Nirat Hariphunchai, a poem of pilgrimage and love, 1517 to 2022 | A Talk by Chris Baker and Pasuk Phongpaichit
About this lecture
In 1517, a Lanna royal made a pilgrimage from Chiang Mai to Wat Phrathat Hariphunchai, the great reliquary in Lamphun, arriving at the full moon on 6 March. Along the way he composed a poem, now known as Nirat Hariphunchai. It was once considered very difficult, but Thai scholars have made it more accessible, and we have completed a translation. In the poem, the author gives equal weight to his two devotions—one to the religion and the other to his lady-love. In this talk, Chris Baker and Pasuk Phongpaichit discuss this unusual combination, present excerpts from the translation, and tell of retracing the journey on its 505th anniversary, including visits to around 20 locations mentioned in the poem.
About the speaker
Chris Baker is a historian and Honorary Editor of the Journal of The Siam Society.
Pasuk Phongpaichit is an emeritus professor of economics at Chulalongkorn University and a member of the Royal Society of Thailand. Together they have written on Thailand’s history, political economy, and literature, and jointly won the Fukuoka Grand Prize in 2017.
When
Where
Admission
Free of charge
For more information, please contact
Tel. 02-661-6470-3 ext. 203
Or email to pinthip@thesiamsociety.org
To comply with social distancing rules, we must limit the number of attendees. Please book your seat(s) in advance by emailing or phoning your booking to the Society.
