Show Jatukam-Ramtep

Jatukam Ramathep BundanChok 2546

Jatukam Ramathep Perdfa Perdsawan Terdtiongrachun

San Phra Phrom or Erawan Shrine

San Phra Phrom or Erawan Shrine was created as a spirit house connected to the Erawan Hotel, which has now made way for the Grand Hyatt Erawan Hotel. The forces of the typical Thai spirit house didn't seem effective enough during the building of the hotel, so spiritual persons advised that it should be replaced with the four-headed image of Brahma or Phra Phrom in Thai. There have been no further hitches since then, and the shrine has became famous for bringing good fortune. The name Erawan comes from Brahma's thirty-three headed elephant.

People offer colourful flower garlands, lotus, incense and candles. Often, if a wish has been granted, people thank the spirits by donating teak elephants or commissioning the classical Thai dancers and live orchestra.


The Brahma History: According to the bible of the Brahma religion there are three gods each possessing differing moral principles, greatness, and miracles. The three gods are directly responsible for human welfare; they are collectively called "Tree Murati" and consists of Vishnu,Siva, and Brahma. Brahma is believed to be the Creator of all things of the world. He is the "Sayampoo" meaning one who originates himself. He is cool-tempered and possess the highest moral principles. He is full of kindness, mercy, sympathy, and impartiality. These four precepts comprise the "Conscientious Behaviour" corresponding to Buddhist teaching which instructs Buddhist of the four Dharma. Besides creating the world, Brahma also creates heaven and human beings.

The origin of Brahma is a rather complicated story because each legend has its own version. Some say that Brahma originated inside a golden egg; some say that He originated inside a lotus sprouting up from Vishnu's navel while the latter was sleeping on the back of the Naga King at Kasean Ocean; some say that Brahma is the split-up person of Vishnu at the time he was to create the world. Brahma has a red torso; is four-headed or four-faced. However, according to one Hindu book initially Brahma has five faces but He once enraged Siva by making an insulting speech. Siva, using miracle, opened his third eye (Siva has three eyes; Whenever his third eye opens, an event of great magnitude is bound to happen) and started at the first head of Brahma and thus flamed it to tiny particles. That is why Brahma has only four faces. Brahma has four hands (some say eight); one hand carries a walking stick, one carries two spoons, another carries a pot, and the last one carries a bible. A bead string hangs from His neck. He is armed with a bow called Paraweeta and has a hansa (a while horse in the version of the Lama sect story) as the beast of burden. The abode of Brahma is called Brohmbharuenatha situated that the Brahma abode is higher than heaven and Brahma is divided into many types viz Material Brahma and Non-material Brahma. The Material Brahma has 16 levels. The 16 levels Brahma has only men and no women. The Brahma himself sits forever still.

The Non-material Brahma is even higher. It has no matter but has only mind. There are all together 4 levels. Those who are to be born to be Brahma must have practised basic meditation from Primary Chaan till Panjama Chaan. Who is to live in which Brahma level depends on his/her Chaan practised in each activity.

The Brahma wife is Sarasawadee who has created by Brahma himself. Brahma has good disposition: cool-tempered and gives blessing to whoever asks for it. He is full of the four Dharma viz kindness, mercy, sympathy, and impartiality and extends his benevolence to all animals. At the time the Lord Buddha rose to heaven to preach his mother who lived in the second level heaven, it was Indra and Brahma wife is held by brahmins as the goddess of the intellect and technical matters. She is the mother of Phravet and invented the Thevanakree alphabets. Sarasawadeeis a beautiful woman with soft-white torso. She has four hands: on her right she carries a bouquet for worshipping Brahma in one hand and a palm-leaved bible in another, on her left is a pearl necklace called Sivamala in one hand and a harp in another. She is usually enthroned on a lotus dais or a peacock back and sometimes uses the hansa as her beast of burden.

Brahma together with Sarasawadee helped create everything on this earth and Sarasawadee was the creator of the Thevanakree alphabets and Sanskrit language. She also loves and supports the Arts and Sciences.
http://www.thailandguidebook.com/erawanshrine.html

Jatukham - Ramathep and Tourism Industry of Nakhon Si Thammarat

he trend of "Jatukham-Ramathep" is the new occurrence of Thai society. Though the definition and meaning of Jatukham-Ramathep are still puzzled and lure to find out the answer. Many chronicles and theories have been trying to sort out the solution but still there is no conclusion for the case. Some said thatJatukham-Ramathep are the protecting Theva of Nakhon Si Thammarat, some said Jatukham-Ramathep are the gods of war in Hindu and are the sons of Siva that Tamil people have been respecting for thousand years. Some also said thatJatukham-Ramathep are King Jantharapanu who declared independence of Nakhon Si Thammarat from both Lawo and Srivichaya realms.

However, Nakhon Si Thammarat that is known as the source of Jatukham-Ramathep is promptly flourishing. All roads are heading to Nakhon Si Thammarat unceasingly. It is also believed that the genuine Jatukham-Ramathep medals must get through the virtue functions of Buddhist and Deva at Wat Phra Mahathat Woramahawihara and the City Shrine. Such trend makes tourists and believers from all four peninsulas everyday until Nakhon Si Thammarat becomes surprisingly agile and colorful. Flights to Nakhon Si Thammarat are increased in response to the unceasing number of tourists. According to the trend, hotels, restaurants, souvenirs shops, photo shops, publishers, frame shops, as well as herbal grounding shops are taking advantages of it. It can be said that the trend ofJatukham-Ramathep has been over turning tourist situation of Nakhon Si Thammarat to be unexpectedly thrived. The stories and believes about Jatukham-Ramathep are varied as same as variety models of Jatukham-Ramathep that have been made. Only sharing the same practice of worshiping the Jatukham-Ramathep , must behave itself to be in complete Five Precepts, Moral Fears, and working with full effort for the success. In response to thetrand, Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) produced the Aor Sor Thor magazine, May 2007 issue, introduced the civilization of Nakhon Si Thammarat and tour programs introducing connecting routes in between responsible areas of TAT Southern Office Region 2 with the intentions to provide earnings to locals and extend length of tourist stays.
http://www.tat.or.th/south02/hotnewsdet.asp?id=304&dept_id=4

จตุคาม รามเทพ รุ่นแรก ปี 30 เนื้อขาว ปัดเงิน - 2530 (1987) Jatukam first model (white, silver gliding)

1987 Jatukam first model (white, silver gliding) จตุคาม รามเทพ รุ่นแรก ปี 2530 เนื้อขาว ปัดเงิน

Photo from: Mr. Somkid Tantrakul คุณสมคิด ตันตระกูล

http://classified.sanook.com/collectible/item.php?id=2483623

A revered monk who had the ear of the people

The death on Wednesday of 96-year-old Phra Panyanandha Bhikkhu, one of Thailand's most revered monks, reminded me of a recent incident.


About two weeks ago I had a brief conversation with the coffee shop manager near my office. She told me she had just received a Jatukham Ramathep amulet. But she was not very excited about it.


"How did you get it?" I asked curiously.


"Well, I went to place an order for one at a booth over there. The guy told me, 'Just bring me a cup of ice tea and you may take this Jatukham in exchange'," she said.


What a big fall from grace for the Jatukham amulet after all the craze and rumours over the past two years about its miracle ability to create instant supernatural power. Some of them used to sell for several hundred thousand baht, others tens of thousands of baht. Now, apparently, one is worth the price of a cup of tea.


Throughout his long and active life in the monk-hood, Phra Panyanandha witnessed, and fought against, all kinds of claims about supernatural powers, sacred amulets, auspicious stars, spirit houses and fortune-telling. Although he could not remove all the ignorance and the superstitious beliefs from Thai society, he helped revive wisdom among millions of Thais through his basic Dhamma teaching.


Unlike his mentor the late Phra Buddhadhas Bhikkhu, who focused on Dhamma teaching at the metaphysical level, Phra Panyanandha sought to educate common Thais about Buddhism at a community level through his oral teaching. He used easy language and his exceptional wit to both edify and enliven his audience.


Phra Buddhadhas, who passed away in 1993, was a reformist who interpreted Buddhism in its strictest and purest form. He studied thoroughly the Pali text of the Buddhist canon, the Tripitaka, and based his Buddhist teaching on its real essence. He advised Phra Panyanandha to follow suit by studying Pali and approaching the Buddhist canon in its original text.


While Phra Buddhadhas taught Buddhism at the highest level, Phra Panyanandha elected to focus on Buddhism as a community service. One needs to rely on the highest wisdom to understand Phra Buddhadhas's metaphysical teaching. But Phra Panyanandha's teaching was always straight to the point, easy to understand and never ambiguous.


He was the first monk to break the tradition of preaching on an elevated chair. He preferred to stand on a bench to preach before his audience and get closer to them.


Traditionally, a sermon is conducted with rich rituals. A monk will climb up to sit on a huge, beautifully crafted chair, which looks like a throne. He will hold a leaf, on which Buddhist texts are written, with both hands. A Thai orchestra will perform an overture. Before the real sermon takes place, a leader from the audience will say a prayer in Pali. Then the monk will start his sermon, beginning with several phrases or sentences in Pali. The monk will not hesitate to use a lot of difficult Pali words during the sermon.


