First Furrow Ceremony

First Furrow Ceremony

The First Furrow Ceremony ( Thai : พระ ราช พิธี จรดพระนังคัล แรกนาขวัญ) is an ancient royal rite to commemorate the beginning of agricultural work. The ceremony of the First Furrow plowed in the ritual field is rooted in antiquity. This rite is based on an ancient ritual of worshiping the deities of rain, wind, river, land and rice, spread from India to China . In Thailand, this ceremony was held annually since the time of the state of Sukhothai (1238 - 1438) at the beginning of the sixth month of the lunar calendar. The First Furrow Ceremony is also held annually in Cambodia ^[1] .

In the Thai state of Sukhothai, there was a ministry of agriculture (Krom Na), which took care of irrigation and other public works in order to maintain and develop agriculture. Each year, the head of the ministry personally held the First Furrow ceremony. This ceremony served as a signal for the start of agricultural work throughout the country. Traditionally, the ceremony of the First Furrow was carried out by the king himself ^[2] .

As a rule, the auspicious day for holding is calculated by the royal astrologer. The king of Thailand must attend the ceremony. Moreover, for the ceremony, the king appoints the Chief Plowman, who performs the ceremony of the first furrow ^[3] .

In Thailand, the First Furrow ceremony includes two important rituals. First of all, it is necessary to bless the seeds, and after that, the first furrow is plowed in a rice field. The royal ceremony, which opens the new season of rice cultivation, is held in the Grand Palace , and the nation-wide - in Sanam Luang Square, where people pick up rice seeds from the land used during the ritual action to attract good luck and increase crop yields. The tradition of holding the ceremony first in the royal palace, and then in the city square, dates back to the reign of Rama IV of Mongkut (1851-1868) ^[1] .

The annual ceremony of the First Furrow was resumed by King Rama IX Phumipon Adulyadej since 1949. In the XX century, Rama IX and his secret council sought to restore the authority of the monarch as the spiritual father of the nation, so many royal ceremonies, including the first furrow ceremony, were revived ^{[ 4]} .

On May 12, 2017, the newly proclaimed King of Thailand, Rama X Maha Vachiralongkorn , the son of Rama IX, Phumipon Adulyadej, attended the annual ceremony of the First Furrow . The ceremony was held at Sanam Luang Square, the event was broadcast on local television. The procession that led the ceremony was headed by the Thai Minister of Agriculture: he scattered rice grains mixed with rose and jasmine petals. It is believed that these grains bring good luck and have healing properties ^[5] .