Thai King Bhumibol Adulyadej along with Queen Sirikit wave to their people from the balcony of Dusit Palace in Bangkok. Buddhist monks blessed King Adulyadej as part of religious celebrations to mark the 60th year on the throne of the world's longest-reigning monarch. (AFP)BANGKOK (AFP)
Buddhist monks blessed Thailand's King Bhumibol Adulyadej as part of religious celebrations to mark the 60th year on the throne of the world's longest-reigning monarch.
The ancient ritual, held in Bangkok's gilded Grand Palace, was broadcast to millions of adoring subjects nationwide as royalty from 25 countries started arriving in Thailand ahead of next week's lavish anniversary festivities.
Japan's Emperor Akihito and Empress Michiko and Brunei's Sultan Hassanal Bolkiah were among royals due to arrive Sunday, and Jordan's King Abdullah II and Spain's Queen Sofia were scheduled to fly in on Monday.
The 78-year-old Thai king is among the world's most revered monarchs, honoured by his people for fighting poverty and providing guidance and stability during times of turmoil, including several past military coups.
One million of his subjects turned out to hear the king speak on Friday in only the third public address of his reign, many with their hands clasped in prayer and fighting tears.
The crowd formed a sea of yellow as most wore shirts in the colour that symbolises Monday, the weekday the monarch was born on in 1927 in Cambridge, Massachusetts, where his father studied medicine at Harvard.
In Saturday's private ritual, which ended three days of religious services, 99 saffron-robed Buddhist monks chanted prayers in the ancient Pali language, in the palace's Amarin Winitchai throne hall.
The king lit candles to pay his respects to the Buddha in the ceremony attended by Queen Sirikit, Crown Prince Maha Vajiralongkorn and senior government and military leaders in white uniforms.
The monks also blessed lustral water for the royal regalia -- including the crown, inlaid with gold and studded with nine precious gemstones, the royal sword, cane and fan.
White-robed Brahmin priests then performed rituals reserved for the Thai royalty to the sound of a traditional orchestra of xylophones and drums.
Outside, Thais continued to pay their respects by wearing yellow shirts and armbands as they braved rain to flock to the banks of the Chao Phraya to watch an evening fireworks display.
The events have received blanket coverage in Thai media, even drowning out the World Cup in this football-mad country.
The streets of the normally traffic-choked and polluted Thai capital have been quiet. Friday was a national public holiday, and workers and students in and around Bangkok have also been given Monday and Tuesday off.
On those days, visiting royalty will witness a series of rituals steeped in ancient tradition, including a rarely seen parade of 52 carved and gilded ceremonial barges paddled by more than 2,000 chanting oarsmen.
Thailand says royalty from 25 nations will attend: Bahrain, Belgium, Britain, Bhutan, Brunei, Cambodia, Denmark, Japan, Jordan, Kuwait, Lesotho, Liechtenstein, Luxembourg, Malaysia, Monaco, Morocco, the Netherlands, Norway, Oman, Qatar, Spain, Swaziland, Sweden, Tonga and the United Arab Emirates.
Britain's Prince Andrew, Bahrain's Prime Minister Sheikh Khalifa bin Salman al-Khalifa, and Morocco's Princess Lalla Salma have already arrived in Bangkok.
The ancient ritual, held in Bangkok's gilded Grand Palace, was broadcast to millions of adoring subjects nationwide as royalty from 25 countries started arriving in Thailand ahead of next week's lavish anniversary festivities.
Japan's Emperor Akihito and Empress Michiko and Brunei's Sultan Hassanal Bolkiah were among royals due to arrive Sunday, and Jordan's King Abdullah II and Spain's Queen Sofia were scheduled to fly in on Monday.
The 78-year-old Thai king is among the world's most revered monarchs, honoured by his people for fighting poverty and providing guidance and stability during times of turmoil, including several past military coups.
One million of his subjects turned out to hear the king speak on Friday in only the third public address of his reign, many with their hands clasped in prayer and fighting tears.
The crowd formed a sea of yellow as most wore shirts in the colour that symbolises Monday, the weekday the monarch was born on in 1927 in Cambridge, Massachusetts, where his father studied medicine at Harvard.
In Saturday's private ritual, which ended three days of religious services, 99 saffron-robed Buddhist monks chanted prayers in the ancient Pali language, in the palace's Amarin Winitchai throne hall.
The king lit candles to pay his respects to the Buddha in the ceremony attended by Queen Sirikit, Crown Prince Maha Vajiralongkorn and senior government and military leaders in white uniforms.
The monks also blessed lustral water for the royal regalia -- including the crown, inlaid with gold and studded with nine precious gemstones, the royal sword, cane and fan.
White-robed Brahmin priests then performed rituals reserved for the Thai royalty to the sound of a traditional orchestra of xylophones and drums.
Outside, Thais continued to pay their respects by wearing yellow shirts and armbands as they braved rain to flock to the banks of the Chao Phraya to watch an evening fireworks display.
The events have received blanket coverage in Thai media, even drowning out the World Cup in this football-mad country.
The streets of the normally traffic-choked and polluted Thai capital have been quiet. Friday was a national public holiday, and workers and students in and around Bangkok have also been given Monday and Tuesday off.
On those days, visiting royalty will witness a series of rituals steeped in ancient tradition, including a rarely seen parade of 52 carved and gilded ceremonial barges paddled by more than 2,000 chanting oarsmen.
Thailand says royalty from 25 nations will attend: Bahrain, Belgium, Britain, Bhutan, Brunei, Cambodia, Denmark, Japan, Jordan, Kuwait, Lesotho, Liechtenstein, Luxembourg, Malaysia, Monaco, Morocco, the Netherlands, Norway, Oman, Qatar, Spain, Swaziland, Sweden, Tonga and the United Arab Emirates.
Britain's Prince Andrew, Bahrain's Prime Minister Sheikh Khalifa bin Salman al-Khalifa, and Morocco's Princess Lalla Salma have already arrived in Bangkok.
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