BANGKOK, THAILAND, October 25, 2017 (by Oscar Holland, Kocha Olarn, CNN) Preparations for the late Thai King Bhumibol Adulyadej’s cremation have been underway for the past year. In an old and cluttered studio outside Bangkok, sculptor Chatmongkol Insawang has been hard at work carefully shaping the trunk of the elephant-headed god, Phra Phikanet (the Thai name for Ganesha). The Hindu Deity forms just a small part of his multi-layered clay artwork. “Phra Phikanet is the God of art, the God of success,” Insawang explained. “Phra Phikanet is (also) the God who will send the king to heaven.” Insawang is one of hundreds of artists — both professionals and amateurs — who have been enlisted to create sculptures for the king’s funeral. Tasked with crafting more than 500 works for this week’s extravagant five-day ceremony, some of the sculptors have been working daily for almost a year.
Most of the completed artworks — the largest of which took between three and five months to complete — have already been transported to the royal funeral pyre. Built to resemble the sacred center of the Hindu universe, Mount Meru, the lavish 166-foot-tall pyre has been erected in central Bangkok, next to the Grand Palace. While Thailand is predominantly Buddhist, many elements of the funeral — including Insawang’s sculpture of Phra Phikanet — draw on Hindu traditions. While state funerals have been held for other Thai royals in recent years, this week’s is set to be the biggest in living memory. The Thai government has set aside 3 billion baht (about US$90 million) for the ceremony.
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