A CROWD of several hundred people witnessed the raising of spectacular choafa gable apexes at Wat Silasuparam in Chalong on March 15.
The choafa will sit atop the new ubosot, or bost, the large building that most visitors recognise as representing a wat.
Each of the choafas was covered in gold leaf, attached by respectful Buddhists, and hauled into place by scores of people, headed by the dignatories who gathered for the occasion.
Taking pride of place was Luangpoo Supa, the venerable abbot after whom the wat will eventually be named.
Queen Sirikit heard that Luangpoo Supa had decided, after living at 30 wats over a long period of time, to make this wat his home, and declared that it should be named after him.
Among the audience for the raising of the choafas were former Prime Minister Surayut Chulanon, Senator Phummisak Hongyok, national Parliamentary Representatives Tossaporn Tephabutra and Rewat Areerob, Governor Niran Kalayanamit, and former chief of the OrBorJor, Anchalee Vanich Tephabutra.
Many other dignatories werer also present.
The first of the choafas was raised skywards at precisely 3.37pm, considered to be the most auspicious time for the ceremony to commence.
People from all walks of life were involved as the choafas were hoisted one by one to the rooftop, where workers dressed all in white waited to receive them.
White cord linked the choafas to the hundreds of onlookers in an impressive spectacle.
The land for the new building was donated by the Wangkiat family, which owns property nearby.
Wat Silasuparam can be found off Chaofa Road East, about a kilometre from Wat Chalong, towards Phuket City.
More ceremonies are anticipated before the building and the naming process are complete.
The choafa will sit atop the new ubosot, or bost, the large building that most visitors recognise as representing a wat.
Each of the choafas was covered in gold leaf, attached by respectful Buddhists, and hauled into place by scores of people, headed by the dignatories who gathered for the occasion.
Taking pride of place was Luangpoo Supa, the venerable abbot after whom the wat will eventually be named.
Queen Sirikit heard that Luangpoo Supa had decided, after living at 30 wats over a long period of time, to make this wat his home, and declared that it should be named after him.
Among the audience for the raising of the choafas were former Prime Minister Surayut Chulanon, Senator Phummisak Hongyok, national Parliamentary Representatives Tossaporn Tephabutra and Rewat Areerob, Governor Niran Kalayanamit, and former chief of the OrBorJor, Anchalee Vanich Tephabutra.
Many other dignatories werer also present.
The first of the choafas was raised skywards at precisely 3.37pm, considered to be the most auspicious time for the ceremony to commence.
People from all walks of life were involved as the choafas were hoisted one by one to the rooftop, where workers dressed all in white waited to receive them.
White cord linked the choafas to the hundreds of onlookers in an impressive spectacle.
The land for the new building was donated by the Wangkiat family, which owns property nearby.
Wat Silasuparam can be found off Chaofa Road East, about a kilometre from Wat Chalong, towards Phuket City.
More ceremonies are anticipated before the building and the naming process are complete.
