Roiet city (Roi Et) Thailand

The City of Roiet and Roi Et province

There is a small island which is a park on Bung Phalang Chai. Bung Phalang Chai is large artificial lake. The town of Roi Et is developed around this lake. Roi Et features a huge Buddha, one of  tallest in the world, at about 68 meters high, located at Wat Buraphaphiram.

The province earns its livelihood, mainly from rice fields. Their chief products is called the Isaan khaen. Reeds and woods are used by the locals to develop this panpipe type of product. Just outside 60 kilometers of the city, one can find the 11th century’s large Khmer sanctuary named as Ku Ka Sing. Roi Et is inclusive of districts such as Mueang, Thawat Buri, Selaphum, Phon Thong, Nong Phok, At Samat, Phanom Phrai, Chaturaphak Phiman, Kaset Wisai, Suwannaphum, Pathum Rat, Pho Chai, Mueang Suang, Phon Sai, Moei Wadi, Si Somdet, Changhan, Chiang Khwan, Nong Hi and Thung Khao Luang.

History

Several remains from the earlier times are found in Roi Et and its proves that the history of the area dates back to the period of the Khmer kingdom. However, there arde facts that says that during the Ayutthaya Kingdom, Lao natives came from Champasak and entered near Suwannaphum. The present location of Roi Et was established by King Taksin and at that time the area was called Saket Nakhon.

Location

The province of Roi Et is located in the mid-North East region of Thailand called Isaan (or Isan). It covers an area of around 8,299 kilometers and it encircles Yasothon to the east; Maha Sarakham to the west; Kalasin and Mukdahan to the north; and Surin and Sisaket to the south. The population of the city as of 2006 was 34,229.

Attractions

There are plenty of attractions that makes Roi Et a popular tourist destination. Here are some of the key highlights of the city. 

Wat Burapha Phiram- The tallest Buddha image of the nation that reaches up to 67.85 meters. The visitors can climb up to the knee level of the image by using the stairways.

Bung Phlan Chai – This is a lake in the town center where an amazing spot is developed. Here, Roi Et Town pillar is also placed.

Roi Et Reservoir- Gorgeous landscape and serene ambience are the highlights of this area. Roi Et Reservoir is located at a distance of 3 kilometers from the town center.

Wat Klang Ming Muang- The tourists can explore various facts about the Life of the Lord Buddha through the mural paintings that are featured in this temple. Wat Klang Ming Muang is more than 200 years old and it was the place where the Swearing-In Ceremony took place in the kingdom of King Rama V.

Ku Ka Sing – This is an amazing piece of architecture from the Khmer kingdom that dates between the period of 1017 AD to 1087 AD. The basement of this structure is made up of sand stone where three prong remains are also located. In the front portion, Bannali (rectangular buildings) are positioned at either side.

Textiles in daily life of Isaan

Textile and Roiet

In Roiet, some silk and cotton textile products are named from the technique of production such as nudmi, khid, and yeab while other of them named from the function they perform such as Sarong, Khaoma, Sabai, Krab, Bansukul, etc. These cloths are used in a variety of occasions such as ceremonies, rites and festivals.

In the everyday life of Isaan people, in addition to garnments, there are many things made of silk or cotton textiles which used for many functions such as mattrasses, pillows, blankets, ceremonials flags (tung) and Buddhist canvas paintaings (Prabot paintings).

Textiles play an important role in the society. For instance, when a child is bord a pa-oom is used as a blanket or mattrass in the craddle. In some families, Phakkhao ma (mans loincloth) is used as a baby cadle instead of a local bamboo basketry cadle bu tying in between two poles.

Generally in Roi-Et, men wear pants with a wide waist but tied up with a cord or long cloth while working or staying at home. When going out for making merit or joining a ceremony, they wear silk sarongs and shirts with short sleeves and place a sabai (sash) over the shoulder. Women wear cotton, madame long tube skirts in blue with design. However, if they go out they wear silk mudmee (Ikat) and blouse with a sabai or sash wrapped around the body as a shoulder.

When a man is ordained into the monkhood, he is drssed in a special costume. Hw wears long tube lower garnment with strapping in front of the waist, a long sleeve shirt and wearing a special pointed cloth hat or cover his head with a phamon square piece of cloth which is decorated with khid technique for protecting him from the sunlight and for beauty.

In a wedding ceremony, it is a big job for the woman who will be the bride. She has to prepare many things which will be the souvenirs for the bridegroom parents and relatives who come on the wedding day. She has to weave Pja sin for the  bridegroom's mother, sarong and sabai or pha khao ma for bridegroom's father, amke khid mattress and pillows for herselfs and relatives.

When a man dies, the family has to arrange a cremation ceremony. Many pieces of cloth are used to cover the corpses and the coffin. Some pierce are offered to the monks as making merit for the dead.

All these indicates the textile weaving has an important role in a woman's life in the past and even in the present day.