Phra Panyanandha did away with all of this ritual. During the early period of his monkhood in Nakhon Si Thammarat, he organised a sermon behind the railway station there. He stood on a bench, dispensed with special rituals and spoke out loud to his audience in the ordinary language that they immediately understood. He continued this style of preaching and he quickly gained fame.


Phra Buddhadhas and Phra Panyanandha were not interested in rituals or traditional practices associated with Buddhism. They went right to the heart of Buddhism, interpreted the original text in its pure form and practised the Buddha's teaching with the highest discipline.


Phra Panyanandha had a unique style of preaching that at times offended some of his audience. When he preached to a village where there were a lot of owners of fighting bulls, he said: "They look after the bulls much better than they take care of their parents. They take the bulls for a bath and give them everything. But to their parents they never give anything at all."


Some of his audience was offended. They felt that Phra Panyanandha had lambasted them and did not spare their face. Yet Phra Panyanandha preached in line with Buddhism, which teaches people to look after their parents.


Phra Panyanandha's aim was not to lead Thais to redemption or nirvana. That would be too ambitious as well as impractical. While Phra Buddhadhas spoke to the learned, Phra Panyanandha spoke to the common people. Throughout his life he concentrated on restoring peace to society through the Buddha's teaching and correcting misunderstanding about Buddhism. Most important of all, he wanted to eradicate ignorance and superstition among Thais.


For this reason, Phra Panyanandha was a popular monk, who aimed for community service. His death has left a big vacuum in Buddhism in Thai society as Thais appear to be moving away from the essence of Buddhism to embrace superstitious beliefs and icons they believe will provide them with a quick fix to their present problems.





Thanong Khanthong


The Nation

Unlucky charms : Temples in debt as craze for Jatukham amulets fades

Waning public enthusiasm for Jatukham Rammathep amulets has left many Chiang Mai temples in deep financial trouble.

Sales of the talismans are too small to cover what temples spent to have them made.

Some temples have incurred debts in the millions of baht after they borrowed to produce the amulets, unaware their popularity would slump so soon.

Their predicament prompted the Chiang Mai Buddhism Office to organise a fair just for local temples to sell their amulets and earn money to repay their debts.

The one-week amulet bazaar opened last Friday at Lokmolee Temple in Chiang Mai's Muang district with more than 20 temples putting up stalls.

Abbot of Wat Phratat Doikoeng, Luangpor Boonsri, said his temple borrowed Bt5 million to make 200,000 amulets in August. It has sold just 1,000.

Before joining the amulet fair, the temple sought help from private sellers to market the talismans, he said.

"I have talked to abbots of other temples and they have the same problem. Some of them have debts of up to Bt10 million each," he said.

Phra Narin Khampipanyo of Wat Sanpaliang said it spent Bt2.5 million on making amulets five months ago.

Sales were especially good to start with. "But volume suddenly dropped as many other temples had amulets, too. Now the temple is more than Bt1 million in debt," he said.

Phra Narin said the Jatukham fair did not help boost sales. "We pay Bt4,000 a day to rent a stall but today we have sold five and made Bt500," he said.

The Nation

Jatukam/Chatukam Amulet

I observed that Chatukam/Jatukam Amulet is a big hit in Malaysia right now. The are many people that have obtain this amulet.

Personally I didn’t have any of this amulet and don’t know much about it, however, here is some information from the web about the Jatukarm:

Once upon a time, many centuries ago (about 1700 years ago), it was a time of war and trouble. There lived a king and his princes. The elder prince named Jatukam and the other named Ramathep. After many years of war, the King finally conquered and managed to secure Sri Lanka into part of his Kingdom. There was a saying that the King possessed a sacred treasure, this was none other than the Holy relics of Lord Buddha. Before the King began his journey to the newly conquered land, he tasked the protection of the Relics to his two princes. And ordered them to guard it with their lives.

Some time later, the princes received information of plan by the enemy to capture the Relics. They immediately informed the King in Sri Lanka. The King instruction was to quickly bring the Relics via sea and head to Sri Lanka. Halfway through the journey, a thunderstorm stroke and their ships were sunken. Except the two princes, the rest of the crews did not survive.

The two princes were washed ashore, but well. Without the sea transport, they could no longer bring the Relics to Sri Lanka. They started praying sincerely to the Relics “Dear Enlighten One! If this land we step upon is a holy piece of land, then please guide us let us live a new life here. With our people, we shall guard and protected your Relics forever.”

Later the two princes built a temple on this holy land and with much hardwork, they also establish a wealthy and strong city. They brought new hope and peace to all the people. In remembrance to the great deeds by the two princes, they named this place Nakon Si Thammarat in their honour. This is now located at Southern of Thailand at present time. The temple that the two princes built for the Relics is Wat Mahathat, as it is known now.

Ever since then, after a few century, many people had travelled to Wat Mahathat to locate the Relics that were buried by the princes. Finally, they found a stone craving and the Relics buried at the Wat. The stories of the two princes were found engraved on this stone.

The two princes had done many great deeds and the greatest is by erecting the temple to house the Relics. And they promised to guard the Relics with their lives. They had earned respect from both the heavenly and earthly beings. Later, the people combined the two princes into one and named Tao Jatukam Ramathep, when praying to him. Tao Jatukam Ramathep becomes one of the most respected and popular deity in the South of Thailand. In olden days, Tao was used to address the noble one. It is believed that those that pray to Tao Jatukam Ramathep will be blessed with fulfilling life and better in all aspects in everyday work.

In Malaysia, there are many place that someone can get the Jatukam amulet. One of the place is the Chetawan Temple . I went there and saw there are some that avaiable… If anyone like to have a look, you may try to go there.

Here is some photo of the Chatukam that I take during the visit:









http://malaysia.mycheaptravelguides.com/jatukamchatukam-amulet/

Jatukam LuakMeung MahaMongkon 2550

This batch is called Jatukam roon Luak Meung MahaMongkon 2550. This is one of the most stunning Jatukam amulets created in year 2550. This is from Wat Pra Boromatat in Narkon SiTamarrat. The creator for this batch is Mr. Nasan Puntarukrachdech son of Khun Phan. The batch of Jatukam had gone thru 16 times of Chanting Ceremony. One of the ingrediant for this batch is the sacred powder from famous Burana LuakMeung 2547. A worth collection.

The Legend Of Luang Poh To In Thailand

By Jared Lee
The Legend of Luang Poh To is about three images of Buddha. It was said that a thousand years ago three statues appeared floating on the Bang Pakong river. Though the statues were called three brothers, it is believed that they were not made by mere mortals. No one knew the origins of the statues.

The local people tried to stop the statues and get them ashore but they failed in their attempts. The largest of the three statues floated down the river to the sea, where he followed the upper coastline of the Gulf of Siam, finishing his journey in the Mae Klong River at Samut Songkhram. In Samut Songkhram, the local people invited the statue to come ashore and dwell in the temple of Wat Ban Laem. The statue accepted the invitation and came ashore.

The second statue followed a similar path like the first statue but it floated up the Chao Phraya river towards Bangkok. The second brother floated past Bangkok and then along Klong Bang Phli. The first temple along the canal was Wat Nam Daeng, also known as Red Thorn Temple. The local villagers tried to get the statue to enter the temple. They used all possible means of persuasion. They worshipped the second brother and lit joss sticks but the statue did not stop and continued on its way. The villagers were completely powerless to stop the statue.

The second brother then reach Wat Bang Phli Yai, the next temple along the canal. The locals immediately started worshipping him and they used a sacred white thread to draw the statue to the shore. This time the villagers were successful and the second brother was housed in Wat Bang Phli Yai and it is known as Luang Por Tor.

The third statue came to rest on the banks of Bang Pakong river in exactly the same spot where the Wat Sothorn now stands. Legend has it that the locals initially tried to persuade the third brother to come ashore but failed in their attempts. So, they worshiped him and used the sacred thread to pull him ashore. Now, the third brother is housed in Wat Sothorn.

http://www.thailandbuddy.com/

Blooming with imagination

Armed with her Jatukam amulet, Arianna Caroli travels around the world capturing blossoms and angels on her canvasses. This month, she's sharing them at Central Chidlom
is no stranger to Thailand, but this time she's not in the Land of Smiles for a vacation.


The New York-based Italian artist will be showing her latest creations at Central department store's Chidlom branch from October 19 to 23 as part of the chain's 60th anniversary celebrations. She'll also be taking part in a live painting show from October 19 to 21, inviting shoppers to watch her canvases come alive with colour.


The Orvieto-born Caroli, who divides her time between New York and Florida, has always been fascinated by the spirit and the art of the East, attracted by its elegance, exoticism, sensuality and mysticism. Long sojourns in Thailand, Bali, Laos, Burma, Cambodia and India, along with periods spent in Europe and the US, have made her a citizen of the world. Her paintings combine eastern mysticism with western expression.


Her work is represented in the public collection of Babson College in Wellesley, Massachusetts and the Museum of XXI Century Art in St Petersburg, Florida, as well as in private collections of prominent people like Ronald Lauder, Summer Redstone and Ralph Lauren.


But Caroli has worked hard for her success.


"I've been painting since I was 13. I had to fight to make it my career because when I told my family I wanted to be an artist, they said okay … that's a hobby. How can you earn a living?" she recalls.


