The Mae Pom A Rajagamala: A representative of unity inheriting the ways of life for people of Nan River

The traditional rowing competition in Nan Province is an old tradition which Nan’s ancestors has inherited from generation to the next for the long time. The people of Nan has connected to “Naga” which they believe that Naga will protect the ancient sites, temples, and sacred things. This is the reason that the boat has been decorated on the head, the tail, and the body of the boat to be similar as Naga. The ancestors of Nan would take the boat out to row in the river if the year had a drought or no rain. This is a traditional metaphor that Nagas were playing in the water. To beg for the rain for the rowing competition in Nan Province in the past, there was a tradition called “Tan Kuay Salak Festival”. When the temples or villages held the rowing competition, the Tan Kuay Salak Festival would also be held. The faculty of faith in villages and communities having boats would take them out to join the competition in Tan Kuay Salak Festival along with the people, novices, and monks travelling to the temples holding the Tan Kuay Salak Festival. The transportation in the past was not as convenient as in the present; therefore, the rowing competition in Nan Province could be proved with concrete evidences since 1917. When the Prince of Nakhon Sawan travelled to governmental inspection in Nan, the rulers of Nan have been following the tradition up until nowadays. ***

The boat team of Mae Pom – Yaa Sang Lui, Nan Province, is a 30-row small long boat with the length of 11 wah, 2 sok, 9 inches. The age of the boat was longer than ten years. It was bought from Baan Boon Yuen, Wiang Sa District, Nan Province on 31^st December 2009 at 250,000 Baht. The body of the boat itself was made of golden iron wooden and teak (Ta Khien Thong and Mai Sak). The previous version of the boat was decorated by a talented engraver named Mr. Sanguan Soonnoppha.

          In 1990, Mr. Ood and Mr. Lek, who were the other two engravers from Nhong Daeng, decorated more on the boat. The boat has inherited for many generations. Firstly, Mr. Sakmongkholchai (also known as Sia Lek) in Ayutthaya Province named the boat as Thep Sip Song Ra Sri. Secondly, Sia Kheng, the owner of Naa Nang in Nan Province, named the boat as Sorn Sawan 2 (Sriboonrueng and Theppabutrboonyuen Boonyuen). Finally, Mr. Athipat Saisoong in Nan Province who is the current owner and name the boat as Mae Pom Yaa Sang Lui until now. The boat team of Mae Pom Rajamagala is in coordination among three sections which are the boat team of Mae Pom – Yaa Sang Lui; Rowing Section of Nan Province, Rajamagala University of Technology Lanna in Nan Province having the alumni as the rowers and crew team; and the current students, lecturers, and staff of RMUTL, Nan. Additionally, Mr. Athipat Saisoong is one of the founding committee of Nan Province Rowing Association and Rowing Section of Nan Province. The meaning of the boat Mae Pom’s flag means “auspicious” which it means RMUTL, Nan (previously called Kaset Nan). The university emphasises on making more practical graduated students to truly meet the need of the community/local area. The phrase Yaa Sang Lui means to go out and fully be responsible for your duties, to make the reputation to Nan Province. The outstanding performance of the boat team Mae Pom – Yaa Sang Lui has been recorded as follows:

2010.  

• The royal trophy awarded from Her Royal Highness Princess Bajrakitiyabha for the winner of the competition in traditional rowing
• The grand opening in Nan Province

2011

-    The royal trophy awarded from Her Royal Highness Princess Bajrakitiyabha for the winner of the competition in the grand opening in Nan Province

• The royal trophy awarded from Her Royal Highness Princess Soamsawali for the winner of the competition in youth traditional rowing (the first year)
  • The royal trophy awarded from Her Royal Highness Princess Sirindhorn for the winner of the competition in the tradition of the Buddhist Lent Day, Wiang Sa District, Nan Province (the first year)
  • The royal trophy award from Her Royal Highness Princess Sirindhorn for the winner of the competition in the closing ceremony in Nan Province (the first year)

2012.  

