His Majesty the King and Her Majesty the Queen performed royal merit-making by offering Kathin robes at Wat Ratchabophit and Wat Phra Chetuphon.Today (25 October 2024) at 5:20 p.m., His Majesty the King and Her Majesty the Queen traveled to Wat Ratchabophit Sathit Maha Simaram. On this occasion, they laid a wreath of flowers and lit incense sticks and candles in tribute to the Royal Monument of King Chulalongkorn. They then entered the Ubosot to perform royal merit-making by offering Kathina robes.The Kathin tradition has been around since the Sukhothai period. It is held from the 1st waning moon of the 11th lunar month to the 15th waxing moon of the 12th lunar month, which is after the end of Buddhist Lent. The offering of Kathin robes at the Royal Monastery, or Kathin Luang, is a royal duty of the monarch, who is a Buddhist and the supreme patron of religion, who will travel to offer the Kathin robes himself. Or graciously grant permission to a member of the royal family or his representative to presen t it to 16 important royal monasteries, namely Wat Ratchabophit Sathit Maha Simaram, Wat Pho, Wat Arun Ratchawararam, Wat Ratchaorotaram, Wat Ratchapradit Sathit Maha Simaram, Wat Benchamabophit Dusitwanaram, Wat Bowonniwet Vihara, Wat Suthat Thepwararam, Wat Ratchathiwat, Wat Makut Kasatriyaram, Wat Thepsirin, Wat Mahathat Yuwaratrangsarit, Wat Phra Pathom Chedi in Nakhon Pathom Province, Wat Niwet Thammaprawat in Phra Nakhon Si Ayutthaya Province, Wat Suwannadararam in Phra Nakhon Si Ayutthaya Province and Wat Phra Si Rattana Mahathat in Phitsanulok Province.His Majesty the King and Her Majesty the Queen attended the royal merit-making ceremony of offering Kathin robes at Wat Ratchabophit Sathit Maha Simaram and Wat Phra Chetuphon Wimonmangklaram.Later at 6:05 p.m., His Majesty proceeded to the royal merit-making ceremony of offering Kathin robes at Wat Phra Chetuphon Wimonmangklaram.On this occasion, His Majesty granted an audience to the faithful to donate money, pay homage, and receive souvenirs. A fter that, His Majesty left the chapel and proceeded to the Buddhavas area to cut the ribbon to open the National Thai Traditional Medicine Wisdom Week and viewed the Thai Traditional Medicine Wisdom Exhibition, which displayed an exhibition to honor the royal duties and abilities of King Nangklao, the Great King, as the 'Father of Thai Traditional Medicine'. There were also exhibitions and demonstrations of knowledge of Thai traditional medicine, folk medicine, and herbs, the identities of each province, and an exhibition of the successful operations of Thai traditional medicine and folk medicine by government agencies, agencies under the Ministry of Public Health, clubs, associations, and foundations.The National Thai Traditional Medicine Wisdom Week is organized by the Ministry of Public Health in collaboration with Wat Phra Chetuphon Wimonmangklararm to honor His Majesty the King and Her Majesty the Queen who have continued, preserved, and developed the value and importance of Thai traditional medicine wisdom to be widely studied and learned by the public, as well as to honor King Nangklao, the Great King of Thai Medicine, who collected and widely disseminated knowledge of Thai traditional medicine at Wat Phra Chetuphon Wimonmangklararm.From the evidence of the stone inscription on the restoration of Wat Phra Chetuphon Wimon Mangklaram on October 29, 1831, King Nangklao, the Great, traveled to present the Kathin robe and view the Ubosot, the Vihara, and the various monks' residences that were damaged. Therefore, he had faith in the restoration and expansion of the area. He also ordered the construction of the monks' residences, inscribed Thai traditional medicine texts on the pavilions, created the statues of hermits in postures, and inscribed various medicinal texts on the pavilions. The United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) announced the recognition of the Sala Inscription of Wat Phra Chetuphon Wimon Mangklaram as a World Heritage Site on May 27, 2011. This is consid ered a great kindness that has made the wisdom of Thai traditional medicine an important foundation for the public health of the Thai nation all along. This year, the main concept of the event is 'Being cured, becoming richer with the wisdom of Thai traditional medicine and folk medicine.' and Thai herbs", held from October 25-29, 2024.Source: Thai News Agency