Caroli compromised, graduated from the University of Rome with a doctorate in Ancient Literature and Archaeology, before completing her art studies at Sotheby's Institute of Art in London, the New York Studio School, the Art Students League of New York and with master iconographer Vladislav Andrejev.


"Everything I've studied has proved to be very important. It makes me to look at things with different eyes.


"Recently, I launched my first book about my life and work entitled 'On the Way - In Cammio'. The book is dedicated to my family and friends. I thought they were making my life difficult, but in fact they forced me to learn about faith, determination and courage and perseverance. I have to thank them."


Though many of Caroli's paintings feature angels, offering movement, colour, light and beauty, it's her depiction of flowers that hold the viewer's attention.


"The reason I paint flowers is because they are between human creations and divine work. They come out of the darkness of the earth and go toward the light. They are nourished by the sun and the earth. It's like black and white, yin and yang.


"A flower itself is a work of art and it's a big challenge to paint one. I also believe that a flower has healing power and amazing energy. So, I try to share and give back that energy through my paintings."


Caroli enjoys sharing her inspiration and imagination with people, especially underprivileged children. Her luggage is always overweight when she travels, as she stuffs her suitcases with canvases, colours and papers, "the materials children need for their imaginations to travel", she explains.


She spends a few months each year on the road and is particularly attracted to the Buddhist nations of Southeast and East Asia. She learned about Buddhism as a 20-year-old while practising yoga.


"The Eastern philosophy opened up a different world to me. As a Catholic, I was raised to think that life is about suffering and you have to be punished. Then you come to the other side of the world and they say life is joy; life is here and now.


"I learned that the past didn't exist anymore, nor did the future. The only thing we have is the here and now ... that nothing is sure and nothing is forever. Everything changes," says Caroli, who has taken to wearing a Jatukam Ramathep amulet that she was given during a Songkran visit to Nakhon Si Thammarat.


She says she was unaware at the time of the supernatural powers associated with the amulet, but later read that a man had credited his survival in an accident to the talisman. She also wears a smaller Somdej Wat Rakhang amulet.


"I believe the amulets will protect me," she smiles.

Tanaporn Tangcharoenmankong


The Nation

Jatukham Ramathep: Buddhist Amulets?

All over Thailand there’s a craze going on surrounding amulets called Jatukham Ramathep (one is pictured above). These lucky charms are rather large, cumbersome looking objects seen dangling in front of the wearer’s chest, apparently as some kind of display of the protective power that these things are believed to posses. At the school in which I work here in Ubon Ratchathani, both pupils and teachers exhibit their Jatukham Ramathep talismans over their uniforms for all to see. I’m sure that if you live in Thailand and mix with Thais on a daily basis, you’ll have seen these amulets – I even know Westerners that wear them: perhaps you’re wearing one as you read this!

But what are the origins of these extremely popular idols? Well, the original Jatukham Ramathep amulets were made back in 1987 by a Thai policeman who believed that the spirit of the same name had assisted him in solving a difficult case he was investigating. In 2006, after the policeman’s death, the amulets began to become wildly popular amongst Thais who believed that they granted good fortune and solved the wearer’s problems. Today, the amulets will generally sell for anything between 200 Baht for a basic version to 1, 000 Baht for limited editions, but the highest price paid for one has been reported at 1.2 million Baht!

So, who or what is this Jatukham Ramathep that allegedly bestows such magical power? Well, nobody’s exactly sure! Two theories are that Jatukham Ramathep is a fusion of the names of two ancient princes from Southern Thailand, or that it’s an alternative name of the Mahayana Buddhist deity Avalokiteshvara. (The significance of the latter is that Thai Buddhism is of the Theravada school, not part of the Mahayana movement, and therefore does not recognize Avalokiteshvara.)

Whatever the genesis of these amulets, the fact remains that they are very popular nowadays: so popular that there was a stampede when some people attempted to reserve talismans in the South of the country where they are produced and blessed, killing one woman. (She obviously wasn’t on Jatukham Ramathep’s friendship list!) A similar story in the news related to a driver of a Mercedes that thought he might be invincible due to the supposed protection of the Jatukham Ramathep talisman that he was wearing. Apparently, he tried to get across a level crossing while a train approached, but the magical power of the train must have been stronger – the guy was crushed to death!

As you might have guessed by now, I’m pretty skeptical about the efficacy of these things: you’re right! It’s not just my cynical Western upbringing that’s to blame for this lack of faith, nor such (amusing?!) stories as the two cited above. It’s the fact that as a Theravada Buddhist, I know that the Buddha taught against the superstitious use of such objects. I also know that roughly 95% of all Thais are said to be Buddhist, but that doesn’t seem to translate into all of them following the guidance of the Awakened One. (Most Thais that I know drink alcohol for instance, despite the fact that the fifth precept that Buddhists undertake is to refrain from drink and drugs.)

In the upasakadhamma, a set of five qualities that all Buddhists should aspire to, the use of amulets and lucky charms is discouraged, with the belief in (and comprehension of) kamma (action) and the results of action being encouraged instead. Buddhism, despite what one might think observing popular religion in Thailand, is not superstitious or fanciful in nature. But the use of Jatukham Rammathep amulets and their like distract their users away from the true teachings of the Buddha, and lead to an increase in worldly delusion rather than its ending as promoted in the Buddha Dhamma (Buddhist Teachings).
http://forestwisdom.thaipulse.com/2007/07/buddhist-amulets.html

Thailand’s Jatukam Rammathep amulet craze

Fads are everywhere in Thailand. Remember Mr Bun and Roti Boy? (Does anybody still eat at those places?) You’d be forgiven for thinking that Thailand was a country full of people wearing replica Olympic medals. Everybody seems to have these great big medallions – a sort of combination between Mr T and Derek Trotter. These medallions are, of course, Thailand’s bizarrely popular Jatukam Rammathep amulets.

The idea is that these things bring you luck. They come in different flavours: money, work, love – whatever you want, there’s a Jatukam out there for it. I’m always keen to try new things, so I bought my own Jatukam Amulet. Actually, I got a friend of a friend to buy me one.

The cost for eternal good fortune? A mere 500 baht, which I’m told is cheap for Jatukam Amulets. I decided against wearing my Jatukam as a medallion and instead keep it in its little plastic container. Although it wasn’t my choice, my amulet will apparently bring me great wealth. I’ve been putting it to the test and carrying the Jatukam with me everywhere I go. So far, no good luck.

Jatukam Rammathep amulets are sold across Thailand. The story goes that a Thai policeman received some guidance from Jatukam Rammathep in solving a murder case 20 years ago. When the policeman died last year, the Jatukam craze began.

The amulet originate from Nakhon Sri Thammarat, which is where mine comes from, although now you can buy them almost anywhere now. The Jatukam I have was blessed three times by monks. If I don’t get rich by the end of the year then those monks will have some explaining to do.

You may be wondering who Jatukam Rammathep is. According to The Nation, it’s actually two people:

Jatukam Rammathep is two people, not one. The names are the aliases of brother princes Inthara Sairen and Inthara Khao Kheo, sons of King Jantharaphanu, who ruled the Sri Thammasoke realm, the capital of the Krung Srivijaya Kingdom (757-1257) in southern Thailand, after his father who founded it.

The first Jatukam amulets cost just 39 baht. How times have changed, with some amulets fetching more than a million baht now. It’s such a strange trend because it really has nothing to do with religion; it’s entirely superstitious. It’s not even Buddhist, and yet these amulets are sold by Buddhist monks. Jatukam Rammathep is a Hindu character.

Most of the people wearing these amulets are not Hindu. Having an amulet is like owning a rabbit’s foot or a four-leaf clover. I never had a lucky charm as a child except for a compass that I broke and then lost.

Time to make up for lost time.
http://whatismatt.com/thailands-jatukam-rammathep-amulet-craze/

Jatukam Ramathep Amulets

A man uses a magnifying glass to inspect a plasticine "Jatukam Ramathep" amulet at a Bangkok market June 28, 2007. A craze for plasticine amulets that promise to make their owners "Super Rich" or "Rich without Reason" is sweeping across Thailand to the dismay of traditionalists in the predominantly Buddhist nation. Picture taken June 28, 2007. REUTERS/Sukree Sukplang (THAILAND)


A Thai monk uses a magnifying glass to inspect a plasticine 'Jatukam Ramathep' amulet at a Bangkok market June 28, 2007. (Sukree Sukplang/Reuters)
http://www.thaiphotoblogs.com/index.php?blog=5&title=jatukam_ramathep_amulets&more=1&c=1&tb=1&pb=1

Jatukam 2530 (จตุคาม 2530)

Jatukam Rama Thep (year 2530)






Photo from: Mr. AAR (somsap@hutch.co.th)

http://www.212cafe.com/freewebboard/view.php?user=banphra2&id=326

1 Million Baht house robbery in Nongprue.

Police Lieutenant Choosak from Banglamung Police Station was called to house number 49 in Soi Nong Hin in Nongprue in the early hours of Friday Morning after a robbery at the house was reported. Police were met by Khun Sompop aged 42, the house owner, who explained that Buddhist Amulet’s known in Thai as “Jatukum” were stolen along with a DVD Player. The stolen Amulet’s included a number from 1979 which are considered as extremely valuable. The estimated value of the stolen items is over 1 Million Baht. The point of entry for the thief or thieves was a ground floor window. No prints were found and no witnesses came forward. Police are now on the lookout for anyone selling these valuable items.





