Dancing with boys on shoulders at ordination ceremony for novice monks in Mae Hong Son, Thailand

Relatives dance with boys dressed up as princes on their shoulders at Poy Sang Long, a yearly ceremony at which boys are ordained as novice monks, Mae Hong Son, Thailand. 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 three-day 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: 5564x3699 / 13.8MB; Asia Boy Boys Buddhism Buddhist Dancing Horizontal Life Cycle Ritual Mae Hong Son Males Men Outdoors Poi Sang Long Poy Sang Long Red Religion Rite of Passage Shan Southeast Asia Thai Yai Thailand Traditional Clothing blurred motion color image color photography colour image colour photography colourful dusk evening family festival festivals festive clothing festive mood flowers group happiness happy headdress headdresses male man motion blur multi-coloured music musician native costume nightfall ordination of novice monks outside religious sitting on shoulders twilight
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Relatives dance with boys dressed up as princes on their shoulders at Poy Sang Long, a yearly ceremony at which boys are ordained as novice monks, Mae Hong Son, Thailand. 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 three-day 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.