Ordination ceremony for novice monks in Mae Hong Son, Thailand

Boys dressed in princely clothes prostrate themselves and show respect to monks inside Wat Hua Wiang at Poy Sang Long, the yearly ordination of novice monks, Mae Hong Son, Thailand. The monks are holding the orange robes that the boys will wear when they have become novice monks. The princely clothing is worn in memory of the Buddha who was a prince before becoming a monk. Practically every Shan boy goes through this ceremony sometime between the age of eight and fourteen. After the ordination, the boy spends about one month in a Buddhist monastery and then usually returns to normal life again.

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Copyright: Copyright © 2003 Anders Ryman. All rights reserved.
Image Size: 5581x3693 / 15.8MB; Asia Boy Boys Buddhism Buddhist Greeting Horizontal Life Cycle Ritual Mae Hong Son Males Men Orange Poi Sang Long Poy Sang Long Religion Rite of Passage Shan Southeast Asia Thai Yai Thailand Traditional Clothing Wat Hua Wiang color image color photography colour image colour photography colourful festival festivals festive clothing group indoors inside male man monk monk's robes monkhood monks multi-coloured native costume novice monk novice monkhood novice monks ordination of novice monks place of worship prince princes prostrate prostrating prostration religious religious building respectful royalty solemn spiritual temple young
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Boys dressed in princely clothes prostrate themselves and show respect to monks inside Wat Hua Wiang at Poy Sang Long, the yearly ordination of novice monks, Mae Hong Son, Thailand. The monks are holding the orange robes that the boys will wear when they have become novice monks. The princely clothing is worn in memory of the Buddha who was a prince before becoming a monk. Practically every Shan boy goes through this ceremony sometime between the age of eight and fourteen. After the ordination, the boy spends about one month in a Buddhist monastery and then usually returns to normal life again.