http://www.pattayacitynews.net/news_01_06_50_3.htm

Jatukam and other amulets

Jatukam are a relatively new amulet to Thailand. They are, first and foremost protection amulets, secondly they are wealth amulets. They were first created in 1987 in Nakhon Si Thammarat, a province in the south. Jatukam's were originally introduced to raise money for a Chedi and the smaller buildings which surround it in Jokjakarta, Indonesia. (Nakhon was the spiritual centre of an ancient realm of 9,000km2 that included India and Indonesia). The Jatukam include at least two of three depictions, one is the monkey type figures (Rao Hu), second is the Ramathep figure, and third is the monkey with face covered by his hands (less popular). The Jatukam pictured is a Chedi Rai (pronounced Jay-dee-rai). It is instantly recognisable, even to people with very limited knowledge of JTK. It was designed in Thai year 2530 (1987). For more complete information, check my Nakhorn Si Thammarat page travelogue. *** I have just returned to Phuket after being away for 3 months. You would not believe the change! When I bought my first Jatukam piece in January for 20,000 baht, only a few Thai people were wearing them. Now, my main Jatukam piece is worth about 100,000 baht (in May) and I've heard that it could be worth up to 200,000 baht. There are Jatukam shops everywhere, probably 10 at each main shopping centre, but be warned, as much as they will try to convince you that the pieces are real, I can almost guarantee you that they're a copy. There have been newspaper reports recently where Jatukam figures have shown up in photos, even digital pictures and ones that were taken by farangs (westerners). This has added to the hysteria and popularity of the Jatukam. The Jatukam in the picture, as worn by my friend, is my main piece. I have a blue one, because I was born on a Friday. Every day of the week is represented by a different colour.
www.virtualtourist.com

Bangkok temples the seat of spiritual strength

There are about 887 Bangkok temples and it would take more than a lifetime to see them all. Some of the better-known and interesting temples associated with the Chakri kings are listed here in the order in which they were built.

Bangkok temples in the pre-Rattanakosin era


On the Thonburi bank of the Chao Phraya is the glittering Wat Arun or the Temple of Dawn, an old temple in the Pre- Rattanakosin era, showered with thousands of porcelain fragments. King Taksin passed the old temple at dawn and vowed to restore it. The Emerald Buddha was kept here until the reign of King Rama I when the Temple of the Emerald Buddha was built.


The Temple of the Reclining Buddha, Wat Pho or Wat Potoram, is one of the Bangkok temples dating back to the 17th century. King Rama I expanded the temple when Bangkok was established as capital of Thailand. The centerpiece of Wat Pho is the huge statue of the reclining Buddha, almost 50 m in length.

Wat Mahathat dates back to the Ayutthaya days and has an interesting history. Prince Mongkut, who later became King Rama IV, was ordained as a monk here in 1824.

Bangkok Temples in the Rattanakosin era

When Bangkok was established as the capital, starting what is known as the Rattanakosin era, several temples were built by the Chakri kings.

The most famous of the Bangkok temples is the Temple of the Emerald Buddha or Wat Phra Kaew.

This was the first temple to be built during the Rattanakosin era.

The temple was built from 1782 – 1784 during the reign of King Rama I to house the Emerald Buddha.


This much-revered statue with a long history has traversed more than 1,000 km across half of Thailand before it was finally installed in this temple in 1784.


In 1807, King Rama I started the construction of Wat Suthat. The construction of this temple spanned three reigns of the Chakri Kings and was only completed in 1843.


One of the more famous temples is Wat Bowornniwet built during the reign of King Rama III. Prince Mongkut, future King Rama IV, was abbot here in 1832 and started a long royal tradition.

Wat Rachanatdaram a royal temple built in 1846 by King Rama III, is renowned for the Loha Prasat or Metal Castle within which the relics of Buddha are stored.

Wat Thepthidaram in Mahachai Road opposite the old Fort Mahakarn community, was built by Rama III in 1836.

Sunthorn Phu, the famous Thai poet, considered the Shakespeare of the Thai literature, was ordained as a monk here.

On an artificial hill almost 100 m high stands Wat Saket or Temple on the Golden Mount towering over the old city.

Building of this temple started during the reign of King Rama III. Owing to difficulties in firming the artificial mount, the temple wasn't completed until the reign of King Rama IV.

Wat Rachanatdaram, Wat Thepthidaram and Wat Saket are in the same vicinity. To visit these wats, please see map to the Royal Temples.

The magnificent Marble Temple or Wat Benjamabophit was built by King Rama V in 1899 near Dusit Garden to replace two older temples pulled down to construct the new palace.

These Bangkok temples are not only places of worship and spiritual retreat but are also steeped in the rich history of the Rattanakosin era and the Chakri kings.

For a Bangkok temple that's not famous for its regal connections, history or old architecture but for a legendary female ghost, visit Wat Mahabut in Phra Khanong. To visit this unusual temple, please see the map to Wat Mahabut. I would visit the place in broad daylight.
http://www.tour-bangkok-legacies.com/bangkok-temples.html

Prapongwan Udomchoke 8 Arahun Suwanna Bhumi

Details:

This is one of the most popular (and expensive) series of Jatukam Ramthep amulets created in recent years and is known as the "Chedi Rai batch", or official named was "Prapongwan Udomchoke 8 Arahun Suwanna Bhumi". It was recorded that although as many 50,000 pieces were originally created, all of them were sold out within a few months.
The green ceramic version is without doubt the most stunning Jatukam amulet ever created. You simply cannot buy these amulets, and we are so lucky to have an entirely genuine piece.
The amulets were created by Major Police General Khunpunta rakrachdech, (Khun Pan) . He created this version to help Wat Pra Mahatat of Nakon Si Tamarat province gain funds towards the support the various renovation projects being carried out at the temple.
It was said that after the landslide success of the "Chedi Rai Version", many senior monks had asked the famous police general to help their temples create new series of the sacred amulets to assist in their own renovation projects.
Though Major Police General Khunpuntarakrachdech had promised to help them create new sacred amulets, he could not complete this task due to his death at the end of last year (B.E.2549).
Therefore all the burden of this work was transferred to other accomplished associates, and in particular his son.
Indeed a new series was later created and was called "Prapongwan Udomchoke Pathom Arahun Suwanna Bhumi", and although was designed differently from the old "Chedi Rai" version, it was still created with the same sacred materials.
Prapongwan Udomchoke Pathom Arahun Suwanna Bhumi amulets would be given to 20 temples, and all of them had passed the 4 sacred ceremonies, which were strictly organized according to the belief of Jatukam Ramthep and the 12 Naksat of Srivichai Suwanna Bhumi Kingdom as follows:
1st ceremony, at 06.16 am., on November 10th, B.E.2547, at Khao Ngoo, Rachburi province, in order to worship the Hindu gods.
2nd ceremony, at 18.30 pm., on November 12, B.E.2547, at Viharn Soong Maha Ued, Nakornsridharmarach province, in order to transfer magic power into the amulets.
3rd ceremony, at 18.30 pm., on November 17, B.E.2547, at the deep sea of Nakon Si Tamarat province, in order to transfer magic power into the amulets.
4th ceremony, at 15.31 pm., on December 10, B.E.2547, at Wat Pra Mahatat, Nakon Si Tamarat province, in order to transfer magic power into the amulets.
Sacred materials
Several kinds of sacred materials were used to create these sacred amulets such as the sacred powder of Nakon Si Tamarat province's sacred chedi of Wat Pra Mahatat (from the renovation in B.E.2538), sacred powder from Jatukam Ramthep (since renovation in B.E.2544), sacred powder of many sacred amulets from several temples, including, sacred powder of Pra Yodkhunpol amulets B.E.2497, sacred powder of Pra Putaravadi amulets B.E.2505, sacred powder of Pra Mahawan of Wat Khao Or amulets B.E.2485, several kinds of sacred powder that were collected by Major Police General Khunpuntarakrachdech during his life time.
Furthermore, sacred soils and powder from many sacred premises were also used in the mixture, including,
• Sacred soils and powder from Wat Punnaram, Rachburi province,
• Sacred soils and powder from Sajjapunt Mountain, Saraburi province,
• Sacred soils and powder from Wat Pribplee, Petchburi province,
• Sacred soils and powder from Wat Pra Buddha Chai, Rachburi province,
• Sacred soils and powder from Wat Tum Khao-ngoo, Rachburi province,
• Sacred soils and powder from Wat Sri Buddha Ram, which was built by Prince Duen Denfa in B.E.300,
• Sacred soils and powder from Wat Khao Bundai-it, Petchburi province,
• Sacred soils and powder from Wat Kong, an ancient temple which was built in B.E.200.
Lastly, several kinds of powder from sacred Thai plants and trees were also added into the mixtures such as Mai Takian, Mai Krabok, Mai Kraton, Mai Makham.


