“Ram Phat Cha” (รำพัดชา), the Trace of Indian Dance in the Siamese Royal Elephant Sacred Ceremony

บทคัดย่อ

The sacred "Phat Cha" or "Ram Phat Cha" (รำพัดชา), is the most important part of the “Phraratchaphiti thot chuak-dam chuak” (พระราชพิธีทอดเชือกดามเชือก), or royal elephant ropes inspection ceremony. This ceremony is part of the elephant handling section "Gajakarma"^[1] (คชกรรม) of the "Phraratchaphithi khot-cha-kam" (พระราชพิธีคชกรรม), or royal elephant ceremony. Gajakarma is the art of handling the royal elephants, as commissioned by the Siamese royal court. This art was passed down through a lineage traceable for more than a millennium back to the Indian "Vaishnavist" Brahmins. These Brahmins, who came to "Suvarnabhumi" (สุวรรณภูมิ), or Indo-China region of Asia, through the ancient Khmer empire, and then to the kingdom of Siam, which is present day Thailand.

          Unfortunately, this cultural heritage is now lost, as there is no living inheritor, nor does a complete record of the dance remain.

          Nevertheless, the only remaining document which vaguely describes the dance, as written by the late Arkom Sayakom, the National Artist of Thailand. From these descriptions, a comparative dance experiment was conducted by the author and Awassada Klinsukhon. The record shows that the dance is similar to classical Indian dance, particularly the "Bharatnatyam." Consistent with the Indian classical dance tradition, the dance is part of a narrative, the legend of “Phra Na-rai Prap Chang Ekadanta" (พระนารายณ์ปราบช้างเอกทันต์). This legend tells how the Hindu God "Vishnu" subdued the elephant, "Ekadanta". This unique version of Vishnu as an "avatar" (อวตาร), a manifestation of God, appears only in Siam and Suvarnabhumi. As one of the oldest performing arts in Suvarnabhumi, inherited from Indian settlers, the phat cha dance is an important cultural heritage. It should be preserved consistent with H.M. King Maha Vajiralongkorn Rama X's royal decree to "preserve, inherit, and add value." Its historical, aesthetic, spiritual, and scientific aspects should be carefully examined. The author hopes to encourage scholars in related fields to study the dance, not to reinstate the ritual formally but to revitalise it as part of Thai cultural heritage. 

^[1] Gajakarma refers to the Thai word “คชกรรรม” (Kot-cha-kam): It was romanised based on the Sanskrit language; Gaja means an elephant and karma means deed or work.