Jatukham Rammathep
Encyclopedia
Jatukham Rammathep is the name of an unusually popular amulet
sold by some Buddhist
temples in Thailand
. The amulet is named for two princes of the Srivijaya
kingdom of southern Thailand, and is believed to provide protection and good fortune to the bearer. Some legends hold that the name actually belongs to an incarnation of the Bodhisattva Avalokitesvara
, whose worship was known in the south due to the presence of Mahayana
Buddhism there during earlier eras.
The original Jatukham Rammathep amulets were created in 1987 by a Thai policeman named Khun Phantharak Rajjadej who believed that the spirit of Jatukham Rammathep had assisted him in solving a difficult murder case.
During 2006, following on the death of Khun Phantharak Rajjadej, Jatukham Rammathep amulets began to grow wildly in popularity among Thais who believed in their ability to grant good fortune and solve personal problems. The amulets were initially distributed by a temple in the town of Nakhon Si Thammarat
in southern Thailand. As the demand for these amulets grew, they began to also be produced at other temples in Thailand.
In April 2007, a woman died after being trampled in a rush to acquire reservations for a batch of Jatukham Rammathep amulets being produced at the Mahathat Woromaha Vihan temple in Nakhon Si Thammarat. Later that month, in the face of a crime wave of daily amulet robberies, Thailand's Supreme Patriarch stopped providing materials from the temple, such as ash from incense, used to make the amulets.
Trucks with loudspeakers blare promotions for different series of amulets all day in Nakhon Si Thammarat, and colorful posters cover many walls.
It is estimated that sales of the Jatukham Rammathep amulet in Thailand will amount to over 20 billion baht during 2007.
Amulet
An amulet, similar to a talisman , is any object intended to bring good luck or protection to its owner.Potential amulets include gems, especially engraved gems, statues, coins, drawings, pendants, rings, plants and animals; even words said in certain occasions—for example: vade retro satana—, to...
sold by some Buddhist
Buddhism
Buddhism is a religion and philosophy encompassing a variety of traditions, beliefs and practices, largely based on teachings attributed to Siddhartha Gautama, commonly known as the Buddha . The Buddha lived and taught in the northeastern Indian subcontinent some time between the 6th and 4th...
temples in Thailand
Thailand
Thailand , officially the Kingdom of Thailand , formerly known as Siam , is a country located at the centre of the Indochina peninsula and Southeast Asia. It is bordered to the north by Burma and Laos, to the east by Laos and Cambodia, to the south by the Gulf of Thailand and Malaysia, and to the...
. The amulet is named for two princes of the Srivijaya
Srivijaya
Srivijaya was a powerful ancient thalassocratic Malay empire based on the island of Sumatra, modern day Indonesia, which influenced much of Southeast Asia. The earliest solid proof of its existence dates from the 7th century; a Chinese monk, I-Tsing, wrote that he visited Srivijaya in 671 for 6...
kingdom of southern Thailand, and is believed to provide protection and good fortune to the bearer. Some legends hold that the name actually belongs to an incarnation of the Bodhisattva Avalokitesvara
Avalokitesvara
Avalokiteśvara is a bodhisattva who embodies the compassion of all Buddhas. He is one of the more widely revered bodhisattvas in mainstream Mahayana Buddhism....
, whose worship was known in the south due to the presence of Mahayana
Mahayana
Mahāyāna is one of the two main existing branches of Buddhism and a term for classification of Buddhist philosophies and practice...
Buddhism there during earlier eras.
The original Jatukham Rammathep amulets were created in 1987 by a Thai policeman named Khun Phantharak Rajjadej who believed that the spirit of Jatukham Rammathep had assisted him in solving a difficult murder case.
During 2006, following on the death of Khun Phantharak Rajjadej, Jatukham Rammathep amulets began to grow wildly in popularity among Thais who believed in their ability to grant good fortune and solve personal problems. The amulets were initially distributed by a temple in the town of Nakhon Si Thammarat
Nakhon Si Thammarat
Nakhon Si Thammarat is a town in southern Thailand, capital of the Nakhon Si Thammarat Province and the Nakhon Si Thammarat district. It is about south of Bangkok, on the east coast of the Malay Peninsula. The city was the administrative center of southern Thailand during most of its history. ...
in southern Thailand. As the demand for these amulets grew, they began to also be produced at other temples in Thailand.
In April 2007, a woman died after being trampled in a rush to acquire reservations for a batch of Jatukham Rammathep amulets being produced at the Mahathat Woromaha Vihan temple in Nakhon Si Thammarat. Later that month, in the face of a crime wave of daily amulet robberies, Thailand's Supreme Patriarch stopped providing materials from the temple, such as ash from incense, used to make the amulets.
Trucks with loudspeakers blare promotions for different series of amulets all day in Nakhon Si Thammarat, and colorful posters cover many walls.
It is estimated that sales of the Jatukham Rammathep amulet in Thailand will amount to over 20 billion baht during 2007.
External links
- The Jatukham Rammathep Amulet Obsession - includes an image of a Jatukham Rammathep amulet
- Patriarch ends role in amulets