SUPPLIED WITH ORIGINAL TEMPLE BOX AND CASE AND IN 100% MINT CONDITION
price xxxx Bath
If you want to buy
you go to http://www.siam-amulets.com/amulet_details1.php?id=484&page=9&lower=32&PHPSESSID=e602ec12e45dfcb93eefdef4b4ab0768

Hundreds of Buddhist monks to spend Buddhist Lent in violence-wrecked southern Thailand

BANGKOK, Thailand -- Hundreds of yellow-robed Buddhist monks arrived in Muslim-dominated southern Thailand on Wednesday at the start of Buddhist Lent in the hope their presence will promote peace in the insurgency-wracked region.

Buddhist Lent — a three-month period — marks the beginning of the rainy season in Thailand, a time when villagers present offerings of food and flowers to monks who must remain on temple grounds. The age-old practice is traditionally to prevent them from trampling new plants and insects.

"The 346 monks will spend this time in various temples in the area to boost morale among the Buddhist population there and to bring a message of peace to a place torn apart by the insurgency," said Air Force Commander Chalit Pukbhasuk who saw the monks off from Bangkok.


The monks traveled by air force plane to the south and will be spending their time at temples in Yala, Pattani and Narathiwat, Thailand's three southernmost provinces where 2,300 have been killed since an Islamic insurgency flared in January 2004.

Bombings and drive-by shootings are a near-daily occurrence in the region, and while initially Buddhists were the main targets, Muslims are also coming under attack.

Authorities will provide security for the monks with 24-hour patrolling of temple grounds and surrounding areas, said army spokesman Col. Akara Thiprote.

Last year, Buddhist monks in Narathiwat halted their alms-seeking rituals after coming under fire, and some Buddhist temples became military barracks and heavily guarded fortresses.

However, military authorities said Buddhist monks have become less of a target in recent months.

"The assailants seem to have been targeting more strategically, attacking security authorities more ... there are fewer attacks on symbolic targets like Buddhist monks and public school teachers," said Akara.

He also said that recent arrests of suspected insurgents have limited the area of attacks and restored confidence among minority Buddhists in the area.

Up to 10 percent of Thailand's 65 million people are Muslims, most of whom live in the three southern provinces where they are a majority. Muslims have long complained they are treated as second-class citizens in predominantly Buddhist Thailand.
http://www.buddhistchannel.tv/index.php?id=52,4542,0,0,1,0

The Lord Buddha works

The latest celebrity to discover that these Jatukam amulets are, you know, popular, is … wait for it … Ad Carabao! Not the holiest entertainer we can think of, but the new model he's come up with - the "Don Sethi" - is a fund-raiser for charity.
And everyone's favourite songs-for-life singer isn't actually late getting into the talisman stream of things, either.


Ad has long collected amulets, which is why he's so gosh-darned lucky all the time, and he figured out early on that a Jatukam would be a great way to raise some hefty baht for Don Jedi district in his native Suphan Buri province. He even got Dhanin Chearavanont, the big boss at the Charoen Pokphand Group, to preside over the amulet-minting ceremony, which means you'll be able to buy them at every single CP retail outlet, which means everywhere.


But first, Ad had to be reminded that he'd thought up the idea. He'd told the abbot of Wat Thakum in Don Jedi ages ago about this great notion, but he was, you know, drunk at the time. He always gets great ideas when he's, you know, drunk.


Months went by, and then one day the abbot called him and said, "So?"


Ad, who had fallen asleep under the latest Harry Potter book, replied, "So what?"


"What about the amulet?"


"What amulet?"To put this story out of its misery, Ad found himself last week onstage with his old band Carabao at a free concert, as part of the ceremonial casting of the talisman, which he had somehow remembered to design himself. The fans enjoyed the music and Ad got yet another message across.


He swears this is a one-off deal, though. "It'll only be this model - I won't be creating any more Jatukam amulets."


So, if you do happen to come across another new model being sold in Ad's name, either someone's pulling a fast one - or he's been pissed again and back to see the abbot.

http://www.nationmultimedia.com/2007/09/10/entertainment/entertainment_30048338.php

Erawan Shrine

by Malinda Wood
Built in 1956 to ease the mishaps that plagued the construction of the Grand Hyatt Erawan Hotel, the Erawan shrine has become a popular place of worshippers who seek spiritual power to help them achieve their goals in life and business. The notion of the shrine is similar to spirit shrines erected in houses and in front of commercial buildings in Thailand. Obviously influenced by Hinduism, the shrines are believed to bring good lucks to worshippers. Located at the intersection of Bangkok's famous shopping street in front of the Grand Hyatt hotel, Erawan Shrine is perhaps the most respected and visited shrine in Thailand.
The shrine consists of a gold leaf plated statue of 4- headed 8-armed Hindu god Brahma seated inside a shrine that is richly decorated with small glasses and tiles. Beside the shrine is a group of classical dance performers available on hand for hire. Each day hundreds of Thais and foreign visitors, particularly Asian tourists, can be seen offering colorful flower garlands, lotus, incense and candles. At the same time they make a wish. If the wish comes true, they will come back to donate small teak elephants or provide a classical Thai dance show or whatever they promise to do or to offer as a grateful note to Brahma. Erawan Shrine is surrounded by some famous Hindu shrines.
For example, the Trimurti shrine and the Genesha Shrine are two revered Hindu deities situated in front of the high-end shopping mall of Central World Plaza while the Lakshmi Shrine can be found inside Gaysorn shopping Plaza. Just across the road from Erawan Shrine in front of the Intercontinental Hotel is a black statue of Vishnu (Narayana) riding a garuda. All of them are easily accessible by sky train (Chidlom Station) and worth a short visit.
www.circleofasia.com

Revered Thai monk flogs sarcastic fortune cookies

Bangkok, Thailand -- One of Thailand's most revered Buddhist monks has branched out into the fortune cookie trade to mock the "Jatukham fever" currently seizing the nation, news reports said Saturday.
Monk Payom Kalayano, abbot of the Suan Kaew Temple and a crusader against superstitious beliefs, on Friday launched a line of "Jatukham" cookies, modelled after the Jatukham amulet that has made a fortune for other Buddhist monks and temples nationwide.

Payom Kalayano's cookies promise to make the buyer "super rich" by following the four steps to wealth prescribed by the Lord Buddha - diligence, thriftiness, associating with moral people and leading a life of simplicity, reported the Bangkok Post newspaper.

The fortune cookies, four to a pack, sell for a modest 60 baht (1.70 dollars).

The monk said he was inspired to produce the cookies to mock the frenzied trade in Jatukham talismans, which are expected to gross 20 billion baht (571 million dollars) in sales this year.

Jatukham fever started last year when the Mahathat Woramahawiharn Buddhist temple in Nakorn Si Thammarat, 550 kilometres south of Bangkok, began to attract thousands of visitors a day to buy Jatukham Rammathep talismans, named after two princes of the Krung Srivijaya Kingdom in southern Thailand (757-1257).

The special amulets, which were first produced in 1987, have seen a surge in popularity after the death at age 110 of well-known policeman Phantharak Rajjadej, who helped create the 50 centimetre amulet. Original models of the amulet that sold for 100 baht (2.80 dollars) now fetch up to 600,000 (17,143 dollars).

Sales of the amulets, which are anointed by Buddhist monks at Mahathat Woramahawiharnj temple, have sparked such a frenzy that a 51-year-old woman was trampled to death on April 9 in the crush to get reservation coupons for the talismans.

Other Buddhist temples nationwide are now producing their own Jatukham amulets to cash in on the craze, but the Suan Kaew temple is the first to offer Jatukham fortune cookies.

Buddhism does not officially support the use and trade in lucky amulets, which are more in keeping with Brahmanical beliefs than Buddhism, but Thai temples and monks have been actively involved in the multi-million dollar industry for decades.
http://www.buddhistchannel.tv/index.php?id=52,4317,0,0,1,0

Thailand's frenzy for amulets

By Jonathan Head, BBC News
"Monks are supposed to renounce money. The teachings of the Buddha have been killed by the demonic religion of consumerism" - Sulak Sivaraksa, Buddhist scholar
Bangkok, Thailand -- For advertisers in Thailand, the most spectacular location to promote their products is on the side of the country's tallest building, the Baiyoke Tower in Bangkok.
<< Jatukam Ramathep is depicted on the Baiyoke Tower, Bangkok's tallest skyscraper

But the image that appeared there a few weeks ago was not the usual logo for shampoo or a mobile phone company.

It depicted the statuesque head of a mythical Hindu figure, Jatukam Ramathep - actually a combination of two ancient deities, the guardians of some of Thailand's holiest Buddhist relics.

So what was it doing on a Bangkok skyscraper? The answer is that was selling itself, and doing a whole lot better than the rest of the Thai economy.

Thais have always been keen on amulets. Usually bearing the likeness of the Buddha or other religious figures, they are worn round the neck to bring good fortune.


But no amulet has ever been as popular as the Jatukam Ramathep.

Royal connection

These amulets have been made for about 20 years, and were promoted without much success by Police Major-General Phantarak Rajadej, a police chief in Nakhon Si Thammarat, the town where the relics are thought to be located.

Phantarak Rajadej's death last year changed everything.

A larger-than-life character who was reputed to possess magical powers, his funeral was attended by tens of thousands of people, including Crown Prince Vajiralongkorn, the heir to the Thai throne.

