District Chief Joins Ancient Banana-Burning Rite at New Crematorium
Phra Plat Chonthi Akkaweero led the opening of a new crematorium at Wat Samnak Kro in Tha Maka District, featuring an ancient ritual in which a banana trunk was carved to resemble a 109‑year‑old man. The ceremony, attended by monks, officials, and locals, included three nights of merit‑making and chanting before the cremation, symbolizing the expulsion of misfortune and the hope for communal prosperity.
The ceremony took place at Wat Samnak Kro, Takhram Yen Subdistrict, Tha Maka District, Kanchanaburi Province, under the patronage of Phra Raj Wisuttaphorn, deputy monk‑chief of Kanchanaburi and abbot of Wat Pra Thae Dong Rang Worawihan, who presided over the monastic side, and Orathai Wongwacharamongkon, Tha Maka District Chief, who presided over the lay side. Also present were Samruay Inthrananisa, president of the Takhram Yen Subdistrict Administrative Organization, village heads, community leaders, and Buddhists.
The highlight was the ‘burning banana’ ritual: a banana trunk was carved and shaped to look like a human figure, then portrayed as an elderly man aged 109, given the name ‘Grandfather Banana Prosperity’. A fictitious biography was created, stating he was born in Buddhist year 2460 and died in 2569. The proceedings followed a traditional funeral format — placing the effigy in a coffin, chanting abstentions, and culminating in the cremation on the day the new crematorium opened.
According to local lore, burning a banana trunk when opening a new crematorium symbolically drives away misfortune, sorrow, and bad luck, ushering in auspicious beginnings. The name ‘Prosperity’ expresses the hope that participants and the community will enjoy wealth and growth. Visitors showed interest in the story, sharing personal beliefs linked to the fictitious ages and dates, though organizers stressed that any luck attributed to the rite is purely a matter of faith.
Besides opening the new crematorium, Wat Samnak Kro also inaugurated a Dharma hall built through villager donations, to be used for religious rites and merit‑making for the deceased. Phra Plat Chonthi Akkaweero, together with the monastic committee, temple board, and lay supporters, oversees the hall and welcomes worshippers.
The event thus served not only to observe an ancient custom but also to showcase the temple‑community relationship and the joint effort of government and residents to preserve local culture. The tale of the 109‑year‑old banana man reminds everyone of life’s impermanence — no matter how long one lives or how much wealth one accumulates, change is inevitable. What truly endures is goodness, generosity, and unity that benefit the whole community.
The opening of Wat Samnak Kro’s new crematorium therefore stands as a living expression of faith that links tradition, belief, and daily life, transmitting cultural values from one generation to the next for the benefit of Thai society.
