Beloved princes become Buddhist novices in Thailand

Beloved princes become Buddhist novices in Thailand

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Golden umbrellas draped in beads and flowers provide shade for boys as young as seven riding on their fathers' shoulders in a procession through the mountain town of Mae Hong Son on Thailand's northern border.

. Mae Hong Son, Thailand. Reuters/Jorge Silva
Children are carried on shoulders during an annual Poy Sang Long procession.

Dressed in clothes dominated by neon pinks and greens with elaborate headgear, their lips and cheeks brightly rouged for the most important day of their short lives, about 50 boys advance to the lively beat of drums, cymbals and gongs.

. Mae Hong Son, Thailand. Reuters/Jorge Silva
Boys stand inside a temple.

The event is a rite of passage to initiate the boys as Buddhist novices, the highlight of an annual celebration by the Shan ethnic group that lives mainly in neighbouring Myanmar, but is also spread through China, Laos and Thailand.

"I was overwhelmed with happiness and excited about the ceremony," said Kasen Kongtui, 58, a Thai trader who sponsored the participation of a 12-year-old family friend, Poo Sit, from Myanmar.

"He told me: 'Grandfather, I want to become a novice!' So we helped him," Kasen told Reuters. "I did it to make merit."

. Mae Hong Son, Thailand. Reuters/Jorge Silva
August, 8, is dressed up by his relatives inside Wat Klang Thung temple.

To fulfil the dream of a son's participation in the prestigious event, parents willingly scrimp for a long time, others accept relatives' donations to defray costs, and the poorest may even send offspring to live with wealthier families.

. Mae Hong Son, Thailand. Reuters/Jorge Silva
Danusorn Sdisaithaworn (left), 10, and Gorsak Kong Tawan, 13, rest at an altar made for them at their home.

The rite of Poy Sang Long, as the celebration is known, represents the early childhood of the founder of Buddhism, Siddharta Gautama, who was born a prince about 2,600 years ago.

. Mae Hong Son, Thailand. Reuters/Jorge Silva
A woman smears a boy with paste made from thanaka bark after his hair was shaved.

He is said to have given up a life of royal splendour to live as a holy man after witnessing sickness and death outside the palace.

The boys' ordination is thought to bring honour to their families, and the event runs for a week during the dry season before the traditional Thai New Year, when most villagers are home for the holiday and children are on a school break.

. Mae Hong Son, Thailand. Reuters/Jorge Silva
Boys have their hair cut in preparation.

For these 'beloved princes' of the Shan families, the ceremony runs through several stages, from the shaving of their heads, with the shorn locks wrapped in lotus leaves by their mothers to be saved as a keepsake, to a bath in scented water.

. Mae Hong Son, Thailand. Reuters/Jorge Silva
Boys with their heads smeared with thanaka bark wait to pray.

They dress in white and have dazzling patterns drawn on their faces and heads with a yellow cosmetic paste made from ground-up thanaka bark thought to have protective properties.

. Mae Hong Son, Thailand. Reuters/Jorge Silva
Gorsak Kong Tawan, 13, is carried by a relative after using the toilet.

From now until the end of the festival, the boys are believed to have acquired semi-divine status, and are not allowed to touch the ground or walk by themselves.

The parade takes place the next day, preceding a more contemplative period on the third day, when the boys visit relatives' homes to pray for their families.

. Mae Hong Son, Thailand. Reuters/Jorge Silva
Boys prepare their novice robes at Wat Klang Thung temple.

After the week is up, the boy novices live at a temple for one or two months during school holidays, studying Buddhist scripture.

. Mae Hong Son, Thailand. Reuters/Jorge Silva
August is dressed up for an annual Poy Sang Long procession.

"I like having my head shaved," said August, a smiling 8-year-old clad in red and gold, with an ornate hat that featured pink flowers and diamante trim, as he described his favourite part of the rite.

"When I saw my friends doing this, I decided to become a novice. I want to be the Buddha's representative. I want to be a good person."

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Slideshow

A man carries a boy on shoulders during an annual Poy Sang Long procession.
. Mae Hong Son, Thailand. Reuters/Jorge Silva

A man carries a boy on shoulders during an annual Poy Sang Long procession.

Gorsak Kong Tawan (centre), 13, dances while is carried on the shoulders of a relative.
. Mae Hong Son, Thailand. Reuters/Jorge Silva

Gorsak Kong Tawan (centre), 13, dances while is carried on the shoulders of a relative.

Boys stay inside a temple.
. Mae Hong Son, Thailand. Reuters/Jorge Silva

Boys stay inside a temple.

A boy waits inside Wat Klang Thung temple.
. Mae Hong Son, Thailand. Reuters/Jorge Silva

A boy waits inside Wat Klang Thung temple.

Phuwadol Kong Tawan (left), 11, Gorsak Kong Tawan (centre), 13, and Danusorn Sdisaithaworn, 10, dance as they sit on the shoulders of relatives.
. Mae Hong Son, Thailand. Reuters/Jorge Silva

Phuwadol Kong Tawan (left), 11, Gorsak Kong Tawan (centre), 13, and Danusorn Sdisaithaworn, 10, dance as they sit on the shoulders of relatives.

Phuwadol Kong Tawan (left), 11, Gorsak Kong Tawan (centre), 13, and Danusorn Sdisaithaworn, 10, pray for a merchant at a market while being carried on shoulders.
. Mae Hong Son, Thailand. Reuters/Jorge Silva

Phuwadol Kong Tawan (left), 11, Gorsak Kong Tawan (centre), 13, and Danusorn Sdisaithaworn, 10, pray for a merchant at a market while being carried on shoulders.

Danusorn Sdisaithaworn (left), 10, Gorsak Kong Tawan (centre), 13, and Phuwadol Kong Tawan, 11, have lunch after praying in a house of a relative.
. Mae Hong Son, Thailand. Reuters/Jorge Silva

Danusorn Sdisaithaworn (left), 10, Gorsak Kong Tawan (centre), 13, and Phuwadol Kong Tawan, 11, have lunch after praying in a house of a relative.

Boys walk for almsgiving early morning after entering the Buddhist novicehood at a temple.
. Mae Hong Son, Thailand. Reuters/Jorge Silva

Boys walk for almsgiving early morning after entering the Buddhist novicehood at a temple.

Boys walks for almsgiving early morning.
. Mae Hong Son, Thailand. Reuters/Jorge Silva

Boys walks for almsgiving early morning.

Boys sleep at Wat Klang Thung temple, where novice monks temporarily live.
. Mae Hong Son, Thailand. Reuters/Jorge Silva

Boys sleep at Wat Klang Thung temple, where novice monks temporarily live.

Boys play with their mobile phones and tablets at Wat Klang Thung temple.
. Mae Hong Son, Thailand. Reuters/Jorge Silva

Boys play with their mobile phones and tablets at Wat Klang Thung temple.