Copies of the amulet were given out at the funeral - many of them not authentic, complained his family - and belief in their mystical powers began to spread, pushing up the value of older versions.

On Sunday mornings, crowds build around the main temple in Nakhon Si Thammarat, Wat Mahathat, one of Thailand's most revered Buddhist temples.

They file between the heavy white-washed walls into a small room, filled floor-to-ceiling with an array of statues depicting giants and mythical animals, all bedecked with flowers.

http://www.buddhistchannel.tv/index.php?id=52,4803,0,0,1,0

Believing the unbelievable.

In tune with the wave of anti-religious publications; most notably by authors Richard Dawkins, Sam Harris and Christopher Hitchens, I will attack the subject here.



The three names above might not ring many bells with Thais, except those interested in biology, a field in which Richard Dawkins is a prominent figure. However, they are the spearhead of an international movement fed-up with irrationality. Maybe the largest offspring of irrationality and superstition is religion.


One can debate why people in southern Thailand are being blown up and decapitated, but I doubt that even the slimiest of politicians would deny outright that it has something to do with religion. People are quick to blame this on Islam, and they are partly right to do so. But the people killing innocents and the people buying Jatukam Ramathep amulets because they believe they are magic have something in common; an irrational belief. Although the beliefs are different, they are utterly groundless and deserve no respect whatsoever.


Yes that's right, NO respect. And this goes for all groundless claims; be them nazi ideology, horoscopes or a preacher that says condoms are immoral and so forth.


Why are we so prone to accept the ridiculous claims of such things as horoscopes, spells and a belief in invisible gods? And why on earth are we so afraid of the people that accept these things that it is practically considered disrespectful to question them? If someone walked up to you and said he could summon monsters you would probably tell him he was crazy or demand proof. If you are a man of faith, and someone comes up to you and says he spoke to jesus last night you would probably say congratulations. Buddhism is different in the way that in its essence (but not in it’s entirety) it encourages using rationale and critical thinking. But I am sure that all but the most confused individual will agree that this is far from what is the commoners view and practice of buddhism in Thailand. How many cars have you been in without a blessing in the ceiling? And what are the odds that the guy you stop on the street believes in all sorts of spirits or ghosts; I would say fairly high.



I ask again, why are people so easily persuaded into such irrational thought? Smarter people than me have tried to come up with answers and I won't recite their various conclusions. However, one thing is for certain and that is that it has never been beneficial for a society to cultivate irrationality.


If you indulge in astrology, spirit guides, magic amulets and other irrational and baseless activities or respect such things you act as a fertilizer for the next extremist that thinks; 'I feel that hurting this person in the name of my belief is ok and that is enough evidence for me.'


We tell our kids stories about santa claus, magic and wizards, when they grow up we tell them that it's not true; don't forget to remind yourself of that as well.

http://blog.nationmultimedia.com/narcisuss/2007/08/17/entry-1

Vendors earn more than they dreamed of in Nakhon Si Thammarat

Sales of Jatukarm Ramathep amulets are thriving in Nakhon Si Thammarat's Muang district, with many sellers earning more money than they ever dreamed of.
Duangchanok Amornsak closed down her traditional dance school in August last year and began trading Jatukarm Ramathep talismans.
She admits to making a good profit as demand for the amulets _ which are priced from 199 to 150,000 baht _ has surged. She also sells T-shirts bearing the image of the talisman, and books and pictures.
"I used to get about 10,000 baht a month as a dance teacher. Now I earn from 100,000 to 200,000 baht a month from selling the amulets," she said.
Stalls selling the amulets are on almost every road in downtown Muang district. Although the amulets were introduced in the province 20 years ago, Ms Duangchanok believes their popularity jumped only recently, with the funeral of Pol Maj-Gen Khun Phantharak Rajadej, a well-respected local aristocrat.
Thousands of people flocked to the cremation of Khun Phantharak to obtain the amulets, which were distributed by his children as keepsakes.
Sales of the amulets have stimulated the local economy, putting an estimated 100 million baht into circulation.
Pailin Arunjit also quit her job to become a talisman vendor.
Ms Pailin said she invested 30,000 baht to open her business three months ago. Now she earns about 100,000 baht a month.
"I had never thought that I would have what I have today. My monthly salary as a department store worker was a few thousand baht," she said, adding that she is now able to pay off her debts.
Ms Duangchanok said she believed the talisman would sell well for the next two to three years before dying down, as was "the law of nature".
She personally believed in the magical powers of Jatukarm Ramathep and had various versions of the amulets in stock.
"I don't try to persuade anyone to believe me or to buy the talismans from me. There is no point in owning the amulet but not behaving well. Jatukarm Ramathep will only protect decent people, bringing them good luck," she said.
The amulets comprise a group of talismans with images of a deity and symbols dating back to the ancient Malay kingdom of Srivijaya, of which Nakhon Si Thammarat was a part.
http://pages.citebite.com/i1q4n3r4y7eho

What's after the cookie?

After Phra Payom of Wat Suan Kaew gained success with his initiative to launch special Jatukam cookies, to remind people to perform good deeds instead becoming too obsessed with the famous amulets, the well-known monk yesterday had another product to offer.

The Suan Kaew Foundation yesterday released a T-shirt with the logo "Wear This T-Shirt and Follow the Teachings", featuring the pattern of a necklace with a big round Jatukam amulet around the neckline for those who don't have an actual amulet to wear.


"After I introduced the cookies into the market, I was thinking what to do to make people become better aware of the teachings of the Lord Buddha," Phra Payom said. "So, we designed a T-shirt with a special stylised drawing that should promote the Lord Buddha's teachings."


People tend to wear Jatukam Ramathep amulets in a visible position. However, the pattern of the Jatukam amulet will be seen as part of the T-shirt design.


"I believe this T-shirt will be popular, because it's like you're wearing the Lord Buddha's teachings all the time," Phra Payom said.


Two months ago, the Suan Kaew Foundation launched its special cookies, which proved to be so popular that the Foundation still receives orders for 800-1,000 tins a day.


The new T-shirt comes in different colours - pink/yellow, pink and blue green - and sales for Bt180. The first lot of T-shirts is a limited edition, with only 999 available for sale.


Phra Payom said that after the T-shirts, he plans to launch more products as part of the Jatukam series. But he refused to disclose any details yet. Stay tuned and wait for next month.

Thai temple makes lucky charms of infants' ashes

BANGKOK (Reuters) - A Thai Buddhist temple has been reprimanded by religious authorities for selling amulets containing the ashes of cremated infants to raise money for a plot of land and a crematorium, an official said on Tuesday.

The bodies of 28 foetuses or infants who died of natural causes were cremated legally at the temple's aging incinerator, they said, as Thailand's craze for Jatukam Ramathep amulets promising wealth showed no signs of easing.

"It is not illegal, but it is inappropriate," an official of the local office of Buddhism told Reuters.

"The chief provincial monk has submitted a formal reprimand letter to the temple's abbot," said the official, who declined to be identified.

The Thawee Kara Anant temple in a northern Bangkok suburb was taking advantage of a craze for the amulets that promise to make their owners "super rich" or "rich without reason" sweeping across predominantly Buddhist Thailand.

In July, it made 140,000 disc-shaped amulets about the size of a coffee-cup lid from a variety of herbs and human ashes and had sold most of them, a monk at the temple said.

The idea of mixing the human ashes into the "Multiple Rich" amulets came after neighbours told the abbot they saw spirits of dead infants buried in the temple graveyard in their dreams asking to be freed, monk Lertsak Thitayano told Reuters.

"The abbot wanted to set them free so he decided to cremate them and make merit for them by mixing their ashes into the amulets to empower them in helping the people," he said.

To gain maximum "power", the Jatukam Ramathep amulets, named after two Hindu gods, have to be prayed over by monks for days.

A top-of-the-range gold-leaf edition from a well-respected temple costs 10,000 baht ($300) or more -- more than a month's wages for many Thais.

Some monks have come out swinging against the frenzy, saying it has turned the Buddhist priesthood into an "amulet-blessing industry" despite the religion's shunning of earthly possessions and materialism.

The nation of 65 million people, most of whom remain deeply superstitious despite the rapid modernisation of places such as Bangkok, has spent more than 20 billion baht on the amulets this year, newspapers say.


http://africa.reuters.com/odd/news/usnBKK51983.html

Jatukarm craze on the wane, but faith intact

Nakhon Si Thammarat _ The demand for Jatukarm Ramathep amulets has faded with few requests now being made to a temple to perform rituals for the talismans. Phra Rajthammasuthee, abbot of Wat Phra Mahathat Voramahaviharn in Nakhon Si Thammarat and provincial chief monk, attributes the declining demand for Jatukarm Ramathep talismans to oversupply. However, public faith in the amulets remains high, he said.

During the Jatukarm amulet craze, the temple, where the talismans originated, had been fully booked for rituals, said the abbot. Now only a few amulet makers made requests for his temple to perform rites for new models of the talisman. Previously, the temple received 700-800 requests a month.

The oversupply of amulets including the sale of the fake ones caused prices to drop sharply. Some fake amulets sell for just five baht each.

