Jatukarm Ramathep
Jatukarm-Ramathep is the great ancient king in the past who success yarn of meditation and become bhodisudhho from java. The people of java island pass downed his story with an image of Narai or Buddha avatar, the amulets of his bless strong protection and great wealth fortune in life. In an altar of Nakhonsridhumararth south of thailand is where the invite spirit of him locate. Jatukarm-Ramathep is also one of the most famous amulets from Thailand.
The original Jatukarm Ramathep amulet was created during the installation of the Lak Muang (city pillar) of Nakhon Si Thammarat, the southern province of Thailand. The history and the meaning of Jatukarm Ramathep vary from one explanation to another. Some believe that Jatukarm Ramathep refers to the four guardian deities of the city, while the other think it is the name of Phra Siam Devathirat (guardian spirit) of the South Seas. Many added that Jatukarm Ramathep is Bodhisattva or the king of the Srivijaya empire (who was named Black King of the South Seas).
A group of historians proposed a different explanation: the term Jatukarm Ramathep is the combined name of the two deities, Jatukarm and Ramathep. Both were situated at the entrance of Phrabarommathatchedi (the stupa housing the Buddhas relics) of Wat Phra Mahathat Woramahawihan in Nakhon Si Thammarat. After the complete establishment of the provinces city pillar shrine, the religious ceremony was conducted to invite the spirits of the two deities to move to the shrine.
The City Pillar Shrine of Nakhon Si Thammarat
The Srivijaya-styled-shrine was installed in the centre of the 2-rai-land plot. The shrine is surrounded by the four pavilions, which are known as the dwelling places of the four guardian spirits - Phra Sua Muang, Phra Song Muang, Phra Prom Muang, and Phra Bandan Muang.
The pillar was made of the valuable Ta Kien Thong wood (Malabar ironwood), featuring 2.94-meter-height and 0.95-meter-diameter. The pillar was engraved from the bottom to the top and crowned with four big and four small faces of the Hindu god, Brahma. Brahma on the pillar represents the omniscient deity, the one, who has insight into the past, the present, and the future. He can perform miracle and his large four faces have reminded the townspeople that he can see them from all directions. Above his big four faces are his smaller four faces, which signify the four guardian spirits of the city. The faces remind the townsfolk that they have no way to hide their evil deeds from the four spirits vigilant gazes. The flame on the top of the pillar symbolises the victory of Nakhon Si Thammarat, which will return to its glorious days. The two persons, who are famed for their deep knowledge of the Jatukarm occult, are Pol.Lt.Gen. Sanpet Thammatikul and the veteran police officer Pol.Maj.Gen. Khun Pantarakrachadej. Both senior police officers are among those, who initiated the idea of establishing the city pillar shrine of Nakhon Si Thammarat in 1985. The shrine was officially completed in the year 2000. The religious eye-opening ceremony to make the shrine sacred was taken place during Mach 3-5, 1987. His Majesty King Bhumibol Adulydej anointed the top of the pillar on August 3, 1987 at Chitlada Palace.
Suriyan-Chandra amulet or Jatukarm Ramathep
The original Jatukarm Ramathep amulets were created in the ceremony of blessing the Nakhon Si Thammarats city pillar shrine during Mach 3-5, 1987 and they have been available to the worshippers since then. Initially, the price of the original amulet was around Bt30 Bt40 apiece. It is now worth between Bt100,000 to over Bt1 million. The Suriyan-Chandra amulet was made of a mixture of 21 sacred substances - Ta Kien Thong wood, soil from four important places relating to Lord Buddha, cooked rice (the grains are collected from seven rice fields), 108 species of sacred Thai plants, banana, holy water from four wells, and also lime. The rest include 108 types of pollens, jewellery box, gold, silver, copper alloy, pounded shell, soil from seven cemeteries, pounded one-holed-coconut shell, sugar, salt, dust from sacred chalk, minerals from seven mines, honey, and sandalwood oil. The ceremony of blessing the Jatukarm Ramathep amulets by incantation was conducted in three symbolic places, the sea, the mountain, and the paddy field, which each symbolises the worlds of water, the air, and the earth, respectively. Respected senior monks and Brahmin priests also attended the ceremony.
The amulets, which were blessed in the ceremony, included the Suriyan-Chandra amulet, Phra Bhuddhasihing amulet, Sien Por Jatukarm Ramathep amulet, clothe with magic formula, and etc. The Suriyan-Chandra amulets were available in two sizes, 5.5-centimeter and 4.5-centimeter in diameter.
