Sedge mats and silk weave their magic around tourists visiting Khon Kaen and Maha Sarakham
Writer: Story and photos by YVONNE BOHWONGPRASERT
Published: 30/07/2009 at 12:00 AM
Newspaper section: Horizons
Isan _ Thailand’s northeast _ is one of the few regions in the country where visitors can still experience a distinctly unique community lifestyle, where family and religion take precedence and the people, devout Buddhists, seem to be blessed with an innate talent for weaving sedge mats and silk fabrics.
Phra That Kaen Nakhon was built to celebrate the Golden Jubilee of HM the King’s accession to the throne and the 200th anniversary of Khon Kaen’s founding.
Our trip began at Khon Kaen’s revered nine-storey stupa called Phra That Kaen Nakhon of Wat Nong Waeng in the heart of the provincial town. The stupa attracts devotees who come to pay their respects to the relics of Lord Buddha and ancient religious scriptures enshrined there.
The day we’re there we saw busloads of visitors from neighbouring provinces, most of them arriving with their families. Exploring the triangular-shaped stupa floor by floor, we came to the realisation that the stunning wooden carvings on the doorpost and windows must be the work of skillfed craftsmen.
Another attraction of religious significance and great international acclaim is an ordination hall nearly 200 years old in the compound of Wat Sa Thong in Ban Bua village of Mancha Khiri district, which received the Award of Merit from Unesco in 2002 for conservation of its cultural heritage.
Archaeological records show that the first renovation to the ordination hall took place about a century ago when local residents replaced the original wood shingles on the roof with unglazed titles, and had the walls restored and decorated with paintings and tiny glass mirrors.
Happy to be photographed, this little girl visits Wat Nong Waeng regularly with her parents. It was fascinating observing families climb to the stupa’s top floor to pray before Buddha’s relics, before proceeding to enjoy a panoramic view of Khon Kaen town from that vantage point.
The next day we visited neighbouring Maha Sarakham, a province littered with religious artifacts where farmers use their free time to weave sedge mats, mudee silk and cotton fabrics. They use sedge grass to weave mats, bags, napkin holders and other bric-a-brac, and one place where their expertise can be admired is at a village called Ban Phaeng in Kosum Phisai district of the province.Sedge grass is found in abundance in the marshes around this village of 100-plus inhabitants. After it grows to a height of three to four feet it is harvested, while the stalk is still green. Only the outer layer of the stem is use for making mats. Using a precision knife, the skin covering the stem is cut into fine long strips while the pith is discarded. The strips are then sun-dried, making sure that they don’t get exposed to moisture, for that would turn them black. When the strips have dried, producing a yellowish-green hue, they are boiled in a large container and put out to dry again. The dried strips are then tied into bundles and immersed in water for three to four days, by which time each dried strip swells up three or four times its original size. After yet another spell under the sun begins the tediously slow process of weaving the sedge strips into mat on a floor loom. After completion the mat is left to dry in the sun, after which it is polished.
Also in the same district is another village famous for its Isan-style trousers, shirts, scarves, skirts and tube skirts made of mudmee silk and cotton fabrics. The village, Ban Nong Khuean Chang, in Thasongkon sub-district also has a handicraft centre.
Capping our tour of Maha Sarakham, we visited the Isan Arts and Culture Research Institute in Muang district of the province. The exhibits on show give you an idea of what makes Isan stand out from the rest of Thailand.
Worth checking up is history of the region’s weaving industry, development of local fabrics, woodwork, basketry and metalwork.
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Khon Kaen is the administrative, educational and commercial hub that travellers use as a springboard to other parts in the Isan region. Its numerous attractions include archaeological and natural wonders, ancient temples and villages noted for their delicately handwoven mudmee silk and dresses.
Maha Sarakham, bordering Khon Kaen, is also referred to as the Buddhist heart of Isan because a large collection of religious and archeological artifacts have been unearthed in the province. Popular souvenirs here include sedge mats, mudmee silk and cotton dresses.
Look up the Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT)'s “Check-in I-San” campaign for tour packages, or ring its call centre at 1672 and 02-652-0777 to 80.
Aunty Bua from Kalasin Province drops 10 baht into the slot to read what the stars have to say about her. She always brings her family and relatives to this stupa so that they can all pray together for luck.
From the upper floors, you get a better view of the prayer hall of Phra That Kaen Nakhon. The carvings depict the life and reincarnations of Lord Buddha and various religious rites. Another interesting aspect of this stupa are the murals highlighting the history of Khon Kaen.
Khon Kaen’s community life is well documented in this mural which offers a glimpse of life today in the remote villages of the Northeast.
Wat Sa Thong’s centuries-old ordination hall might be small but it is a glowing example of temple restoration, carried out by local communities using grassroots wisdom. Built in 1832 just around the time Ban Bua was founded, its outer walls are adorned with colourful murals and glass. The state in which you see it here is no small tribute to communities in the vicinity that took great pains preserving the ornamentation, such that it looks as good as new today.
The single storey facade supports images typical of Isan . With only some support coming by way of the Fine Arts Department the residents of Ban Bua village took it upon themselves to restore the temple, and much to their credit proceeded to finish it off in style.
This Buddha image is revered by one and all. While the ordination hall of Wat Sa Thong is no longer used for the purpose it was originally built, the plain brick and lime plaster edifice enshrines this sandstone Buddha image believed to be over 200 years old.
Visitors ride a farm truck to Ban Phaeng, a village famous for its sedge mats and friendly people. Ban Phaeng is 45 minutes drive from downtown Khon Kaen. Its residents cultivate sedge to supplement their meagre income by weaving mats noted for their unique patterns and other products.
She might be closing 70 but Grandma Prateep is still energetic, walking a few kilometres everyday to harvest sedge grass which her family uses to make table mats.
One of many homes that use their outer porch to sun-dry beautifully patterned mats, like this one. The mats they make are high quality, popular souvenir items that tourists buy back home.
A mother and daughter welcoming visitors to their home. Touring Ban Phaeng we saw a large number of elderly folks working at a leisurely pace, going through various stages of sedge-mat making, which is a delicate, time consuming process demanding patience and excellent craftsmanship.
Hard working women putting the final touches to a long sedge mat. Most families are able to send their children through college with the extra income they earn making mats and other items.
Adorned with beautiful Isan mudmee pattern, the fabric is a result of hard work. Starting with the feeding of silkworms to the boiling of cocoons to extract silk, we observed the complete process of spinning and dyeing silk right until it was spun into fabric, ready for tailoring.
Most women keep weaving until they’re well into their 70s, though the younger generation is not all that keen in keeping up with tradition, says this elderly woman.
Ancient inscription, one of the items showcased at the Isan Arts and Culture Research Institute.
Isan homes were traditionally built from wood sourced from forest nearby, their floors raised two to three metres from the ground. To this day most Isan people reside in villages located on high ground surrounded by rich fields.
*‘*Jim Joom’ is a traditional Isan hotpot best enjoyed in the company of friends. The soup is a mixed bag of herbs and condiments.
A spirit house with artifacts excavated from sites around Maha Sarakham.
Aim Aod Restaurant in Muang district of Khon Kaen is famous for its homemade sausages.
*Bron: Bangkok Post / www.bangkokpost.com *