A source said the atmosphere at the temple was quiet. Owners of amulet stalls in the temple compound had to sell other products just to survive. Over the past few months, crowds of people from all regions flocked to this temple to buy amulets, which brought quick riches to the makers and retailers. Some company employees quit their jobs to enter the business which yielded handsome profits during the boom.



http://www.bangkokpost.com/News/13Aug2007_news03.php

Learning political lessons from the runaway Jatukam train

Published on September 5, 2007
Makers of Jatukam Ramathep amulets may be getting a bit too inventive for their own health.

As the multi-billion-baht bubble is about to burst, we could foresee using cosmic dust as a key component in new amulets, as well as making them candy-coloured and conducting blessings at zero gravity. But dead infants' ashes?

Religious authorities initial reaction to this latest Jatukam innovation was predictable: they said there's "nothing illegal" about it. It may not have occurred to these officials, though, that mixing infants' ashes in amulets is not unlawful probably because no lawmakers in the past, here or anywhere else on earth, had anticipated something that bizarre. In other words, just because there's no law prohibiting people from crossing the street on their hands does not necessarily mean you have the right to try it.

The Jatukam phenomenon and Thai politics are giving us great food for thought, with the superstitious craze in Thailand going a long way in explaining our political predicament. Matters sound familiar indeed: first there was a little hype, then it turned into something pervasive, and once the "masses" are hooked, a semblance of legitimacy begins to build. Instead of strengthening principles, this "legitimacy" weakens them.

One may be tempted to think that ardent Jatukam believers are operating on blind faith, but they are not much different from people adoring a politician or political party. In a society that is supposed to value simplicity and modesty but has gone wild with amulets, which its producers boast will deliver unimaginable wealth and invincibility to the wearer, a distorted political system is anything but a surprise.

Anyone who has studied the Jatukam boom closely should be able to write a manual on "How to Win Elections". Go overboard with promises and full-blown marketing efforts because people will love them. And the names of the different types of Jatukam amulets teach us that there ought to be no sense of shame when it comes to bluffing your opponents. After an "Incredibly Rich" model was issued, rival versions popped up including the "Immediately Rich" model, the "Rich Without Reason" model, and the "Exploding Sky Rich" model, to name just a few.

More importantly, only cowards and losers stop at the line. You cross it, back and forth, until it's no longer there. Jatukam makers have managed to get the best of both worlds through this strategy. On one hand, they successfully sell the amulets as spiritual recourse; on the other hand, they tell their customers that being ridiculously rich is life's main purpose. And don't forget to claim credit by saying that you're doing it for the poor, like the producers of the baby ashes model did when they argued that some of the proceeds from the amulets would go to building a crematorium for the destitute.

Once you step over the line, you not only help yourself, but also both your customers and competitors. Putting babies' ashes in amulets in a Buddhist nation may be hardly acceptable initially, but it will only take like two days. If your ends win over the masses, they won't question your means that much. It's even easier for your competition, whose hypocritical side can't wait to rear its head. They will embrace your initiative, but hate you for getting there first.

Once you manage to make everyone believe that dead infants' ashes can be the essence of something spiritual and sacred, everything else is all yours. You can even proclaim that you truly represent the religion. After all, it's "you" who bring millions of people back to the temples like nobody had ever done before. How good will it feel to associate your name with the highest and most valuable doctrine, which you actually smear, and have those who question your means labelled heretics?

Just be careful about the bubble. You will be thriving on a shaky foundation that you yourself undermine. When it crumbles, you may feel like blaming your enemies, who force you to come up with weirder and weirder plans like the baby ashes in order to stay afloat, but remember it's you who crossed the line first. Now you may want to redraw the line, to get back to the principles that you once showed contempt for, but it's already gone forever.

No, making dead babies' ashes a component of amulets for people to worship is not illegal. A lot of your "customers" may still love it and you may argue that some of your competitors have even done nastier things. But the point is Jatukam is big and the bigger they are, the harder they fall. Just because there is no law specifically against it doesn't mean that such a practice cannot bring the whole industry down.

Tulsathit Taptim

http://www.nationmultimedia.com/2007/09/05/opinion/opinion_30047779.php

Cookie shortage: Jatukam T-shirt, anyone?

The overwhelming success in marketing Jatukam cookies as an antidote to amulet fever has resulted in inspired outspoken Buddhist monk Phra Payom Kalyano to extend his production line to Jatukam T-shirts to combat superstition and magical thinking about money with clothing instead of munchies.

Indicating that orders for Jatukam cookies had exceeded his production capacity, Phra Payorm, abbot of Wat Suan Kaew in Bangkok's north suburban province of Nonthaburi, said Tuesday the pure reason behind the distribution of Jatukam cookies was to urge people to stick to good deeds and hold on to the Lord Buddha's teachings.

The cookies were made almost the same shape and design as Jatukarm amulets which have been produced in mass and sold in great volumes. The nationwide marketing of Jatukarm amulets has sparked off criticism among some people who strongly disagreed with what they termed "Buddhist commercialism."

Phra Payorm said a limited collector's edition of 999 Jatukam T-shirts will be produced and sold for 180 baht each. The front of the T-shirt is printed with a Jatukam logo and carries a short statement encouraging people to work hard and save money.

Wearing the Jatukam T-shirt is almost equivalent to possessing the Lord Buddha's teachings, according to the renowned abbot. He did not deny that the sale of the T-shirt was more or less "Buddhist commercialism" but he asserted that the "revenue from the sales will go to help the poor and develop temples." (TNA)

the Nation

Officials sued for fraud over amulets

Angry buyers say they were duped by ads

In a dispute over the "Ruay Lon Fa" series of Jatukham Rammathep amulets, Nakhon Si Thammarat residents yesterday filed a lawsuit against a kamnan, a court official, a military officer, an attorney, a bank clerk and a state official.

Muang Nakhon Si Thammarat-based lawyer Wisanu Saowapa and 15 other residents sued Chian Yai district's Tambon Khao Phrabath kamnan Yongyos Kaewkhiew and five other people for fraud.

The five were Ratchaburi Provincial Court official Arun Khaosaeng, Lt-General Chatri Thatti from the Defence Finance Department, public prosecutor Wichet Musikrangsi from the Attorney-General Office's special case division, Krung Thai Bank clerk Surat Srimai and Nakhon Si Thammarat Educational Area 1 official Nipa Thongnok.

The plaintiffs have accused the six defendants and unnamed accomplices of providing false advertising and using the provincial court's office to make reservations for the amulets in February, leading the public to believe the court had made the amulets.

Besides producing leaflets with different information regarding patterns, the amount of Jatukhams made and the price, the group was also accused of promising the public it would produce the amulets exactly as advertised, when the actual amulets were found to be quite different.

The plaintiffs filed a compliant with Muang Nakhon Si Thammarat police station.

Yongyos then promised to refund the locals on June 30. However, no refund was paid on the day or the rescheduled date of July 16 - leading to the lawsuit.

Meanwhile, Yongyos declined to comment on the case, saying he would let justice run its course and he did not want this to be a conflict in the province.

http://www.nationmultimedia.com/2007/08/22/national/national_30046004.php

A wing and a prayer for Jatukham craze

The Jatukham Rammathep craze has literally gone sky-high. The Royal Thai Air Force took some much-sought-after amulets on routine flights on F-16 and F-5 fighters in the hope of boosting their supernatural powers and market value.

Air Chief Marshal Paisal Sitabutr, the Air Force's deputy commander, could not explain the logic behind his reasoning but maintained the jets' supersonic speed would quicken one's good fortune, protection and prosperity. The unprecedented height would make the amulets stand out above the rest, literally and figuratively. Moreover, Paisal told The Nation yesterday, the fact that such a "dignified" institution as the Air Force was behind the making of this series of amulets would boost its reputation and sales.

On Monday, the Air Force organised incantation rites for its amulets in Prachuab Khiri Khan. Paisal said the Air Force decided to join the Jatukham Rammathep fever because it wanted to collect huge sums of money for renovation of Wat Mahathat in Bangkok and the twin pagodas, Phra Mahathat Napha Methanidon and Phra Mahathat Naphaphon Phumisiri, on Doi Inthanon in Chiang Mai. The renovation projects costing about Bt100 million are to commemorate the 80th birthday of His Majesty the King in December, he said. "During these days, what else can be done to generate huge money better than Jatukham?" he said. [Indeed!] Paisal saw nothing wrong in the Air Force generating money by producing amulets and using the fighter jets in the incantation. "We have fighters that fly regularly. We just asked the pilots to take the materials [to produce the amulets] with them. We did not hold any special flights for this thing," he said.

The Air Force's action bemused respected archaeologist Srisakara Vallibhotama. "Why didn't they take them up to Mars?" he asked sarcastically. Srisakara questioned the attitude of the Air Force, which is a security-related institution, towards the Jatukham hype and said the process by which these amulets were created lacked moral authority. "You are doing something against nature. How can things produced by an unnatural process contain Dharma of the Buddha, as Dharma means nature?" he asked.

