A major cultural event “Don
Chedi Memorial and Red Cross Fair” will be held in Suphan Buri province from 18
January to 1 February 2014.
The two-week fair will take
place in the Don Chedi Memorial compound in Don Chedi district. It is meant to
commemorate the glorious victory of King Naresuan the Great in a traditional
royal battle on elephant back.
The fair includes a show of
Muay Thai, an ancient martial art, a bazaar of One Tambon, One Product, or
OTOP, products, an exhibition of public and private organizations, and many
cultural performances. The highlight is a multimedia presentation on King
Naresuan’s heroic deeds and the history of Suphan Buri.
Regarded as a respected
hero and warrior in Thai history, King Naresuan reigned over the Thai kingdom
from 1590 to 1605 during the Ayutthaya period. When he was nine years old,
Prince Naresuan was taken as a hostage to Burma, now Myanmar, after the
Ayutthaya King was overrun by the powerful Burmese army. He was brought up in
the Burmese royal court. His close companion was Burmese Crown Prince Min Chit
Swa, known among Thais as Phra Maha Upparacha.
At the age of 16, Prince
Naresuan returned to Ayutthaya and was appointed Crown Prince by his father,
King Maha Thammaracha, the then ruler of the Thai vassal state under Burmese
rule. He immediately built up his own forces and set his aim to liberate the
Ayutthaya Kingdom from the Burmese.
After succeeding his father
as king in 1590, King Naresuan fended off the Burmese on several occasions. The
most glorious battle was his duel on elephant back with his childhood friend
Crown Prince Min Chit Swa, who was killed in the fight. It took place on 18 January
1592 at Nong Sarai field in Suphan Buri. The Thai government later designated
18 January Thai Armed Forces Day to commemorate King Naresuan’s heroic deeds.
Following the battle on
elephant back, King Naresuan ordered the construction of a pagoda at Nong Sarai
field in memory of the Burmese Crown Prince. When the pagoda was discovered in
1913, King Vajiravudh (Rama VI) organized a grand celebration. Later, in 1952,
a committee was formed by the Royal Thai Army to carry out a major renovation
of the pagoda, together with the construction of a statue of King Naresuan on
elephant back, which is generally referred to as Don Chedi Memorial.
Today, the Memorial has
become a landmark of the central province of Suphan Buri, about 107 kilometers
from Bangkok by car. Suphan Buri has a vision to develop itself as a leading
province for producing quality food and products at international standards.
Local residents take pride in the Don Chedi Memorial Fair, which has been
organized on an annual basis since 1959.
(thailand.prd.go.th)