Buddhists mourn for late Supreme Patriarch of Thailand

BANGKOK, October 27 (TNA) - Buddhist monks, novices and devotees throughout Thailand on Sunday continue chanting prayers and paying respects in deep sorrow for the loss of His Holiness the Supreme Patriarch Somdet Phra Nyanasamvara Suvaddhana Mahathera who passed away at a hospital last week. More than 400 monks, novices and hill-tribe people chanted prayers at the royally-sponsored Sri Soda Temple in the northern capital of Chiang Mai in the morning. They plan to continue praying and offering respects for the much revered Supreme Patriarch for 30 consecutive days. Some of the monks and novices at the temple also refrain from consuming meat during the period. The 100-year-old late His Holiness passed away on Thursday at Bangkok’s Chulalongkorn Hospital due to blood infection. He was the 19th Supreme Patriarch of the current Rattanakosin Period, started from 1782. A similar solemn ceremony was also organised by the abbot of Phra That Pa Ngao Temple in Chiang Saen district of the northernmost province of Chiang Rai. Monks chanted prayers with deep sorrow in front of the portrait of His Holiness who was the chief of monks throughout the kingdom and had nursed His Majesty the King when he entered the monkhood between October and November in 1956. Traditional ceremony was held at Wat Huey Pong in Nam Pat district of Uttaradit province when devotees led by monks chanted prayers and asked for the soul of His Holiness to rest in peace. (TNA)