Since last year, Jatukham fever has spread throughout the country, grabbing the attention of celebrities, politicians and ordinary people. The Kasikorn Research Centre estimated that from late last year more than Bt20 billion had been generated by the Jatukham craze. The Revenue Department was considering whether to tax enterprises related to the soaring sales of Jatukham items. The Air Force's incantation rites took place just a few days after the outspoken abbot of Wat Suan Kaew in Nonthaburi, Phra Payom Kalayano, one of the country's most revered Buddhist monks, launched an edible Jatukham cookie to mock the craze for the popular talisman.
http://www.nationmultimedia.com/2007/06/20/headlines/headlines_30037352.php

More suits loom over amulets

Two more people involved in allegedly fake production of a Jatukham Rammathep amulet are set to face fraud charges, a lawyer representing a group of dissatisfied buyers said yesterday.

Chor Chuaphen Phetphasit said the two had been targeted after another three customers sought to get their money back after receiving amulets different from what they were shown on advertisements.

A group of 15 people filed lawsuits against six people on Monday for their role in production of a large number of "Ruay Lon Fa" amulets, which claimed to have been approved by the provincial court in Nakhon Si Thammarat.

But the court never gave such permission and is suing them for using its name.

The lawyer Chor said he may file a new criminal suit against the two unidentified people today.

Both lawsuits have also demanded around Bt5 million be returned to the plaintiffs, who made payments to reserve the "Ruay Lon Fa" model.

Chor said some of the six defendants in the first lawsuit had contacted him to negotiate certain terms, including returning money to the plaintiffs, in return for withdrawal of the lawsuit.

Lawan Wetchasarn, a senior official with the provincial hall, said the amulets were actually silver-coated but the advertising said they were made entirely of silver.

She said she had received three other complaints over the Jatukham Rammathep amulets, but had ordered only one to be investigated.


http://www.nationmultimedia.com/2007/08/23/regional/regional_30046172.php

Experts fear Jatukham fever may endanger dugongs

PHUKET (Gazette/Kom Chad Luek): Conservation experts fear that fierce competition in the promotion of Jatukham Ramathep amulets may have sparked renewed interesting in the hunting of dugong, whose teardrops are believed by some to have magical powers.

Phuket Marine Biological Center (PMBC) biologist Kanjana Adulyankosol told the Gazette that fears stemmed from promotional material used by one Jatukham seller coupled with the February 14 discovery of a dead baby dugong with unexplained trauma to the eyes.

“There is a belief that dugong teardrops possess special powers because mother dugong are known to become obsessed when searching for their lost young,” she said.

“Dugong are easy for people to hunt down, and the method used to extract the teardrops is extremely cruel. It involves removing the animal from the water, waiting for the eyes to dry up and then hitting the tear ducts to induce tears,” she said.

The amount of tear liquid that can be extracted in this way is very limited, she added.

K. Kanjana said that the carcass of the baby dugong was found in Phang Nga Bay.

“It had a wound from a sharp object on its left eye and the cornea in right eye was missing, but we don’t know for sure what the cause was,” she said.

“I don’t know whether the sales pitch used to promote the amulets is true or not, but if it is, it is absolutely illegal,” she added.

“There are only about 250 dugong left in Thai waters. Sale of their body parts, including tusks or other tissues, is completely prohibited,” said K. Kanjana, who has undertaken several population estimates of the population from a two-seat microlight aircraft.

K. Kanjana estimated said the annual death rate in the population is relatively stable at around 10 animals annually, but that even a small rise in that rate could quickly push the local population towards extinction because of the dugong’s slow breeding rate.

Natural Resources and Environment Minister Kasem Sanitwong na Ayuthaya said anyone caught hunting dugong or whales for use in amulet production would face prosecution to the fullest extent possible under the law.

Whale blubber is another material that has been advertised in promotions for some series of the Jatukham talisman.

Nisakorn Kositrat, Director General of the Marine and Coastal Resources Department, said his agency was being particularly vigilant in investigating any reports of dead dugong, especially in Trang province, home to about half of the known population in Thai waters.

He asked for cooperation from local organizations to prevent hunting of dugong, the local population of which is listed as “vulnerable to extinction if trade in them is not halted” under Appendix I of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES).

http://www.phuketgazette.com/news/index.asp?id=5868

Losing its charm

The bottom seems at last to have fallen out of the Jatukam market

Demand for Jatukam Ramathep amulets will taper off next year and sales ease to about Bt10 billion, just a quarter of what has been quoted for 2007.

The Jatukam Ramathep bubble may have burst, but it was a craze that ran hot for more than seven years.

In 2000, the combined market value of the amulets, perceived to be sacred, especially if they are anointed at Wat Phramahathat Worrawiharn in Nakhon Si Thammarat province, was around Bt5 billion.

According to Kasikorn Research Centre, the market doubled every two to three years, rising to an estimated Bt10 billion in 2003 and Bt20 billion in 2005.

The sales figure being tossed about for this year is a whopping Bt40 billion.

Now that could be history, and another boom is unlikely any time soon, according to those knowledgeable about auspicious objects.

The reversal of fortune can be attributed to overheated demand forcing up prices. Jatukam Ramathep amulets skyrocketed from just Bt50-Bt100 each to more than Bt2,000 for an "average" example.

In addition, the boom led to mass production of sub-standard amulets. There was frenzied speculation for quick profits, too.

Bang Lamphu amulet-trader Thep, who asked that his family name be withheld, said the boom was "really incredible".

"You only needed a tiny shop here to make tens of thousands of baht a day. The place was overcrowded most of the time.

"Now that's a thing of the past. Today less than 10 customers a day visit a big Jatukam shop. Making money is difficult."

And you can pick up an amulet over the Internet for as little as Bt5. That is a market collapse.

Kasikorn researcher Phaka-on Thipayadecha said the popularity had died.

"The bubble has burst. Demand for amulets is returning to normal, with only those who really have faith wanting them," she said.

The Jatukam Ramathep charms were created at Wat Phramahathat to pay respect to Nakhon Si Thammarat's guardian god and former ruler. The province was at the centre of the former Srivichai kingdom. Jatukam Ramathep was the name of one of its kings.

Former police officer Phantharak Ratchadej created the first amulets.

They started to gain in popularity after tales of miracles spread by word of mouth and Buddhist-amulet magazines.

"It's difficult to explain scientifically, but miracles did happen. People with the amulets survived accidents and murder attempts.

"I personally believe only in Jatukam Ramathep objects," explained Ton, a fourth-year Thammasat University student.

Their fame reached a peak on July 5, 2006 at the funeral of Phantharak. He died aged 108. More than 100,000 believers attended his funeral.

Deep faith could have been behind the feverish demand, but shrewd marketing helped too.

"With Jatukam, we are talking about faith and auspicious objects on the one hand and business and marketing on the other. Look carefully. The four Ps of marketing are all there: product, price, place and promotion," explained Wattanachai Yaninthorn of marketing magazine Positioning.

"As a product, Jatukam was of the highest quality in terms of historic, spiritual and other values. The key messages were very attractive too: helping people get rich and protecting them from evil.

"In price there was a lot of choice, starting at less than Bt100 to over Bt1 million. In place, it was simple to hire tiny stalls in a busy market or a department store from which to sell them.

"In promotion, ads abounded prior to the Jatukam peak, and makers and the Buddhist-amulet media joined forces to spur demand," he explained.

Phaka-on said amulets were now in recession due to sub-standard production and declining faith among buyers.

"This is no surprise, since what we saw this year and last was in no way sustainable. Things moved at very high speed.

"Businesswise, the boom drew many people into the trade, most of whom were new. Then there was a shortage of craftsmen making new series. Now there are sub-standard products. Many buyers have complained about this," she said.

Kasikorn forecast the market would top Bt40 billion this year. Next year it predicts a sharp fall. "But we cannot say for sure by how much," said Phaka-on.

She forecast demand would return to "a more reasonable level, around Bt10 billion a year".

Only real believers will buy, and only competent craftsmen will make them, she said.

Meanwhile, respected monks warn that the amulets are un-Buddhist. Phaka-on said the warnings were unlikely to have a long-term effect on sales because of people's obsession with amulets and auspicious objects.

She is more concerned about consumers being protected from poorly made charms.

Kamol Sukin
The Nation
http://www.nationmultimedia.com/2007/08/26/headlines/headlines_30046522.php

Jatukarm amulets good news for papers

WORANUJ MANEERUNGSEE

The Jatukarm Ramathep craze has brought good fortune to the country's newspapers, which recorded 10.47% growth in advertising spending in July due almost entirely to the amulets. The results for newspapers were among the few bright spots for the ad industry, which recorded total spending growth of just 1.93% in July and a decline of 0.04% year-on-year for the first seven months, said Nielsen Media Research.

Under spending by brand, Nielsen lists ''Wat-Thu-Mong-Kol'' or ''sacred objects'' as having spent 111.54 million baht on advertising in July _ 14 times more than was spent in July last year. For the first seven months of the year, the category accounted for 465.78 million baht, against 69.35 million a year earlier.

The only brand that spent more was Pond's facial skin-care products, at 478.52 million baht. Trailing the amulets were traditional heavyweights including Oil of Olay, Coke, M-150 energy drinks, Toyota, DTAC, AIS, Breeze detergent and Colgate toothpaste.

Mass-market Thai-language papers received the lion's share of the amulet ads but the party appears to be over. The law of supply and demand has caught up with the amulets and their prices have fallen like a stone. Some can now be had for five baht each or even bought in bulk.
http://www.angkor.com/2bangkok/2bangkok/forum/archive/index.php/t-2296.html