine guardian of the royal umbrella.[1]
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 1.5 1.6 Korkij Disthan (20 January 2020). "จอมพลคนสุดท้ายกับเทวดาผู้รักษาเศวตฉัตร". Gypzy World. Archived from the original on 9 January 2021. Retrieved 5 January 2021. Unknown parameter
|url-status=ignored (help) - ↑ 2.0 2.1 "Rama IV's Restoration of the Nine-Tiered White Umbrella". Silpa Wattanatham. 25 October 2016. Retrieved 5 January 2021.
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3 3.4 Pitchaya Sumjinda (18 October 2017). "The Nine-Tiered White Royal Umbrella (Part 2)". Silpa Wattanatham. Retrieved 5 January 2021.
This article "Phra Kampuchat" is from Wikipedia. The list of its authors can be seen in its historical and/or the page Edithistory:Phra Kampuchat. Articles copied from Draft Namespace on Wikipedia could be seen on the Draft Namespace of Wikipedia and not main one.