-    The royal trophy of the winner awarded from Her Royal Highness Princess Sirindhorn for the small boat

-    The royal trophy awarded from Her Royal Highness Princess Bajrakitiyabha for the winner of the competition in the traditional grand opening in Nan Province

-    The royal trophy awarded from Her Royal Highness Princess Soamsawali for the winner of the competition in youth traditional rowing (the second year)

-    The royal trophy awarded from Her Royal Highness Princess Sirindhorn for the winner of the competition in the closing ceremony in Nan Province (the second year)

2013

-  The royal trophy awarded from Her Royal Highness Princess Bajrakitiyabha for the winner of the competition in the grand opening in Nan Province

-   The royal trophy awarded from Her Royal Highness Princess Sirindhorn for the winner in the competition in the closing ceremony in Nan Province (the third year will be crowned the royal cup as ownership)

2014

• The royal trophy awarded from Her Royal Highness Princess Soamsawali for the winner of the competition in the traditional grand opening in Nan Province (the first year)
• The royal trophy awarded from Her Royal Highness Princess Soamsawali for the winner of the competition in youth traditional rowing in Nan Province (the first year)
• The royal trophy awarded from The Crown Prince Vajiralongkorn for the winner of the competition in the closing ceremony in Nan Province (the first year)
•  

-    The royal trophy awarded from Her Royal Highness Princess Soamsawali for the winner of the competition in the traditional grand opening in Nan Province (the second year)

• The royal trophy awarded from Her Royal Highness Princess Soamsawali for the winner of the competition in youth traditional rowing in Nan Province (the second year)
• The royal trophy awarded from The Crown Prince Vajiralongkorn for the winner of the competition in the closing ceremony in Nan Province (the second year)
•  
• The royal trophy awarded from Her Royal Highness Princess Soamsawali for the winner of the competition in the traditional grand opening in Nan Province (the third year)

 

• The royal trophy awarded from His Majesty King Vajiralongkorn for the winner of the large boat in the competition in the closing ceremony in Nan Province
  • The royal trophy awarded from Her Royal Highness Princess Sirindhorn for the winner of the large boat in the competition in the tradition of the Buddhist Lent Day, Wiang Sa District, Nan Province (The Porn Chao Maha Thep Boat, Boon Yuen Temple, Rajamagala University of Technology Lanna in Nan Province)
  • The royal trophy awarded from Her Royal Highness Princess Maha Chakri Sirindhorn for the winner of the small boat for the youth in the competition in Tan Kuay Salak Festival, Chedi Temple, Du Tai Sub-district, Nan Province (The Mae Pom Noi Boat, Chedi Temple, Rajamagala University of Technology Lanna in Nan Province)
  • The royal trophy Her Royal Highness Princess Maha Chakri Sirindhorn for the 40-rower medium boat, Nan Province (Mae Pom Rajamagala)

Mr. Athipat Saisoong, the lecturer in Programme and the Mae Pom A Rajamagala rowing team manager, shared his experience in building the team.

“The Mae Pom A Rajamagala Team was selected to join the national competition which made the reputation to Rajamagala University of Technology Lanna in Nan Province and the people of the province to admire the joy in the decade of the rowing team establishment. This was the honour of us. It was important that our team practiced hard over the time to make our rowers increasing their strength and to develop their skills in the training in other dimensions. Integration of holistic knowledge would be applied for development; for example, building up the rowers, shipwrights, boat engravers for the head and tail of the boat (The uniqueness of the world with Naga carving in Nan Province), and sustainable preservation. The benefits which the athletes would certainly gain were having discipline in life, making the good use of free time, and applying the skills of being rowers to seek for an opportunity with government agencies and private sections including higher education.”.

Rowing could not achieve the goal without having collaboration of the local community to bring the boats to the glorious of victory. The success of the Mae Pom A Rajamagala Team was not only pride of Nan Province, but the people of the Rajamagala University of Technology Lanna were also proud of being a part of the unity in the success. Collaboration of all sectors would preserve the local identities and traditions, wisdom, and way of life for Nan’s people to be existed in the community.

 

 

***Credit: Ministry of Culture, https://www.m-culture.go.th/

 

Reference : The Mae Pom A Rajagamala: A representative of unity inheriting the ways of life for people of Nan River