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The Bodhi Tree's Pole:
a Lanna Ritual

Though the whole world is apparently globalised, some ancient customs especially those related to religion are still essential to people's everyday life, functioning as a soul-recovering approach.

Widely known as Hae Mai Kam Salee by Northern Thai folks, the ritual of the Bodhi tree's pole has been regarded as a significant tradition in the Lanna region for decades, annually held during the traditional Songkran festival inside temple grounds..

But what is the interpretation behind such imagery of the poles and Bodhi tree? From the Buddhist perspective, the Bodhi tree itself represents Buddhism as it's the locale where the Lord Buddha became enlightened and the placing of supporting poles beneath the tree's branches attests to the religious support of the laity. The wooden poles used in the ritual vary in sizes and styles, depending on the financial status of their donors; from rough plain sticks to exquisitely carved ones.

Among the temples in Chiang Mai, Wat Phratat Sri Chomtong is a popular venue for the ritual as the temple houses an ancient gigantic Bodhi tree and there's a story about the origin of this ceremony. Chomtong folks were afraid that the tree that has increasingly branched out would collapse without any supports. And if the tree dies, it suggests that bad fortune for Buddhism and the Chomtong people is ahead. Therefore they came up with the idea of placing wooden poles under the branches of the tree, and have kept on practicing ever since. However, since the iconic tree is extremely massive, poles with 4-metre length and 8 x 8-inch thickness are delivered from over 10 villages in Chomtong district.

How is such a symbolic pole ritual scheduled for the Songkran festival anyway? According to the actual fact that Songkran is the traditional New Year celebration involving several auspicious activities, the pole ritual is supplemented in the festival. The ceremony is quite simple and is scheduled from 1st - 14th April of each year. Varying in size, the poles have been collected from the communities before being painted with turmeric, decorated with tiny pieces of colourful paper, and then paraded to the temple by ox-carts. Apart from people from different generations in beautiful regional costume taking part, the parade also includes several festive performances; the traditional martial art known as Fon Jerng, Sor singing (a kind of traditional live entertainment in the form of folk music) and of course, the Songkran's water-pouring ceremony, as for offering respects to and receiving blessings from respected elders.

In its way it's a good demonstration of the maintenance of local traditions in the face of ever-increasing globalisation.

Getting there: Wat Phratat Sri Chomtong is located in Chomtong district to the south of Chiang Mai city. You can find yellow buses leaving at regular intervals from the corner of Wualai Road, just beyond the Chiang Mai Gate.