BANGKOK, March 16 (TNA) – Wat Bowonniwet Vihara, March 16 – Officials of many organizations are working at full speed to prepare the funeral of Somdet Phra Wannarat, the abbot of Wat Bowonniwet Vihara, who died of cancer at the age of 85 yesterday.
The body of the revered abbot will be brought to the famous Buddhist temple at 9am tomorrow. Today, police and officials from the Royal Ceremonial Affairs Division of the Bureau of the Royal Household and the Phra Nakhon district office were arranging areas for the funeral at the temple. Monks, novices and people will be allowed to attend the bathing ceremony.
Somdet Phra Wannarat who was also a Sangha Supreme Councilor died of gallbladder cancer at King Chulalongkorn Memorial Hospital at 2.22pm on March 15.
He was born in Trat province on Sept 17, 1936, with his layman’s name, Jun.
On Nov 15, 2008, Somdet Phra Wannarat led the funeral procession of Her Royal Highness Princess Galyani Vadhana from the Dusit Maha Prasat Throne Hall to the Sanam Luang royal ground.
He was responsible for verifying the Thai lunar calendar. The Sangha Supreme Council assigned him the task to which very few people are qualified nowadays. (TNA)
